He threw off my Groove

This is not the post I was going to do.

My post had pictures to go with it.

You know, illustrate the story?

Some background:

Today is Thursday,

meaning I had the Duck-man here visiting.

I love that kid.

But today, he was rather like a tornado.

Busy, busy boy.

Happy....

he's always happy.

It's just, well, he acted like a normal 2-yr.old. 

He pulled everything out of everywhere.

And I mean EVERYTHING!!

I took pictures but.....

I had nothing left in my kitchen cupboards,

or in my island.

Where was I?

Teaching in the very next room.

He is a stealth messer.

He's got mad Ninja skillz, that boy.

Aaaaand

He's the reason I have no pictures to show you of the colossal mess.

See, my kids are big now, relatively.

I've become lax in my protection of things.

I had left my card reader in the computer,

which is on the floor,

which the D-man found,

which he then ripped apart.

I have know idea how he did.

Strong hands on that boy.

But he split it in half....

I tried to put it back together, but circuits are broken.

So, that'll teach me.

All I have is old pictures of my trip to Mexico.

Oh, how I'd love to be in Mexico!

I'm sure you've seen them before....

but here they are again!

This one is actually New York.

don't know how it got in here.

And that's about it.

It's thrown off my groove.

(I'm sorry, but you threw off the Emperors Groove.)

(Soooorry!)

Got a crazy busy week-end coming up...

hopefully maybe I can find a cheap card reader somewhere,

so I can get my groove back.

(If you don't know the reference, watch this till the end.)

It's a Beautiful Thing.....

Life.

Although, it's sometimes a struggle to see it.

Sometimes I get selfish and whiny.

I start wondering why my life has to be so hard.....

it IS hard.

It's a struggle keeping everything together,

keeping things running smoothly,

just keeping on keeping on.

But then God gives me a reality check.

He says,

"Look around Heather."

And I do.

And I see four beautiful, healthy children.

I don't have to worry about them being killed by a roadside bomb, 

or be stolen away and turned into guerilla's.

I don't have to watch them starve because it is impossible to find food.

I don't have to walk 4 miles just to get them a drink of water.

I also see a big dorky horse standing in my yard.

And I look inside and see a big wonderful old farmhouse, full of huge windows to let the outside in.

And a glowing hot woodstove.

And a giant of a dog who adores me...

And trees, lot's of trees.

And insulated coveralls.

Food in my cupboards.

The list can go on and on.

Life IS hard.

But if you look around with open eyes, you can see all the blessings in your life.

The small things...

the things we often take for granted.

And so.

Life is a Beautiful Thing.

This is a beautiful thing.

This is the son that does NOT like reading.

'Caught him doing this all on his own.

(I didn't have to tell him to read.)

He's been very interested in space lately,

and this is a wicked awesome book.

"The Atlas of Space."

I hope we've turned a corner,

and he'll be a reader yet.

This is a beautiful thing.

Everyone should have chickens.

They are funny,

they eat all your scraps,

and if you give 'em a bit of grain you get these.

Mmmmmm.

This is kinda how I've been feeling lately.

Want to shut everyone out,

and hide.

Walls were definitely rising....

But I'm tearin' them down,

brick by brick.

Hope you see the beauty in your life....

It's there somewhere.

You just have to look.

Udate

On my life....

Since I haven't posted in a few days,

I thought you might need one.

Well.

Saturday I left the kids with their Dad,

and took off for Oshawa.

It was the first time this year I haven't been at their games.

(Well, I've missed one boys game because I was at another boys game, but never missed 'cause I just didn't go.)

Why'd I go to Oshawa?

My very good friend lives there,

and she needed company.

She's a widow, and her kids are grown,

and she lives alone with her dog.

But, her dog got very sick, and had to be put down... she was only 10 yrs. old.

So, my friend was heartbroken.

She told me not to come up, 'cause she had to work,

but I didn't listen and surprised her at her work,

got there right when she ended her shift,

and we got to spend 8 wonderful hours together before I had to head home.

Oshawa is about a 2 1/2 - 3 hour drive.....

so it was a long day.

We sat and talked and talked in her apartment, 

and then headed out to eat at the restaurant where her daughter works.

We laughed, and joked, and talked to all the employees,

even the chef came out to meet me, and chat.

There was a piano guy playing and singing,

and the food was amazing.

It was so much fun.

Then the drive home.

It took me only 2 hours and 20 minutes to get there.

Roads were good, very little traffic, and I may have sped a little.

Getting home?

3 hours and 45 minutes.

Grrrr.

It had snowed, and the roads were slushy.

And people in Toronto do NOT know how to drive.

At all.

Took me an hour and a half just to get through Toronto, and that's where the roads were the best.

I do have a kind of rant on this,

because I say 8 groups of 6-8 snowplows coming through Toronto.

