Not much to say...have to go play wii

I just wanted to check in quickly, say hi, let you know that we had a great Christmas, other than one of us being sick (me) and are gearing up to welcome in the New Year tonight...

And with that said, I'm off to play Mario Kart on the Wii and see if I can open up another level of fun!!

Catch you in 2009.

Snowstorms and a lesson (learned the hard way) in Preparation

OK, so we've had this fantastic snowstorm... in fact, it's still dumping buckets and buckets of beautiful cold fluffy snow all over New England. The roads are icy and nasty, so it's really better just to stay indoors watching TV, drinking hot chocolate and playing games... BUT, some of us have to work, celebrate anniversaries, finish Christmas shopping. That leads me to the lesson learned this week.

Kendon is a stickler for getting the snow off the driveway and NOT driving on it (can't be packing it onto the driveway now, can we?) So Saturday morning we went out to shovel the walk and use the snow blower on the driveway. We had stuff to do. Ever heard of shear bolts aka shear pins??? Anyone? Well, they are a necessary part to have in order to have a functioning snow blower. Without them, the auger won't turn, the machine won't blow snow which will result in having to MANUALLY REMOVE THE SNOW (aka shovel it yourself, buddy!) Suffice it to say our shear bolts were gone. And we didn't have any extras!!! DUMB MOVE, I tell you!!

Now remember that we can't drive on the driveway while the snow is on it... three hours later and several hundreds of pounds of snow, and thousands of shovel loads later, the driveway was sort of clear (understand, it hadn't stopped snowing). Kendon and I drove to Home Depot, got some shear bolts, headed out to run errands, celebrated our 19th anniversary by going out to dinner, and came home.

Fast Forward to Sunday morning... we'll just pop in the shear bolts, clear the snow off the driveway (sort of, still snowing folks) and be on our way. I wonder how much pressure it takes to get these shear bolts in... this leads me to my "lessons learned the hard way":

1. It's a good idea to know what shear bolts are, when they are missing, and how they should fit in the snow machine. This little bit of education can save you several hours of hammering, cussing, and frustration trying to get the jammed shear pin out of the appropriate place on the snowblower...

2. You shouldn't have to hammer in shear bolts. They may take a little tap, but if you have to apply more than just a little tap, you HAVE THE WRONG SIZE AND SHOULD STOP IMMEDIATELY!!!

3. Don't assume that the guy from Home Depot knows what the hell he is talking about... chances are, he doesn't have a clue and will tell you what you want to hear so he can move on to the next customer. Don't trust said HD guy, even when you provide appropriate model and serial number AND he uses the computer to look up the lot number for the parts. He's clueless.

4. When you finally get that shear pin out and replace it with the RIGHT ones, it's okay to celebrate, do a dance of joy, hug, kiss, and THEN go out and clear off the driveway.

And last but not least, in fact, the most important lesson learned...

5. It's probably a very good idea to check said snow machine BEFORE the worst snowfall of the season hits New England. Making sure said snow blower works properly will alleviate several hours of frustration, several trips to Home Depot, and hours of back breaking labor. Oh ya, and one last thing... always keep several extra shear pins on hand so you can replace immediately when needed.

Ice, Ice Baby!

Talk about crazy ice storms... I woke up middle of the night with my bedroom lights blaring which was weird because I KNOW I turned them off when I went to bed. It was pouring rain, hitting the house so hard it sounded like little stones on the windows and roof. At the time it didn't register, but now I realize it was ICE rain (not hail or sleet really, but frozen rain -- don't know what else to call it) making all the racket. Kendon, of course, was out of town and I was a little unnerved, so of course, I got up, checked the kids, did a walk-through of the house and checked all the doors to make sure everything was secure. All was well and I turned off my bedroom light and went back to bed. This was somewhere in the 3am ballpark.

Fast forward to 5am... I woke to loud cracking sounds and again bedroom lights that were on. Thinking Madison must have gotten up and I didn't hear her over my obnoxious snoring, I got up and checked her and Todd... they were sleeping and didn't stir. It was still pouring ice and was REALLY LOUD. But there were other sounds I hadn't heard earlier. Creaks and cracks, moaning... kinda weird and scary. Then the phone rang... school cancelled in the morning because of the ice storm, power lines down and roads flooded all over the place. No sooner did I hang up the phone then the lights dimmed, flickered and went out.

