Happy Halloween, a Few Days Late

This year, Dawson decided he wanted to be a pirate. So, I checked Wal-Mart for a costume, and decided very quickly that I wasn't going to pay $20.00 for a costume, so I set out to make it myself. I bought a pirate package for $5.00 that included the eye patch, bandanna, false teeth, and earring, and I used the make-up we had leftover from last year. The hook and bucket came from an auction, and the sash was 2 yards of ribbon I bought for $0.49 each. I made him a sword out of cardboard, and wrapped it in foil, and the wooden sword was made by Pop Pop for Dave when he was little. The black t-shirt was on clearance for $3.00, and the blue pants are just a pair of sweats he wears. Put it all together, and you have an instant pirate costume.

Hannah was grounded from trick or treating this year because of her grades, so she had to sit at my dad's house and pass out candy while we were gone. I don't think she minded too much though; she's too cool for trick or treating now.

Dawson filled up his bucket twice while we were out, and had a blast. It took us about 4 houses for him to remember to say "Trick or Treat" and "Thank You" but once he did, there was no stopping him.

Let's Go Fly a Kite...

For your viewing pleasure, I present Dawson and Daddy, trying to fly a kite. The kite was one of 3 in a box of items we purchased at an auction, and Dawson was adamant that they were going to fly the kite, even though, miraculously, there was hardly any wind. The result was a kite flying attempt too hilarious not to record. enjoy! :)

Our tax dollars at work...

Space Station Trash Plunging to Earth By Tariq Malik, (Oct. 31)
- A piece of space station trash the size of a refrigerator is poised to plunge through the Earth's atmosphere late Sunday, more than a year after an astronaut tossed it overboard.

NASA and the U.S. Space Surveillance Network are tracking the object - a 1,400-pound tank of toxic ammonia coolant thrown from the International Space Station - to make sure it does not endanger people on Earth. Exactly where the tank will inevitably fall is currently unknown, though it is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere Sunday afternoon or later that evening, NASA officials said.

"This has got a very low likelihood that anybody will be impacted by it," said Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station program manager, in an interview. "But still, it is a large object and pieces will enter and we just need to be cautious.

"NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson threw the ammonia tank from the tip of the space station's Canadian-built robotic arm during a July 23, 2007 spacewalk. He also tossed away an unneeded video camera stand overboard as well, but that 212-pound item burned up harmlessly in the atmosphere early this year, Suffredini said.

NASA expects up to 15 pieces of the tank to survive the searing hot temperatures of re-entry, ranging in size from about 1.4 ounces to nearly 40 pounds.If they reach all the way to land, the largest pieces could slam into the Earth's surface at about 100 mph (62 kph). But a splashdown at sea is also possible, as the planet is two-thirds ocean.

"If anybody found a piece of anything on the ground Monday morning, I would hope they wouldn't get too close to it," Suffredini said.

Known as the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS), the coolant tank is the largest piece of orbital trash ever tossed overboard by hand from the space station. Larger unmanned Russian and European cargo ships are routinely destroyed in the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean after their space station deliveries, but those disposals are controlled and preplanned.

The recent destruction of the European Space Agency's Jules Verne cargo ship was eagerly observed by scientists hoping to glean new information on how objects behave as they enter Earth's atmosphere. Observers aboard two chase planes caught photographs and video of the double-decker bus-sized spacecraft's demise, but no such campaign is possible with the returning ammonia tank.

The last object to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere with prior notice was a small asteroid the size of a kitchen table that exploded in midair as it flew over Africa on Oct 7th.

It's taken more than year for the ammonia tank to slowly slip down toward Earth due to atmospheric drag. During its time aboard the station, the tank served as a coolant reservoir to boost the outpost's cooling system in the event of leaks. Upgrades to the station last year made the tank obsolete, and engineers were concerned that its structural integrity would not withstand a ride back to Earth aboard a NASA space shuttle. Instead, they tossed it overboard, or "jettisoned" it in NASA parlance.

Suffredini said that while astronauts have accidentally lost a tool or two during spacewalks, the planned jettison of larger items is done with the utmost care to ensure the trash doesn't hit the station or any other spacecraft as it circles the Earth. Engineers also make sure the risk to people on Earth is low, as well."

As a matter of course, we don't throw things overboard haphazardly," Suffredini said. "We have a policy that has certain criteria we have to meet before you can throw something overboard."