(Saw 12 tow trucks towing people too, but that's cause people in T.O don't know how to drive.) 

That's what, 64 plows. give or take?

I saw 2 in Kitchener,

and none the rest of the way home.

In fact, once I got off Hwy. 8, I think a plow had never even gone by.

Now, I know the traffic in Toronto is way more....

but seriously.

68 vs. none?

And why do I only get my road plowed twice a day

(7 am and 3 pm. For the school buses.)

whether it need it or not?

Just saying.

I pay taxes too,

and if it's a snowstorm I would love my road plowed.

Ok.

That's enough of that.

I know the whole population argument....

but seriously.

Anyway.

Got home at 2:30 am, did chores, started a fire, went right to bed,

and got up 2 1/2 hours later.

Did chores again, threw wood in the fire, packed a crockpot of chili, 5 flats of eggs and 8 chickens, 

(dead and frozen ones) (That still doesn't sound right.  Butchered meat chickens.  Processed chickens?  Whatever.)

got myself beautiful and went to pick up kids.

Got there and washed faces and did hair,

then my Mom picked us up and we were off to London.

Why?

To attend my sisters church.

It was good.

Excellent message, pleasant, friendly people.....

good.

She had spread the word about my chicken products, hence the packing.

Sold out of everything, and coulda brought more.

Then we went back to her house where we had lunch together, visited,  and my sister got to practice her hair dressing skills.

Aren't we nice to let her?

She rocked it.

By the time we got home it was 8pm, and by the time I got everything done,

I was done.

Done, done.

So, that's why no blog posts.

Today was a huge catch up day....

and I'm not caught up.

Hopefully by tomorrow.

This is new.

This happened at church.

The kids were all running around and playing in the basement,

and one kid ran around a corner into a Quin.

"You should see the other guy."

Quin also commented that now he looks even more like a hockey player.

He's missing five teeth, and now a black eye.

And this guy,

when he saw me taking pictures of Quin,

said, "Can you take a picture of my PINK eye?"

I tried to explain that pink eye isn't quite as cool as a black eye.....

but here you go.

A fuzzy pic of my sons pink eye.

Now there will be no hurt feelings.

Off to bed.

Goodnight!

WARNING: Bad Mother Post

I sent my oldest son upstairs to flick the toilet handle.

Because the toilet runs

 (hey, get back here, toilet!)

 if you don't.

And that drives me

CRAZY!!

He came back down and said,

"You know, I went all the way upstairs without touching a single stair."

And he did.

Does.

All the time.

He scales the wall enough to grab the banister,

swings up it, and hurls himself over the top.

He says,

"If I were a Ninja, I'd be master of the Climb."

And he would.

He had to be moved out of a crib and into a real bed at 12 months old,

'cause he'd climb out anyway.

I figured it was less dangerous without the bars and 3 foot drop.....

Anyway.

I've explained to him the dangers.

Like, one slip and he breaks something,

his arm, his leg, his head.

He says,

"I know."

Why don't I ban him from doing this?

Because I GET it.

The need to push the boundaries, see what you can do.

Live dangerously.....

When I was eight years old I would climb up to the very top of a very large barn and walk across the beams.

So, I let it go.

'Cause he's gonna do it anyway..

he can't help himself.

I read in my Bible today 2 Kings.

I love this book.

Anyway, 

The Syrians are coming to attack Israel,

and they especially wanted Elisha, the Prophet,

'cause he kept thwarting their plans.

So the found out where the Prophet was, 

and went to capture him.

Here's what it says:

"Therefore he(the king) sent horses and chariots and a great army there (where Elisha was), and they came by night and surrounded the city.  And when Elisha's servant arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots.

And the servant said to Elisha,
'Alas my Master! What shall we do?'

So Elisha answered him and said,

'Do not fear, for those who are with us, are more than those who are with them.'

And Elisha prayed, and said,

' Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he(the servant) may see.'

Then the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw.

And Behold!

The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

Then the Syrians swoop in to attack,

and God answers Elisha's prayer to strike them, the whole army, blind.

I love the reminder,

that even though we don't see them,

and even forget they are there,

God has His army perpetually ready to protect us.

Mountain was full.

So, I can and do trust God to protect my son.

Does this mean that I would let him ride his bike down the center of a two lane highway,

"'Cause God will protect him?"

No.

But it means I don't have to bubble wrap and bike helmet my kids to let them walk on this earth.

I can let my "Master of Climb" climb.

And rest knowing God has his back.

Although, I bet his angels are rather frazzled most of the time.

And I KNOW mine deserve a vacation......

Another dance party!!!

The Duck, bustin' a move.

He likes this "Everybody Dancing" stuff.

Emma, the danther.

Ava's saying,

"You're in my WAY!"

My wicked cool slippers.

I love them.