NOT COOL! So what's a girl to do? I went back to bed.

When I woke a couple hours later, the house was still dark, ice pouring from the sky. I looked out the window and was amazed by the sights... trees down all over the place. Huge limbs broken from the weight of the ice. The trees were encased in ice -- and I don't mean a thin layer of ice, either. It was beautiful in a cold "I'm completely covered in ice" sort of way. I got ready for work in the dark -- Madi and Todd went to a friends house (thanks Lisle -- you are truly awesome). It was pretty wild driving. Some roads were impassable, trees down everywhere, power lines down, and flooding... quite a nasty combination.

Our power was out for about 12 hours which really wasn't too bad considering the possibilities. There are still families and friends around the area who are still without heat and light. Not good when it's 30 degrees outside. Northborough declared a state of emergency and the town set up a shelter in the middle school. We're blessed to be warm, dry and safe. The kids had their first "snow" day and will enjoy a long weekend. Kendon got home safely and all is well.

Comments...what to do?

So I have a bit of a quandary (awesome word, eh?) that I thought I'd post about in case anyone reading wants to share their thoughts with me re: particular problem. This quandary is related to comments in response to my blog posts, which I LOVE to read, by the way -- comments make me feel HAPPY! I love to get em, love to read em -- they make me feel like someone cares! Silly, I know, but true just the same. Anyway, back to my quandary -- because the comments definitely aren't the problem, well at least not directly.

I'm still pretty green at this blogging stuff -- clueless, really. So much about blogging is new to me and I haven't come close to figuring out all the ins and outs... which, in a very round about way, leads me once again back to the quandary to which I keep referring. OK, here it comes... just about there... wait for it...

THE QUANDARY: when someone makes a comment on my blog, and I want to respond to that comment, do I respond back to them beneath their comment in my own blog? Or should I be sending an email? Or do I post something randomly on their blog? How does that work exactly? WHAT SHOULD I DO??? Because it seems to me that if I respond in my own blog beneath their comment they may never see said response.

I'm just thinking about me and my own brain and lack of retentive memory function (I blame the kids, of course), but if I comment on someone' blog post, first off, I don't always remember that I made a comment and second, I don't remember to recheck said post for a response to my comment.

I'm thinking I should send an email. But then it looks like I ignored the post all together. Is there Blog Etiquette? Is there a right way to manage this issue? Am I just being stupid? Nevermind, don't answer that last question. Just help me out with my little blog quandary...

Slowly going digital...

So I'm slowly moving from paper scrapbooking to digital and it's really fun. I'm pretty retarded when it comes to using Photoshop, so I'm taking a class from Jessica Sprague (she has a website and offers several different classes). The first lesson starts with providing the most basic of basic info related to PS and the lessons progress gradually once a learning foundation has been established. There are lots of downloads and freebie kits to start my digi-stash. It's a fabulous class and I highly recommend it to anyone who is considering making the switch from paper to digi. Mind you, I've only done one layout. Here it is. No criticism, please. Eventually, I'll learn how to do drop shadows, make brushes, papers, etc. but right now, this is enough. And now I'm going back to play.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

Just had to say it... I love the Christmas Season. I love the lights, the smells, the excitement, the games, the fun, the tree, the Nativity, the music, etc.. I don't know about your family, but we have a lot of fun this time of year. Todd is done with Football and so we actually see him. It's nice. Anyway, just wanted to give a little shout out to Christmas cause I LOVE IT!!

I have recently discovered a little gem that promotes my personal sanity and peace of mind while also saving me TONS of time. It is something I never knew existed until I got a flyer in the mail which included a $20 coupon as incentive. The coupon advertised a grocery delivery service. I thought, what the heck? Why not try it. I abhor grocery shopping, nearly as much as I despise ironing -- it's always been one of those unpleasant "have to's" that I do as infrequently as possible. So this little coupon was a delivery of hope and I definately decided to give it a try.


What I am talking about is the Shop n Stop "Peapod" grocery delivery service. It totally rocks. I planned my meals for the next two weeks, shopped the website -- you can shop by aisle or product / brand -- set up my account and voila! C'est fini! It took me 15 minutes to put in my grocery order. Delivery costs were $6.95. I set up delivery between 4pm and 6pm for the next day and promptly at 4pm my doorbell rang. There was a grocery delivery person holding bags of my groceries. He brought them in and put them on the cupboard, went out for the second load -- isn't that awesome? He brought them right in to my kitchen! That's another part of grocery shopping I dislike -- hauling in the bags.