Ok, now maybe I'm a little confused here, but did they just say that the tank's structural integrity was at stake with a ride back to Earth on a shuttle, so they decided the better idea was to toss it overboard into the atmosphere? Um, where exactly did they think it was going to go? Did they think there was one of those gigantic Glad trash bags floating around up there, protecting the planet? (You know the one; the commercial with the piano that falls from several stories high, and misses the trash bag, so the furniture movers throw all the pieces into the trash bag, and take it up to the owner).
I used to be supportive of space exploration, and even wanted to be an astronaut myself, but I hate math so that pretty much tabled that dream. But, there have just been too many catastrophes and bone headed decisions made over the past 20+ years to warrant spending so much money on the program. That money could be put to better use in school systems across America. We have more students than the classrooms can hold, and not enough teachers to go around. Did you know that NASA's proposed 2009 annual budget is $20.211 billion? Yes, I said billion. That works out to be approximately $0.15 per day for every tax paying US citizen. We can sponsor a starving child for only $0.10 per day. Imagine how many children could be saved with that kind of money, either from starvation, or from dropping out of school due to cuts in programs such as art that keep them interested.
With our crippled economy, and the unemployment and dropout rate steadily increasing, I don't see how congress can continue justifying a program with no definitive purpose. They have been spending billions of dollars over several decades, and have managed to accomplish 2 things:
1. A space station with no real purpose other than accommodating the occasional docking shuttle
2. A space shuttle who's only purpose is to fly to the space station with no real purpose
Without the shuttle, there isn't a US purpose for the space station, and without the space station, their isn't a purpose for the space shuttle. So, why is so much money being continuously pumped into a program with no real purpose, and no real accomplishments? Seems to me, if more money was spent on the education of American children, we wouldn't need an expensive space program to give us something to be proud of. We could instead be producing scholars in every field. That would be something to be proud of.

Fun Pics. Enjoy! :)

And before you ask, no, I am not a mean mommy who makes my 4 year old son vacuum the living room for my own amusement. Dawson LOVES to clean! This was a $2.00 vacuum we picked up at an auction for $2.00. It lasted a little over a month before it gave out, but he enjoyed every second of it! He now has a new vacuum, a $4.00 auction find, that he enjoys almost as much. I think he has the cleanest room of any 4 year old around! :)

Look Ma, no baby wheels!!

Since Dawson is convinced that he is no longer my little boy, but is instead a big boy, he has decided that he no longer needs the "baby wheels" on his bicycle. So, big sister Hannah rummaged through daddy's garage, until she found the right tools, and removed the wheels for him.

All in all, it went very well, once he figured out how to fall gracefully, so that he wouldn't hurt himself. Then I think he started having more fun falling then riding the bike, so the wheels went back on, then off, on, and finally back off again. They are still off right now, but it is too muddy for him to ride right now, but hopefully it will warm up by the end of the week, so he can try again.

Where did the month go?

I am so sorry I have not posted in such a long time, but it has been such a hectic month. I was sick for almost 3 weeks with what the doctor thinks are allergies, and then when I finally got over that, I started a new job. So, we have been busy getting our new routine down, and I'm still working my home based business, so that doesn't leave a lot of time for anything else.
I do have a lot of new photos and stories to share with you from the past month, so I promise to start posting those tomorrow. :)

We will Remember...

I thought I would take this day to remember

9-11-01. I have collected numerous photos and poems over the years, and I thought this would be a perfect time to share a couple of my favorites.

Calling All Angels

Written by Lea MacDonald

SFFD-Captain-227
Submitted 10/5/05

As a firefighter, I decided I'd send along a poem I wrote to help folks understand what might have happened that horrific day. There are several layers of meaning marbled within it; words of healing as well. It is written in iambic pentameter, the preferred style of Robert Service - you'll find the rhythm.

"Calling All Angels! Calling All Angels!" Went out his thunderous plea.

"I am thy Lord beseeching my horde to assemble in front of me!"

In a flash the angels did dash to gather at His feet,

And hear His plan to help all man by use of Heaven's elite.

"The Devil's made a play this September day to hurt the ones I love,

He's loosed upon earth his demonic worth now push has come to shove.

I'll not stand by and have good men die without awareness in their heart,

So this day in my plan-full way a battle I'm going to start."

"Gabriel old friend to this end welcome every woman and man,

That'll come our way this fateful day who died by Satan's hand.

And before you go you need to know a few you'll bring straight to me,

Firefighters all now standing tall known as The Three-Forty-Three."

With Gabriel gone and quiet the throng they wondered at His plan,

To send and quell the flames of hell by use of mortal man.

All manner of doubt filled the strongest and stout of Heaven's holy array,

And fear fell upon the heavenly throng at the plan the Lord set this day.

"I can sense in thy hearts hesitation to start a battle you don't understand,

But confused as you Satan is too and that is the heart of my plan.

Fear yea not for what I've wrought I'll ask none here to face his fork,

But I'll send into hell those who fell the firefighters from New York!"

Then Lord raised his staff and began to laugh in roaring thunderous glee,

And in a booming blaze they stepped from a haze The Angelic Three-Forty-Three.

They fell into line in very short time making perfect formations of rows,

And the Lord caused to slip onto every man's hip a golden heavenly hose.

"The gravest mistake Satan did make when he struck down these men so brave,

Thinking idle I'd stand not extending my hand and their souls I would not save.

Have no fear for the men standing here the way to his place they know well,

For verily each day they've collected their pay by stepping into hell.

These men know their task now angels I ask that you hasten straight to earth,

Then comfort their friends when the tally begins and they start to question their worth.

Console them with wings and all heavenly things on their shoulder your head is to rest,

Send whispers of thanks from our heavenly ranks, say: 'God knows you did your best.'"