So comfy, warm, and not slippy.

Then we had an injury.

Emma did a flip and landed on Ava's foot.

So she had to lay in my "wap"

She's my sucky baby.

February 2 2011

First,

the weather.

Snowmageddon was kind of a flop.

Oh, we got snow.

Through the night.

And everything today was cancelled, and it actually wasn't that bad out.

The wind last night WAS freaky though....

was kinda scared a giant pine was gonna land on my house.

But, they stayed where they should be, 

upright.

You know how people talk about "whispering pines"?

Well, mine last night were NOT whispering.

They were wailing, howling, and keening.

Scary windy.

So this was what it looked like this morning.

Few flakes in the air.

But the wind had made some impressive drifts...

Looking out toward the road.

Can you see it?

It's this side of the trees.

See, 'cause school was cancelled they didn't bother to plow.

Poor, poor tree.

See the debris from my pines?

Was scattered all over the yard.

Freaky windy, I tell you.

And my poor horse, covered in snow...

Enough about that.

Nathan and I were sitting down to do phonics and reading,

and he asks me,

"Mom, how do kids split up their parents stuff when they die?

Not that I want you to die... I just want to know how they do it."

"Well Nate, hopefully when Dad and I die you'll be grown up and have your own stuff.  So I guess what usually kids do is they sell the stuff and split the money."

"But what if I don't want to sell the stuff?"

"Some times kids keep some of their parents things that are special to them."

"Good, because I don't want to sell anything."

"Okay.  What do you want?"

(Had to ask.)

"Weeeell, you're cell phone of course."

(This is a running joke from when I first got a cell phone and he told me he wanted it when I die.)

"Of course.  I knew that."

"Good, 'cause I called dibs a long time ago."

"Okay, what else do you 'call dibs' on?"

"Hhhmmmm. The fold up chairs."

"Uh, okay."

"That sign."

"Really?  You like that, eh?"

"Yeah."

(Doesn't surprise me.)

This did.

"And I'll take that fern.  And the table it's on, so I can put it somewhere."

"REALLY?!  The fern?"

"Yes.  I like it."

"Okay then.  Anything else?"

"Yes, the TV and the thing it's on, and all the movies."

"Okay, anything else?"

"The bookshelf."

"With the books?"

(He doesn't really like reading.  Like at all.)

"Well yes.  Why have a bookshelf without any books?"

Guess that makes sense.

"Is that it?"

"And the table.  And that's it."

So.

If I die, Nathan has dibs on those items.... kay?

He probably won't want the curly haired centerpiece though....

I asked her what she was doing.

"See my wids?"

(Lids.)

"Yes, I see them."

Here I bump the table and knock of the rock.

"Grrrrrr, Mom, your freatin' me YOUT!"

"Sorry." 

"Why do they have lids?"

"Betause, I yike wids."

Okay.

Had milk and cookies for a bedtime snack.

Ava had to dunk them.

Then she noticed I was taking her picture....

"Mom, these are really good.  You have to make them again."

Goodnight.

Thoughts

Well,

the big news today is all about a massive storm system heading our way.

"Snowmageddon."

(When I heard that I laughed out loud.)

It is massive, saw it on radar.

Don't know about the whole end of the world thing, though.

20-40 centimeters of snow expected.

That's okay.

But what worries me a bit?

The wind.

It's really windy here.

It nearly blew me over on my way in from the barn.

You mix any amount of snow with really high winds, and driving is crappy.

So I'm thinking I won't be going any where tomorrow.

The boys and I spent most of the morning bringing in wood for the woodstove.

See, I don't have a shelter, or even a tarp, for my wood.

It was just stacked against the house.

And we've gotten a lot of snow.

So we have to dig the wood out from under the snow.

Not a whole lot of fun.

But we brought in enough for hopefully 3 or 4 days.

Then it'll be more digging.

Gonna have to figure out something better for next year.....

I know it's only February,

but I'm totally thinking about spring,

and all I plan to do.

I want to make my garden 3 times the size,

'cause last summer we ate everything, and there was nothing left to can or freeze.

And I HATE buying vegetables in the winter.

I also have to reconfigure the barn to fit in my meat birds....

or add an addition on,

and put up a new run for them.

I want to expand Pax's pasture, so I don't have to buy hay.

Also thinkin' about getting a weanling calf, and raising it till market weight.

But then I'll need more pasture.

Hmmmmm.

I want to add meat Rabbits to my menagerie.

And learn to butcher and clean them.

Cheap source of meat there.

I want to add to my laying flock, to have some extra eggs to sell.

I want to put up a shelter for wood.....

I'm tired already.

But I'm also gearing up.

When I set my mind to something, it usually happens.

We'll see.

And that's all I got.

Boring, huh?

Ah well.

It's what's on my mind today.

See ya tomorrow.