Anyway, I put the groceries away, checking my list as I went, making sure I got everything I needed. It was all there. No muss, no fuss. My produce was fresh, the bread wasn't squashed. Everything was as it should have been. In my opinion, this is a fantastic service... one that I will definately continue to use on a regular basis.


Oh ya, and another thing, I just checked my email and I'll have free grocery delivery for the next 60 days -- how cool is THAT? You ought to give it a try if grocery shopping is something you hate, or you have to drag the kids along and it is nearly as painful as dental work without Novocaine... try it, you'll like it!

So what about the blog?

I've thought about the blog several times over the past couple of weeks but just haven't gotten around to posting anything. I've thought about the reasons I chose to join the realm of the bloggers and gave some consideration to why I think it's a good idea to continue to blog. Because I do think it's a good thing. And I will continue to blog. Even if I'm the only one who reads it. It's a great way to keep a written record of what's been going on in my family, a good way to remember important events, thoughts, or moments. And if anyone else decides to read my blog, they'll keep up to date with what's going on with us. I love reading my friends blogs, getting updated on what's going on in their worlds, watching their kids grow up via pics, etc. And I also love the blogs that share recipes or tidbits of wisdom.

So that brings me to the question "what do I want my blog to be?" I'm trying to avoid monotony and repetitiveness. I'm not out to teach anyone anything. I'm not a professional anything so won't share my expertise on any one thing. My blog is going to continue to focus on my family and all things, good and bad, that encompasses. It'll include pics, stories, quotes, recipes, etc.

So, here I go again. Back to blogging, after I go watch a movie with the family....

The funny things kids say...

If you know me at all, you'll know that I love a good joke -- something to induce a big chuckle, or even better a gut-wrenching laughing fit. That said, I'm blessed to have funny people in my life. Todd is quick witted and often has me in tears (laughing, not crying) and Kendon...well, he's a witty one too. Madison loves to tell jokes that often aren't that funny to me, but to her they are HILARIOUS! Watching her laugh at herself makes me laugh.

She has said a couple of things this weekend that have made me chuckle. And whenever I think about them, they still make me chuckle... so here are a couple of conversations that had me laughing:

Scenario: Kendon getting ready for our "date night" and Madison being the fashion consultant:

Madison: "Oh Daddy, it doesn't matter what you wear because you are handsome in everything."
Kendon: "Thanks Madi, ok, what do you think about this?" (pulls out a sweater and jeans that I love).
Madison: "Mmmmm...no. You can definately do better. You look like Grandpa in that."


Scenario: Kristi getting ready for church, Madison taking her time in the shower:

Kristi: "C'mon, Madison, you have to hurry up. We're leaving in half an hour."
Madison: "Oh mom, you know I'm just like elastic."
Kristi: "Huh? What do you mean?"
Madison: "You know, that liquid stuff that moves really, really slow."
Then it dawned on me -- MOLASSES.

Even though not a winner...

... John McCain is a class act. He is a patriot. And even though he did not win the election, he has made an impact on Americans.

With this election, history has been made! The American citizens have elected a man who promises CHANGE... He happens to be the first ever African American President. That is amazing. How far we've come since Martin Luther King Jr.

But Obama has his work cut out for him. And he has made a lot of promises to the American people. He has promised to turn this great country around. In his attempt to succeed and to fulfill his promises, it is my hope that this extreme Partisan, Liberal, Democratic President will not destroy everything this country stands for and upon which it was built.

In the words of McCain at his nomination speech:

Fight for what's right for our country.
Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.
Fight for our children's future.
Fight for justice and opportunity for all.
Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.
Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.
Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight.
Nothing is inevitable here.
We're Americans, and we never give up.
We never quit.
We never hide from history.
We make history.

Mutsu, Empire, JonaGold, Macintosh...can you guess what we did?

If you guessed Apple Picking, you're right!! This was so fun! And it was a first for Madison. I was a little surprised when I realized she'd never been apple picking, but when I thought back to the last time we went, it was when we lived in Ontario and long before she was born. Time flies. Apple picking was a favorite Fall activity of ours when Todd was small. And it was something we planned on doing every year. It seems though that as our schedules have gotten crazier and busier, we've let go of some of our fun traditions and replaced them with other things.