Are you ready for some football?!?!

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for Some Orioles football. Unfortunately, I think someone forgot to tell the football team. They played the Haysville colts, rather the colts played them, as the score was Haysville 26, Augusta, 0. I am so hoping that they can get it together, and get that first touchdown. Sometimes, that's all it takes to turn a team around. Of course when the opposing team look like 12th graders instead of 6th graders, it can be pretty intimidating. They grow their boys big down in Haysville!!

The cheerleaders, and the football players, were lucky enough to get new uniforms this year. The cheerleading uniforms are a vast improvement over the old ones. The girls call themselves the Oreos instead of the Orioles because the uniforms are black and white with a little orange, but they are cute none the less.

I only snapped a couple of photos, and one video from this game, because I wasn't feeling well, and it was cold and rainy on top of that. I promise to add more photos and video from future games. :)

God has truly blessed our family...

I am so happy to announce that I have a job! I have been trying to get on with the school district for a couple of years now, and it finally happened! I am a para-professional, and I will be working with special needs children in the elementary school that Hannah attended here in Augusta. I had my TB test and physical today, and should start next Monday. I am so excited!! This is such a blessing for us, as the hours are perfect. I will be working 8-2:55 M,W,F, and 8-2:15 T,Th. This will give me 5 minutes to get to Dawson's pre-school on M,W,F to pick him up by 3, and will allow me to be at home on T & Th, so that Dave can get to work on time. As many of you know, my college major was elementary education, and I have about 40 credit hours left to complete it. I am planning on going back to school once Dawson starts kindergarten next year.
I also rented a small space at our local antique's mall, so we can have an extra outlet for all of our auction finds. I have so many glass pieces, that I just don't have the time to list them all on Ebay. Besides, Ebay isn't the best place to sell anything these days. It is only $27.50 per month for the space, so it is incredibly reasonable. And most importantly, it gives me a new excuse to go to an auction every weekend. :)
I am also going to keep my business going, I'm just going to scale the advertising back a bit. Since I will be working a school schedule, I will need to have some sort of income coming in over the holiday, and summer vacations, so hopefully, these avenues will work out. :)

When in Doubt, Look Up

Here are a few photos I took in the Dillons parking lot Tuesday night, of a gorgeous sunset.

Little Man on Campus

Well, today was the big day. Dawson started preschool, and he has been excited about it for weeks. He was up at 9am this morning, dressed, and ready to walk out the door. The only problem was, it is very cool here today, and he was in shorts, and school didn't start until 12:30. So, we spent the next 3 hours counting down the time, and listening to a lot of "I can't wait".

Once we arrived at the school, I snapped a few photos of the mementos occasion, and took him in to find his coat hook, and his cubby. We then had to wait about 10 minutes for the teacher to open the room, and during that 10 minutes, his shyness kicked in again. He wouldn't let go of my hand, and was glued to my side. When it was finally time to go in, I had to push him in, find the necklace with his name on it, and tell him several times to go sit in the circle. I backed out of the room, and he was looking all over the place for me. The teacher finally got him to sit down, and Dave and I left. I'm not sure if it was harder on me or him.

Jake strikes again...

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted. I've been so busy this past week, I just couldn't find the time, or the quiet, to sit down and concentrate.

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about our not so little puppy Jake, and his chewing problems. Well, he struck again, and almost became a pound puppy again. Apparently, Jake missed the memo on what a complete fanatic Dave is for the Nebraska Huskers. That, or he just doesn't care. Either way, it doesn't matter.

Dave and I have had the discussion time and time again that you can not leave anything that might make a good chew toy at eye level of the dog. That means regular eye level, or standing on his hind legs eye level. I guess he thought I was being ridiculous, and not learning from his past mistakes, he left his beloved Nebraska Huskers hat on the coffee table. The result is a Nebraska Huskers hat, with free A/C. I told him you could barely notice, but for some reason, he didn't buy it.

Poor Jake. He ended up spending a couple of hours in his pet taxi, and was a hop, skip, and a jump away from a car ride to the pound.

Now, one would think that after losing 2 hats Dave would have learned his lesson, right? Wrong. Over the weekend, Dave left his leather boots laying in the middle of the laundry room floor. He always puts his boots up, and out of reach of the dog, but for some reason, he neglected to do it this afternoon. The result is one funny looking boot, that he wouldn't let me take a picture of, but I will take one while he's sleeping. He's still wearing the boots, but part of the back is missing on one of them. I tell you, there is never a lack of humor in our house.

Combatting Auction Boredom

On Sunday afternoon, we went to an auction in El Dorado. The sales bill showed several things we were interested in, so we anticipated a good day. I collect different types of cut glass, mostly milk glass and clear glass depression pieces, and there were several of these pieces at the auction. The problem was, the collectors with unlimited funds were out in full force, so I did not purchase one piece. They were bidding individual pieces of glass up to $40 and $50 per piece. Many of these pieces won't even sell for half of that in today's market, but I guess a true collector isn't concerned with money. I purchase glass to use in my business, and I keep some of the pieces to either use in the kitchen, or collect if it's nice. I also have several flats that I plan on reselling, as we picked up the flats of 6 or 7 pieces for $1.00 each, and each piece will sell for $10.00 - $30.00 a piece. Not a windfall, but nice none the less.