So we decided this past weekend would be a great time to renew our Fall tradition and go to a local orchard and see what we could do. Once there, we put our best apple picking skills to work and ended up with a 1/2 bushel of apples. Of course we had to taste each type of apple as we were picking them just to ensure we really wanted that particular brand. And so we ended up with a few apples of several different varieties. Each of us had a different favorite, so fortunately, that is what we went home with.

We enjoyed a wagon ride out to the orchard, then a hay ride back in from the orchard. Once we'd picked our fill of apples, we stopped in the kitchen for an apple slush and an apple donut before we went home.

The weather was great... nice and warm with just a little "crisp" in the air. And the leaves on the trees were fabulous with all their changing colors.

Happy Fall Y'all

I wanted to post a couple of awesome Fall pics... One good thing I will say about New England is that it really knows how to kick off the Fall Season...

Sometimes it IS the big things...

You know the old saying, "it's the little things that count"? Well, I had the opportunity this weekend to remind myself that really, it's about making the BIG THINGS count and overlooking the little things. Let me explain what I'm talking about.

I was annoyed with my family this past weekend -- I know, big surprise. Let me backtrack for a minute to mention a couple of things to help you understand MY state of mind: I went back to work last week; I have been getting up early every morning to exercise; I go to bed at night exhausted but CANNOT sleep even though I really, really want to; AND I have been carefully picking and choosing the food I eat (aka. starving).

So on to the cause of my annoyance... after a week away at work followed by evenings spent reading orientation materials or working on computer modules, the house was messy, definately neglected -- stuff dropped here and there, backpacks thrown on the kitchen floor, papers, textbooks, and assignments spread over the counters, water bottles in numerous rooms of the house, shoes everywhere, etc. I can handle a little clutter, but given the amount of stuff everywhere, it freaked me out! (Remember: tired, hungry, stressed Kristi) Anyway, I went off a little bit, definately feeling justified in my crankiness. And after I spewed anger and frustration over the Richards household, we started cleaning up.

I've mentioned before how I feel about cleaning... it's cathartic. I feel calmer when my surroundings are clean and organized. As I was cleaning, I found myself thinking about each of my kids... they are great kids.

Todd is funny, witty, usually in a good mood. He is the guy who gets up at 5am every morning to go to Seminary because he wants to get 100% attendance. If any of us should be stressed out and cranky, it is him. His day is endless. After Seminary, Todd goes to school, then football practice. He gets home sometime around 6pm to eat and then gets started on his homework. He usually rolls into bed after 10pm only to sleep for a few hours and start all over again. No downtime. And he handles it well. Todd is also the guy who loves his mom. He still hugs me and kisses me goodbye. He also tells me he loves me, even when he is IN FRONT OF HIS FRIENDS. Big things!

Madison is all things loving. She loves to be loved and she loves to make sure that each of us feels loved. She's our emotion barometer. And she is funny, silly, dramatic, such a good girl. She is smart, wants to do the right thing, and goes out of her way to make sure she applies the Golden Rule. She's my little night owl -- loves to stay up late -- but also our early bird. Go figure. These are the big things. And they are the things that matter.

So stressing about the house, fretting about whether there is toothpaste all over the vanity, or dirty dishes in the sink... LITTLE THINGS. And they really don't count much when stacked up against the big things. I realized that I really need to focus on the things that are important, the BIG THINGS.

Life back at work

Well, I went back to work this week after several months of being a delinquent. Although I really enjoyed playing around this summer and travelling with my family, I must say, that it's really nice to be back at work. Mind you, it's only been a few days, but it's been good.

The work is different than anything I've done before... I'm working with the VNA (homecare) and will eventually have my own territory and clients. Our division takes on the more acute care cases, so most of our clients are short term. There are lots of opportunities to teach and support the clients and I think that is awesome. Oh, another cool thing... I get my own laptop!! THAT ROCKS!

Because my background has been pretty much hospital based to this point, this is a new adventure. A huge factor that pushed me to make the decision to leave the "glitz and glamour" of working in the hospital, besides the obvious things like shift work, unsafe work conditions, and unrealistic management expectations is the fact that I can have some flexibility in my work schedule with the VNA. I have the opportunity to get my kids off to school, work while they are gone, and be home to get Madi off the bus. I feel productive. I'm contributing. I'm preventing my brain from turning to mush as well as doing something I love. And the kids don't miss me like they did when I was working every single weekend. What's not to like about this? I'll let you know if anything comes up.

Anyway, have a good night. I'm off.

Florida pics

Haven't been posting but I've been busy

Well tonight I decided to tackle changing the look of my blog by tweaking the HTML code... not something I've done before and I have to say that I learned A LOT thanks to the very easy step by step instructions at www.SJHblogdesign.blogspot.com. I got a tip about this blog from a website I frequent all the time: twopeasinabucket and I decided that I really wanted to try to make my blog more individual and more "me". Although not perfect, I am liking the way my blog looks. I'm sure I'll tweak it a bit more, add more gadgets and stuff and who knows, now that I know what to look for I may even change the appearance from time to time.

Quick Update...

Well, it's been awhile since I've blogged. And there have been a few things happen since you last heard from me.

1. Kendon and I went to Amelia Island, Florida for 4 days... fabulous mini-vacation complements of Procter & Gamble. We stayed in the Ritz Carlton... BEAUTIFUL place, right on the beach. Eventually, we would love to have a place right on the beach...

Marcia and Charlie came to stay with us for a couple of weeks and Marcia watched the kids while we were gone. I have to give major cudos to my sis. She's great. Amazing, actually. And Charlie... well, there are no words. He is just too wonderful and we all love him like crazy. Except for the fact that he's two, he's perfect.

2. I had my 39th birthday. Really. I'm 39 years old. Wow. It sounds so old when I say it, but it doesn't feel old. Anyway, we celebrated in Florida... and then with the kids when we got home. I got a new Canon point and shoot that I keep in my purse... it's a little easier to lug around than my bigger Canon d-slr (which I love, btw).

3. My family is healthy again. Yay! It's no fun being sick.

4. Kendon is back at work, the kids are working hard at school, and I'm gearing up to start a new job next week. I'll definately let you know how all that goes.

I guess that's it for now. I've got to download and edit some pics then I'll post a few.

Strapless bras and other stuff

Aha... got your attention with the title, eh?

Let me first start out by saying I've been sick the past week -- sicker than I can ever remember. In fact, my poor sister, Marcia, is here visiting and I got sick the evening she arrived... started with a sore throat & headache then progressed within a day to include dizziness and vomiting whenever I raised my head off the pillow. Suffice it to say, I spent an entire 24 hour period in bed, sleeping, and frequently throwing up. Can't say that was a lot of fun, but it has given me a point of reference on which to base the rest of the week. Since my "sleep-in", I have definately gotten better, but I am not healthy... just on the mend. I hate being sick.

Needless to say, it hasn't exactly been an eventful visit for Marcia and Charlie as we've pretty much stayed pretty close to home. Fortunately, though, they have remained healthy. And so has Todd. Kendon and Madi have had some sinus congestion and a cough, but neither of them were as sick as me. I say that as a joke, sort of, even though it's REALLY true, since I've been telling Kendon all week that I'm whining because I'm way sicker than he is.

OK, now enough of my whining... on to more interesting topics like strapless bras. So, you might know that Kendon and I are heading to Florida for a little business trip. I found this cute dress that requires a certain type of undergarment which was not a part of my wardrobe. So we went shopping. For bras. Of the strapless variety. Only, here's the thing... strapless bras are not made for women with real boobs. There's no support. In fact, I've decided that if I was to compare wearing a strapless bra to wearing no bra at all, it feels about the same.

Just when I'd about given up, Marcia came upon this slick little bra with clear plastic straps. Guess what??? It's awesome! You get the support and you can't see the strap under the sheer dress... works for me. I'll let you know later how it all works out.

And the last thing, not to be diminished by any of the previous information, is that today I received my new washing machine... pristine and perfect. It is SWEET! Runs so quiet you can hardly tell it is on, and spins at 1200 rpm without a wobble. I can't believe how much I missed having a washing machine until mine broke. And I've been without it for over a month. It's been a LONG MONTH... but like everything else, things are getting better.