The kids were pretty bored, so they went to visit the horses that were on the property. They had fun feeding them grass, and petting them. Dawson was a little apprehensive at first, because he was afraid the horsey was going to eat him, but Hannah helped him, and he warmed up to the idea.

I took these photos with my new camera phone, and I have to say I am pretty impressed with the quality. They are large enough to do something with, and they are not grainy, like the last 2 camera phones I have had. I don't always have my digital camera handy, so it's nice to know I have a cell phone camera I can rely on.

Broken Tooth

About 3 months ago, I was eating some peanuts, and I bit down on a particularly hard one. It hurt like heck for a few minutes, and then felt better. I didn't think too much of it, but over the next 3 months, I noticed that I have been unable to chew anything on that side of my mouth, without it hurting. Since we do not yet have dental insurance, I just learned to avoid chewing anything hard on that side. Well, last night, I took the kids to Sonic to get some ice cream, and I bought one of those new Fried Ice Cream Blasts. It has tiny pieces of cinnamon toast crunch pieces in it, and I didn't think anything of it, since they aren't that hard, and I chewed on that side of my mouth. I felt that same immense pain I had felt three months ago, and then noticed that I was chewing on something incredibly hard. Well, that turned out to be a corn kernel sized piece of my very back molar. Apparently, I had cracked that tooth 3 months ago, and it finally broke all the way off last night.
Luckily, there is absolutely no pain of any kind. No sensitivity, so swelling, no throbbing, nothing. I think I may be lucky as far as any exposed nerves or major problems. And that's a good thing since our dental insurance waiting period is not up until September 28. When Dave returned to his old job, where he had been working for 9 years before leaving for 10 months, he discovered that they had switched insurance plans, and now had dental insurance. But, that insurance had a 240 day waiting period before we could use it. That is completely ridiculous!!
To get me through the next month and a week, Dave bought me some Temparin One Step Repair at Wal-Mart. It's technically filling repair, but it should work to cover the entire top of the tooth, until I can get to the dentist. The break left a very jagged area on the inside of the tooth, and I cut my tongue on it sometime while I was sleeping. I also just want to make sure that no further damage is done to the tooth between now and the end of the idiotic waiting period, so I'm hoping this will work.
I have always had good teeth, and have only had 2 cavities in my life, and have 2 fillings in those teeth, so this is new to me. I am definitely not looking forward to a trip to the dentist, especially for whatever procedure awaits me to fix this tooth.

Not a lot going on in Kansas...

I haven't had a lot to post lately, as we are still settling into our school routine. Hannah enjoys middle school, and wants to be dropped off half an hour early each morning to walk the halls with her friends. That brings back memories.
I have requested information from the local pre-school for Dawson as he is adamant that he wants to go to school, so we'll see what happens. I want him to go, but I also don't want him to go. I guess I'll just have to ask them for a desk right next to him, then I can have the best of both worlds. I don't know what scares me more, him missing me so much he cries to come home, or him not missing me at all.
We've been going to one or two auctions a weekend, and we have managed to accumulate a massive collection of glass, furniture, and odds and ends. We picked up a very nice coffee table for $2.50 last Saturday, and it makes a nice addition to our living room. We had been wanting one for quite sometime, so I was happy to pick this up for such a bargain. I also picked up 2 very nice shelves for my office. Once is a large 3 shelf wooden bookcase, and the other looks like it was a tv stand, and has doors on it. They were both also $2.50 each. You just can't beat that. We are going to an auction this Saturday in Derby, and it looks like it will be a good one too. The weather report shows that it might rain, so we might pick up some even better deals. We seem to do better when it rains, as it keeps people home, so we don't have as much competition. I can't really think of anything that we need now, but I'm sure I'll see something that just has to come home.
I am still trying to photograph our very elusive hummingbirds. We have a brown one and a green one in our flower garden, but by the time I see them, make a dash for my camera, and return to take their photo, they are nowhere to be seen. I thought I was just imagining them, but the mom of one of Hannah's friends dropped Hannah off here at the house the other day, and she saw one of them dining on my red Cannas. Then yesterday, she saw it again in the same place. When I returned home from dropping Hannah off at cheerleading practice yesterday evening, I saw the brown one near the Cannas, but it flew away before I had a chance to photograph it. I will have photos to post soon because I am not giving up!!
Let's see... Oh, Hannah is having some knee problems, so I am taking her to the doctor. She started having problems with her knee during cheerleading last year, but the problem went away when cheerleading ended, and didn't bother her again until this week. Her knee was twice the size of the other one, and very stiff and sore, so we're going to find out what's going on. It never bothered her when she played softball this year, so I'm sure it has something to do with the range of motion used in the cheers. But we'll see. :)

ATC's and Swap-Bot

I found this cool site called Swap-Bot, http://www.swap-bot.com/ and it's been keeping me pretty busy lately. This site deals with swapping items, mostly craft related, with partners from all over the world. When you sign up for a swap, on the last sign up date, the computer randomly selects the partner you send your items to.
I am hooked on their ATC swaps. ATC's are artist trading cards, that measure 2-1/2 x 3-1/2. They can be made from any medium; stamping, paints, pencils. stickers, scrapbook paper, etc, and embellished any way that you would like. You trade these cards with other ATC collectors, similar to baseball card trading. The only rule for creating an ATC is that it must measure 2-1/2 x 3-1/2, and the backing you use for the base of the card must be a heavy duty card stock or chipboard, which can withstand glue, all of your embellishments, and of course the US Postal system.
The picture above are 4 ATC's I made for the baby ATC swap on Swap-bot. When creating your cards, you are limited only by your own imagination, and the theme of the swap. I enjoy using various scrapbook papers and Jolee's stickers, as well as patterned ribbons, and lots of sparkly things.
Between my business, and the kids, it was hard finding the time to do something just for me, but making these ATC's only takes an hour or so a night, and it gives me something to look forward to. If you have the time to give something new a try, check this out. You can sign up for as many or as few swaps as you have time for, so if you're afraid you might not have the time, just try one at first. You can always join more swaps later. Happy swapping! :)

Hummingbirds in Kansas... Well, almost.

A couple of nights ago, Hannah started yelling that there was a hummingbird in our flower garden. I ran to the window, but didn't see anything. Well, yesterday afternoon, I was walking past the window, and happened to look out right as a black and white hummingbird was flying by, en route to my red canna plants. I hurried to the office to grab my camera, and was in position to snap a few shots, when Dawson came out the door and let out a big "Mom what're you doing?" which scared the bird away.

Last night, the kids and I went for ice cream, and were sitting on the porch swing when we saw another hummingbird dining on my pink Naked Lady Lilies. (On a side note, the naked lady lilies came with our house, and there were only a handful of them when we moved in back in 2005. They have steadily multiplied, and I have around 135 this year) I ran inside and grabbed my camera, and proceeded to snap several great shots of what I thought was a hummingbird. I was able to get very close to this creature, and not startle it, which was my first tip off that this was not a normal hummingbird. As I was snapping the photos, a second one joined the first, so I was able to take some great shots of both.

After they filled their tummies and flew away, I went inside and uploaded the photos to the computer so I could see what the creature looked like. It's wings were beating so fast, and it was flying so quickly, that I wasn't able to get a good look at it, but my camera did. I was amazed with what the camera caught. What I though was a hummingbird was actually a species of moth known as the Sphinx or Hawk moth, but is more commonly known as the Hummingbird Moth, because of it has similar characteristics to the hummingbird.

From what I have read, these moths are very rarely seen because they fly at night, or at dusk, when there is an overcast sky, as it was last night. Although I was hoping to see a hummingbird, this was still a wonderful thrill for this nature lover.

Other than the quick glimpse yesterday afternoon, I haven't seen a hummingbird since we moved back here from Missouri. They are the most beautiful creatures, and I hope to see the one that visited here yesterday again.

First day of middle school... Is it really possible?

Today was Hannah's 1st day of middle school. She's had her 1st day of school outfit planned out for months. She's explained to me in depth, on numerous occasions, how she was going to curl her hair. Her alarm was going to wake her up at 6:30 am, so she could get ready, and arrive at school 20 minutes early. That way she would have time to talk to all of her friends, find her locker, practice her combination, and put her school supplies in her locker, etc. What a lovely dream.
Reality check...
7:20 am - Mom gets dressed to take Hannah to school
7:25 am- Mom goes down stairs to make sure she is up, dressed, and has eaten her breakfast
7:26 am - Mom finds sleeping beauty in bed, still dreaming about her 1st day of school plans 7:26:01 am - Mom yells at sleeping beauty to get up because it's now 7:26:10, and she is going to be late
7:26:20 am - "Oh crap" is sleeping beauty's response as she throws off the covers, and makes a mad dash for the bathroom
7:30 am - Hannah emerges from the bathroom, and goes to her room to get dressed. Mom impatiently waits on the couch
7:32 am - Hannah asks if she needs to wear a certain undergarment since she is wearing a tank top underneath her shirt. Mom shakes her head in utter disbelief, and walks out of the room.
7:37 am - Hannah gets dressed, and fixes her hair.
7:45 am - Hannah thinks she is ready to go, but she has the wrong undergarment on, (the sports type underneath a spaghetti strap tank top). Mom yells, and then realizes the problem the entire time has been that she is wearing the wrong tank top (she should be wearing the one that has the undergarment sewn in it). Hannah finds the right one, and is finally ready to go
7:49 am - Mom asks Hannah if she brushed her teeth
7:49:30 am - Hannah brushes her teeth
7:51 am - We are finally ready to go, but the car keys are missing
7:51:30 am - Hannah sits in the car while Mom wakes up Dave to ask him where he put the keys when he got home from work
7:52 am - Dave finds the keys, and mom is out the door
7:54 am - Mom realizes the road she was planning on taking to the school is closed, so we have to go the long way around
7:59 am - We arrive in front of the middle school with 1 minute to spare
7:59:45 am - Mom drives home still shaking her head
Man. Middle school is tough!