Hurricane Ike hit Galveston & Houston, TX Sept. 13th

So, the hurricane hit Galveston dead on, then went on to Houston and up through Kingwood and Porter... fortunately for my friends in Kingwood, the "eye" of the storm went over them instead of to the West... they received heavy rain, wind, and loss of electric, but avoided being in the path of the resulting tornados and debris dump that is generally associated with being on the "dirty side" of the hurricane (the east side of the eye).

Although the power is out and will likely be out for a few weeks, I have heard that my friends are ok. What a huge relief. I've attached a couple of pics of the damage and flooding from Hurricane Ike so far. The water is still rising in the bayou's around the Houston area so there will likely be more destruction in the coming days. I'm just grateful that my "peeps" are safe.

Let's Not Forget

September 11th, 2001 is a day that changed history. Let us not forget.

Bike Riding SUCKS!

As part of an exercise regime, I have maintained that biking is not my thing. I like running. That is what feels good to me. I have a sister who doesn't "get" running, but she swears by biking... obviously, it is her thing. Let me clarify something, though. When I talk about biking, I'm not talking about a leisurely bike ride with the kids through the neighborhood. I like that kind of biking. That is fun. The kind of biking I am objecting to is biking for fitness -- riding hard, working hard, definately not for fun. Well, today I just wanted to get a quick workout in and I thought, hey, why not go for a little bike ride. In hindsight, that was a terrible idea, but at the time it sounded kind of fun.

So I started off by checking my bike making sure my tires weren't flat, and then I grabbed my sunglasses and bike helmet (better to be safe!) and off I went. All was good. I was on a downhill grade. Then I came to the hills. I don't know if you are familiar with the terrain around my area, but it is hilly. In fact, rolling hills would describe it perfectly. It is beautiful... so long as you are not riding a bike.

The first hill wasn't too bad. I was peddling fast and by the last third of the hill, I was standing up using my weight to propel me up the rest of the way. Woohoo, I made it! Pat myself on the back then carry on... not long after the first hill, I came to a stop sign and had to cross a busy street followed immediately by a fairly steep hill. I made it, barely. Next came a series of ups and downs -- you remember the kind of hills on the back roads that you flew over in the car? The ones that made your stomach clench? In a car, those are a fun adventure. On a bike, not so much. But I made it over the peaks and valleys and continued on my merry way.

As I followed the road, I have to admit, I enjoyed the scenery and the feeling of the wind on my face. I didn't even mind the potholes and barking dogs. But then I came to a neverending uphill grade and my enjoyment "flew out the window" so to speak. I huffed and puffed and I puffed and I huffed and I downshifted and I peddled my heart out. And I thought to myself, among other things, that if I was running, I'd take this hill without a second thought. Why was it so much harder on a bike? By the middle of the hill, I was dying. A little further, my legs were officially dead.

Have you ever tried walking up a hill pushing a bike while your legs are shaking, feeling like spaghetti that is going to collapse without warning? That was me. Add a little nausea, heavy breathing and you have a pretty good idea of how I was feeling. To say it wasn't pretty would be an understatement. I wanted to be done this stupid bike ride! There wasn't anything fun about it. But I was quite a long way from home and had no choice but to get back on the bike and ride. And after a few more riding / walking stints, I made it home. I parked my bike in the garage and walked away from it without a backwards glance. The bike was NOT my friend.

Now that I've had some time away from the bike, I still maintain that biking for exercise is not for me. I'd rather cover ground on my feet, thank you very much. I'm commited to running. I love running. It feels good to me and biking definately does not.

There's cleaning and then there's CLEANING

I went to bed last night thinking about the things I really needed to do today... and when I woke up this morning, I was still thinking about those things... paying bills, unpacking my suitcase from my last trip, purging and cleaning out my office to name a few.

So I decided to start with the cleaning. I decided that I'd focus on my office space today. It's a disaster. And the cleaning that is needed for this space is more than routine cleaning. And it's likely going to take more than a day. So I cranked up the tunes, grabbed a diet Pepsi, and dug in. I have to tell you, I'm really enjoying the process of digging out, throwing away, and reorganizing.

Something you may not know about my office is that it is not just MY office. I share my space with my two kids. This 9'X12' room is crammed full of stuff. And Kendon laughs nearly every time he comes in because he thinks all my stuff is funny -- he supports me in my scrapping habit, just doesn't get it. Anyway, when the kids are home, if I'm in my office they are too. And that's great, except that it gets very crowded. And then there's the mess...