More Swimming Pool fun

On Friday night, my dad took Dave and I out for dinner for our birthdays, and afterwards, we went back to his house to swim. Hannah starts school on Wednesday, so this was the last weekend of swimming for the year. I wanted to get a few diving board photos before the summer ended, so I made sure to bring my camera.

Hannah and Dawson are like night and day when it comes to swimming. Dawson has been a fish ever since the first time we took him into a swimming pool when he was 1 year old. From that day forward, he has looked forward to every opportunity he has to swim, and makes sure to let you know every chance he can.

We used one of those floating bathing suits the first 2 years, and last year, we started using just the floaties, and he loves them. He was jumping in the pool on his own at 2, and off the diving board at 3. This kid loves water.

Hannah on the other hand, is just now at 11 learning to enjoy the swimming pool.

When she was 1, I bought her one of those floating bathing suits, and she hated it. She climbed on my shoulders to get as far away from the water as she could. We tried for years to teach her to swim, or at the very least come off of the steps in the shallow end of the pool, but she refused to even try. Finally, over the last couple of years, she has learned how to go under water, while holding her nose, and this year, she actually learned to swim. She also amazed me by jumping off the diving board numerous times last night. We had a tough time getting her out of the pool this time!

Hannah's grandma bought her a pool pass the our city pool, and she has gone several times this year with her friends, so that may have helped. Although, I honestly think she was going for a different purpose, and his name is (can't tell you, or she'll be very upset), but that's another story. Whatever the reason, I am very happy that she has learned to love swimming as much as her brother does.

Enjoy the photos! :)

Thank you Julie, this is hilarious!

A tribute to all you hard working Moms out there...
A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.
The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog.
Proceeding into the entrance hall, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall.
In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.
In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.
He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.
He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.
As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him; He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?'
She again smiled and answered, 'You know everyday when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?' 'Yes,' was his incredulous reply. She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.'

Random Fun

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Just another boring rainy day in Kansas

I don't have a lot to talk about today. It's at least 20 degrees cooler than it has been, which is good, and it's raining, which is a blessing.
Hannah has her first cheerleading practice tonight, which she is excited about. This is her last year to cheer for the Augusta Little League. Next year, she will have to try out for the Middle School squad, which she isn't really interested in doing. The thought of trying out for anything terrifies her, and I don't blame her. I'll have lots of cheerleading photos and video to post as the season progresses, so be sure to watch for those. Since Hannah has decided she no longer likes to have her picture taken, I take all I can at the games because she can't run and hide, and she has to smile. I love it! :)
While I was surfing over on BlogHer, I came across a blog post about Paris Hilton's response to John McCain's Celeb ad. If you haven't watched the video, you can see it here:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/08/paris-hilton-sn.html
It is hilarious! I was shocked that she was able to string together that many big words, and come across sounding intelligent. I'm sure it was written for her, and someone was holding big cue cards off to the side, but it was funny all the same. :)

To chew or not to chew. I would prefer not, but he doesn't listen...

As most of you know, we adopted a chocolate lab pointer mixed puppy back in May. Jake is now 9 months old, and as big as a small horse. We love him dearly, but we have a major chewing problem on our hands.

My nightly routine includes walking around the house, and making sure that anything and everything that could be miss-identified as a chew toy is put up as far as I can reach. Well, last night I must have been half asleep, because when we awoke this morning, right there in the middle of the living room floor, laid one of Dave's most prized possessions... his Nebraska Husker's hat. It was chewed into a thousand little pieces, completely beyond repair. As I'm typing this, Dave, although vaguely aware of the destruction, is still asleep, so the realization has yet to set in.

This dog chews everything. He has chewed several of the lattice boards on our deck, chewed a hole in Dawson's carpet, chewed countless shoes, sometimes when we were still in them, chewed up a dining room chair, tried to chew our brand new braided rug we purchased at the auction over the weekend, chewed Dawson's Thomas the Train sheets, chewed Dawson's huge Cars pillow his grandma made for him, clothes, plastic bowls, toys, etc. etc. I am at my wits end with this dog. Rocket chewed a lot when he was a small puppy, but he outgrew it at 6 months old. Jake doesn't seem to have any non-chewing ambition. We can't even leave him out of his kennel when we leave for a few minutes, because he will chew up everything he can get his mouth on while we are gone.

We have tried to redirect his attention, scolding, even hot pepper sauce. NOTHING WORKS!!! If anyone has any other suggestions, I'm all ears. It's just funny. We can teach him commands like sit, lay down, play dead, and shake, and he learns them in 5 minutes, but we can't teach him to not chew.

Mexican executed after appeal denied in Texas

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/05/scotus.execution/index.html

This is a pretty lengthy story on CNN, so I decided not to re post it here. I just found it interesting on many levels, and I guess I'm just not understanding the judicial system in this country.

First of all, the article mentions that Medellin was denied the right to confer with counsel from his home country. That can only mean that he was using counsel from the United States, most likely a team of public defenders. Who paid for this? My guess is that American tax paying citizens paid for his defense, and flurry of last minute appeals that were filed on his behalf. If he had counsel in Mexico, paid for by Mexican money, ready and willing to aid him in his defense, why was that not allowed?

Unless my math is wrong, Medellin has been a part of the American judicial system for 15 years, since he committed the heinous act in 1993. He has been sitting in an American prison, eating food made here in America, staying cool in the summer and warm in the winter with utilities paid for with American dollars, and as mentioned above, having the advantage of a team of American lawyers, paid for by American tax payers. Why? He was a national of another country, not an American citizen, so why was he afforded the same rights that American citizens have. The same rights that countless men and women have laid down their lives to protect, and in fact are still dying for as we speak?

I completely understand the families need for closure, and that his execution probably gave that to them. I am in no way trying to diminish the pain and anguish they are inevitably still feeling to this day. I just do not understand why we are throwing away millions of dollars every single year to house criminals who are are not supposed to be here in the first place. That is money we can put to good use in our school systems, hospitals, police departments, and the ever increasing budget deficit.

"The Mexican government filed an appeal with the international court against the United States in January 2003, alleging violations of international law. Medellin filed his own federal and state appeals based on similar complaints, as well as a claim of ineffective counsel. Medellin has the support of the European Union and several international human rights groups."

Again, I have to ask why? Do the European Union and the various international rights groups have nothing better to do than lobby for the "rights" of a man who gang raped and murdered a 14 and 16 year old girl? There are people starving, being tortured, or abused all over the world, so I wouldn't think it would be too difficult to find a better cause. I also do not understand why he was afforded the right to appeal to our state and federal governments on his behalf. I'm sure there was some sort of ridiculous piece of legislation that was signed into law allowing all of this, but it makes absolutely no sense.

"The world court again last month ordered the United States to do everything within its authority to stop Medellin's execution until his case could be further reviewed." Was more review really necessary? He raped and murdered 2 teenage girls, and was tried and convicted. Review over.

I believe that if you commit a crime in this country, and are not a citizen of this country, then you should be sent back to your country to face whatever punishment might be waiting for you there. I know that in most cases there wouldn't be a punishment, but think of the resources that would be made available for other things when the money wasn't being spent to house, try, defend, and execute illegal immigrants. It was reported by Lou Dobbs that 33% of the United States jail population was comprised of illegal immigrants. Imagine what we could do with a 33% national revenue increase.

Living conditions in other countries may be so bad that leaving to pursue a better life here in America is necessary. I have no problem with that, as long as you have every intention of becoming a citizen, and making a better life for yourself. I just don't think we should be spending our tax money on legal fees for non-citizens.

A Movie Review - The Dark Night

For our anniversary on July 26th, Dave and I took in our first movie since Walk the Line was in theatres. We enjoyed the first installment of the series, Batman Begins, so we decided to see the latest installment, The Dark Night. The only word that comes to mind is, brilliant.

As we all know, this movie marks the last completed role for actor, Heath Ledger. This movie, while brilliant, is also incredibly sobering, as it brings to light just how much we lost with Heath Ledger's passing. Heath's Oscar-worthy portrayal of the maniacal Joker was awe inspiring, and showcased his true potential. With each role, an actor gains screen credibility; desperately searching for that one role that will break the mold, that one memorable role that will catapult them into infamy. This role was all that and more for Heath Ledger.

If you are familiar with Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the joker, you will be more than a little surprised with Heath's version. He took the character into the darkest of shadows, so dark that even the slightest hint of a joke was light years from humorous. From his sinister carved smile, and smudged clown makeup, to his deep gravelly voice and yellow teeth, he made this character uniquely his, yet remarkably different at the same time. Combine his stellar performance with the dark somber backgrounds and seemingly endless violence, and you have a Batman movie unlike any other.

Although Heath's performance was incredible, I can not forget to mention Christian Bale as well. I have been a longtime fan of Batman movies, and Christian's portrayal of "the Bat Man" is by far my favorite. I have enjoyed Christian Bale as an actor for some time now (Batman Begins, American Psycho, Little Women, Empire of the Sun), and let's face it, he fits into the Bat suit quite nicely.

The dance that good and evil share in this movie is gripping. The joker's sole purpose in life is to strip mankind of every last shred of humanity and decency that may be left. "I choose chaos", says the joker, and he pulls out all the stops to convince "the Bat Man" that he should choose chaos as well.

The Dark Night is definitely one movie that should be viewed in the theatre. If you are looking for an action packed movie, that will be well worth your money, this is the one for you. Don't miss it!