I use this space to be creative. I scrapbook, edit pics, sew, play on the computer and do a variety of other projects in my office. Todd usually just comes in to use the computer, to sync his ipod or upload new music. Madison, though, is following in my footsteps and LOVES to make crafts. She loves glue and she loves glitter. And though she loves to make her projects, she is not always very good about putting stuff away and cleaning up after herself. I spent nearly 2 hours going through her paper scraps, reorganizing her stuff and scraping glue off her desktop. And now it looks great! That is just one corner of the room.

I really enjoy this kind of cleaning. I find it energizing. It's not like "normal" housework. There's something about cleaning out the clutter and making a space more functional that is therapeutic. I'm having a great day. I'm excited to make my space make more sense and work better for the three of us who use it. So, now that I've taken a bit of a break, I'm going to get back at it. There's a lot more mess to take care of. Once I'm done, I'll post pics.

Can't leave out hubby

And here is Kendon (fishing with Madison (left) and neice Clara (middle). I'm sure he'll appreciate my putting this pic of him in here. He's having fun and he looks great.

And here are my kids...

Aren't they great?!

I think my kids are pretty awesome.

Todd is a funny, cool 15 year old. I know that sounds ironic, but he's a really super kid with a quirky, quick sense of humor.

And Madison is a 7 year old: very sweet and loving with just a touch of diva and drama queen thrown in for good measure.

My washing machine

Why would I write about my washing machine, you wonder? Well, it's like this... Just before our family trip back to Canada in August, my old, reliable GE Washing machine died. It was 13 years old and had been slowly dying for the past couple of years. But the GE Repairman confirmed that it was officially dead and suggested we invest in something a little more modern.

So we did. We researched and shopped around and finally decided to buy a front loading Bosch. It is a little beauty and apparently, does a great job. I wouldn't know, though, since I'm still waiting for said machine to be delivered. It was a special order. It arrived last Friday. However, when they were loading it on the truck for delivery, it fell victim to the forklift. So, it had to be reordered and will likely take another couple of weeks. To say I'm not happy about that is an understatement... I'd really love to have a fully functioning washing machine in my home. I'd love to be able to do a load of laundry any time of the day or night. I'd love to wash my teenage son's football uniform EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Despite the setback with the washing machine, I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude. I have found that taking everything to the laundromat can be quite an adventure. Trying to find parking is a major feat. Occasionally, I find a space right next to the building. Today, though, I had to park down the road at the CVS and haul my overflowing baskets through the parking lot and across the street. That was fun. In addition to this character development, I am improving muscle tone as I haul the baskets of laundry from the house into the car, from the car into the laundromat, from the laundromat back to the car, and from the car into my home again. Good exercise. Then there's the opportunity to fill my time while I'm waiting for wash / dry cycles. I can simultaneously wash or dry 6 loads of laundry WHILE I CHECK MY EMAIL, READ A BOOK, WRITE A BOOK... WHATEVER! How cool is that? From start to finish, including folding, doing my laundry at the laundromat takes about 2 hours, give or take. So I come prepared with something to do to fill the time.

There is definately a downside, though. Whether or not my laundry is really clean, I don't know. Each batch I wash costs me $2.75 and I'm running out of quarters from the family fun jar. Add another couple of dollars for each batch in the dryer... the costs add up. I even found myself thinking once that it wouldn't be so bad to own and operate a laundromat... quite a money maker, I think. The last thing that comes to mind is that every time I go, I have to give myself a little pep talk to help me prepare for what might be lurking in the machines... hair, gunk, a stray pair of panties. I've seen all those things, but I'm sure I haven't seen it all... and I don't want to.

I'm really hoping that my new machine gets here soon. Undamaged.

Starting a blog

I'm finally jumping on the blogger bandwagon... better late than never, right? And I'm doing it for a few different reasons. One is to keep in touch with family and friends who aren't nearby, so they can see pics of my family, read about what we're up to, and basically keep up to speed on the drama that seems to be our lives.

Another reason I've decided to start a blog is because I type much faster than I write so this blog will take the place of my written journals... if I actually had journals, that is. Since I haven't written in a journal for years, I really thought this would be a great way to document the things that happen in my life and in the lives of my children... kind of a mini-documentary complete with the occasional picture, craft project, or whatever.

So, here it goes...