Auctions

Today, Dave, Dawson, and I spent the day at an auction in the small town of Douglass, Kansas. This was my first auction, and let me tell you, I'm hooked!
This particular auction was a moving sale for a widow who could no longer take care of her home on her own. Her home was beautiful, and it was set back off the road on a secluded 3+ acres of land. She is downsizing to a much smaller space in Wichita, so she had to part with the majority of her possessions. I was able to talk to her for a few minutes after the sale was over, and it broke my heart to hear what she was going through. But she was very happy that the items we had purchased would be put to good use. They all thought my little boy was adorable, and were happy that he would get to enjoy the items.
We spent much more than we had anticipated spending, but it was a fraction of the cost we would have paid for all of it in a store. Dave paid around $20.00 for all of the wood trim and boards he will need to finish our house remodel. We are in the process of fixing up our home to sell it, so anytime we can save a little money is a blessing!
I purchased just about every Christmas and Halloween decoration the woman had, and it was a very extensive collection. I picked up bags of miscellaneous items for $1.00, and there were some great finds! She said that she had been collecting odds and ends of holiday decorations for over 20 years, but doesn't have a reason to decorate anymore. There were cookie jars, unopened packages of Halloween lights, a large box full of Christmas bows, tags, ribbon, etc., 9' of lighted garland (free), and tons more. Let's just say that when the auctioneer has your number memorized, and looks right at you anticipating your bid, it's time to stop!
We also picked up a dining room table with 6 matching chairs for next to nothing. We are table poor as it is now, but we needed the chairs, so it was worth it.
They are having another auction on the 23rd, and we are planning on attending it as well. We were out there in the 100 degree heat for 6 hours today (I lost 3 more pounds. YEA!), and I hope it's a little cooler by then. I'm sure it won't be, but it doesn't hurt to dream. :)

Recipe Blog

If you are looking for new recipes to try, or want to know if a recipe is worth trying, check out my Recipes blog:
http://www.recipesreviewsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/
I also have a list of our favorite recipes on the left side of the page. This is just a list of the recipes we have tried and liked enough to make again. :)

Happy Birthday Dave!

Happy 31st Birthday Dave!! As he mentioned to me early this morning, he is no longer just 30, he is now in his thirties. I think he's a little depressed about it, but he doesn't look a year over 30 if you ask me! :)
Anyway, I just wanted to take a moment to publicly wish him the happiest of birthdays. He has to work overtime tonight, so we won't celebrate officially until tomorrow, but that's ok. Dave is always thinking about the family, and never just about himself. He is the best husband and father anyone could ask for, and I am truly blessed to have him. My birthday wish for him is that we have many, many, many more birthdays to celebrate together.

Dave's favorite cake is red velvet with cream cheese icing, so Dawson and I baked one for him. Dawson added the lest set of letters to the cake, and did the best job he could. :)

A Night on the Town in Wichita

Dave and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary this last Saturday, and to celebrate, we set out for a night on the town that included dinner and a movie.

We had decided on Chinese food, as we love the Shanghai Buffet on Harry Street, but as we were driving to the restaurant, Dave mentioned he was craving fried chicken, and that sounded great to me, so off in a different direction we went. We drove across town, hoping to locate a suitable restaurant close to the 13th street Warren where our movie tickets were reserved. As we were driving down Rock Road, we noticed Amarillo Grill in it's new location. Amarillo Grill's parent company filed chapter 11 bankruptcy back in May of 2003, and as a result, all of the Wichita area stores were closed. The founder of the chain repurchased several of the stores, and also reopened this one here in Wichita. We remembered hearing that the menu still contained many of the local favorites from the original restaurant, so we decided to give it a try. When we arrived, we were told there was a 20 - 25 minute wait, which we agreed to, although we weren't sure why as there were numerous empty tables in the rather small dining area. So, we went ahead and took a seat on a long couch, and waited about 15 minutes for our name to be called. The restaurant was very dimly lit, but on the swankier side, that is until you are seated. It is only then that you can then see the food prep area, as it is arranged similar to a diner, in which you can not only see the commotion behind the scenes, but you can hear it as well. It was extremely loud for the type of customer the owner was obviously trying to attract.

As soon as we were seated, we quickly scanned our menus, and noticed that a huge portion of the original menu was missing, and I need to add here that it was the majority of the good foods that were given a permanent vacation.

The quick scan of the once enticing menu revealed that among the remaining items were plenty of expensive steaks, a barbecued chicken, a mushroom smothered chicken, and a few other meals that weren't noteworthy enough to make it into my memory. That coupled with the fact that they had a separate wine list in a diner style atmosphere made us quickly realize this was not the restaurant for us. So, we advised the server that we would not be dining there, as we were hoping for a few more choices for dinner (there were only about 15, and 8 or so of them were steak, and not one of them was of the chicken fried variety!) and we left. I have never left a restaurant before ordering, but there was absolutely no way I was spending over $50.00 on a meal that wasn't what I wanted. Do you remember the little loaves of bread they used to serve with every meal? They don't anymore. It's a sad day when a family favorite restaurant turns into this. Although I do not wish for the demise of any business, I do not see how this restaurant can survive with this type of atmosphere, and limited menu choices.

So, we decided to just drive to the Warren and have dinner in their restaurant. It was loud, and the service was horrible, but the food was at least affordable, and tasted great. We were out of there for less than $20.00.

In my next post, I will review the move we chose for our viewing pleasure - The Dark Knight.