How to get rid of pesky bugs

We had our first dinner outside on our new dining set. It was LOVELY!!! It has been warm and inside can get uncomfortable by evening. We have eaten every meal we can outdoors.

But we do have a bit of a bug problem. Ants in particular. Katie just HATES ants. She runs in the house for a fly swatter every time she sees one and then tries to kill it. Little does she know the fly swatter won't actually squish anything. If she sees an ant she FREAKS out, and wants me to kill it right away. It doesn't matter if I'm in the shower.

But if the fly swatter won't work then she resorts to yelling at them. "Get out of here you ants. Shoo, Shoo, SHOOOOOOOO." That'll teach 'em to come around here!!!!

What a great weekend!!!

Grammie and Papa came for a visit last Memorial weekend. We were very busy getting ready. We mopped. Ok, Katie mopped. She likes it, and I know there will come a day when she won't. She kept telling me she couldn't wait for Grammie and Papa to see her clean floor. It was clean. I think it took 4 hours to dry.

For a housewarming gift they bought us an outdoor swing and dining set. Last night we were able to eat outside for the first time. It rained almost the entire time they were here so they couldn't enjoy it with us. Katie is a very good worker. She had the job of removing all the tiny stickers that were all over the swing. She takes her jobs very seriously. She even brought her toolbox out to help.When it was done, Katie was our official tester. We are enjoying the heck out of the swing. It has been beautiful weather since Wednesday, and we have been doing a lot of relaxing since summer break has begun.After the swing was finished and Dad and Rick were working on the table we decided to go get our traditional ladies snack at Starbucks. Coffee, chocolate milk, and cookies. It's one of Katie and my favorite things to do when Grammie is in town.

Katie took this picture. I use a Nikon DX a very large camera, and she is able to hold it up, and shoot a pretty decent picture.

Grammie taught Katie a ton of new songs, and stories. Grammie helped Katie become an author and get the stories that were in their heads down on paper. Katie wrote two stories while they were here. Bubblegum, and Mr. Black and Mr. Brown. They even made them pop-up.

We took them on a couple of road trips while they were here. We went to Red Canyon down on the Flaming Gorge. There is a visitor center with an over look. The crack in the rocks is from ice expanding. If you looked between the cracks it would sometimes go straight down to the lake, which is at least 1000 feet below.

The above pictures were taken from the top of Red Canyon.
We ate at my favorite Red Canyon Lodge. Rick's Aunt and Uncle showed up for lunch. They were busy on their boat, and stopped in for a bite. It was kind of random to see them, and we were sorry we didn't drop by the marina.

Katie got to sit in someones canoe on the little lake at the lodge. She was REALLY mad we didn't bring her fishing pole. We will remember next time.
Monday we took them up on White Mountain to see the horses. I was a little afraid we wouldn't see any. But it was a great day for wild horse viewing. There were two foals, and lots of mares and stallions. The herds were spread out all over the mountain.

This mare and stallion stopped right in the road in front of us, just daring us to keep going. But as we got closer they ran. They are right next to the ridge of the mountain. They are amazing to watch.

During the weekend our neighbors asked us to watch their bunny. Can you guess his name? Mooey. I know adorable. He/She is a great bunny. He likes to hide under the blanket, and he jumps and twists all over the little room he was in. Katie and I want a bunny now.
Grammie and Papa left on Tuesday, and we had a relax day. Katie played super hard with them. She took two days to recover from all the excitement.

Spring Planting

Remember what our house looked like way back in December? It was dead, duh, snow=dead/dormant plants. But it was just a little scraggly. We really hated those bushes behind me in the above picture. The planter under the porch was a little overgrown as well.
Here it is today. This weekend we spent a lot of time and money. Rick took out the bushes, and we found these. Up close they look like fall leaves, all yellow, red, and green. Very pretty.
We left a lot in the garden box, since what is coming up is daisies. The grass is slowly coming back. It takes a lot of water, some fertilizer, and patience. Tons of patience. We got the sprinklers up and running, and to our amazement not too many needed to be fixed. There are a lot, I mean A LOT of sprinklers. I planted some hanging baskets. I think I finally figured out how to get them to look all full and amazing. Lots of flowers in each basket. There are about 10 in each of my baskets. The nursery lady said hers typically have 12 plants in each. I'll take a closer picture as it matures.These are all the flowers I planted in the baskets, plus all of the pots you see here, plus some you don't see. My backyard is chalk full of potted flowers. It sure looks purdy.

These are the garden boxes in our rv parking area. Looks like a desolate wasteland next to the boxes. It will be until we are ready to get an RV. We want a motor home. They're expensive. It's gonna be a long time till we get one. But these garden boxes, which I know are falling apart are currently holding two strawberry plants, a lemon cucumber, and a zucchini. Rick will make new one's next year. We have been a little busy this year.

Katie was a big help in the garden this weekend. She digs a mean hole. It was pretty warm this weekend. Today got into the 80's at our house. We were all in shorts, and flip flops. Except for Katie. She's really a cowgirl at heart. Mommy makes her wear shorts and a tank, she wears her red boots to complete the outfit. After all cowboy boots go with everything.

We planted the columbine in the backyard so we can really enjoy it. The two trees in the island are cherry blossoms. They are starting to flower, and will be so pretty next week. The bird house is currently home to a sparrow who is sitting on two eggs. Her mate (hubby) sits outside. He must have muddy feet.

What is she doing?

Trying to get the leading edge on personal windmills? In the future will we use this little device to power a very low wattage flashlight? Hmmmm. I see dollar signs, and a new car for her mama when she takes the government for millions!!!
Then I asked her what she was doing, and POP millions gone. Nope Katie isn't capturing the wind, she is "helping" the wind. She has in her hand a mini fan, and she thinks the wind in WYOMING needs help. Silly girl. Katie loves the wind. She loves to have the window down in the car, she loves a very windy day, the kind of windy day where you almost can't catch your breath is her favorite. It was windy in South City, but not like here. Katie is in heaven!

Home Projects

Well Mother's day was pretty relaxing, and I still dream about that day. It seems like it was weeks ago, but nope, just last Sunday. I firmly believe mom's and dad's deserve more than one day off a year. I'll take 12.

But I didn't tell you all that Rick did that blissfully relaxing day, for me. We have had one constant problem since we bought the house. Knock on wood for me, only one. The toilets. They are both 24 years old, and their poor guts don't want to run correctly any more. Thanks to our master plumber Dave who helped us via email we mostly fixed the toilet in our bathroom. We, and when I say we I mean Rick, replaced all the guts. We had to special order them for this geriatric toilet. Unfortunately the parts are too big for the tank. The lid of the tank kind of rests on them. But the toilet now flushes. You just have to make sure the little flapper thingy sucks down so it doesn't run. I of course always forget to wait and check and usually an hour or so later I think "what is that noise?" Crap, the toilet is running. Then I have to jiggle the handle and walla flapper is down.

Last weekend, ok in reality we noticed the issue about 3 weeks ago, Katie's toilet started acting up. Rick read up on the issue, and with our hard water the pipes that bring in new water can get clogged. So he had to work on those. The toilet worked well for about a week, and only if you put a bucket full of water into the bowl to help the bowl drain. No problem, I was having a pampered chef party and it would be NO PROBLEM to ask each of these ladies to please fill a bucket of water before they flush and after flushing pour it in the bowl as it flushes so their potty will go down. Not embarrassing in the least.

Problem: the night of the party the toilet refused to flush at all. It swirled, and swirled, but no going down the drain.

Good thing: I cleaned my room. No dirty undies in sight. I even took the embarrassing things out of the medicine cabinet. You never know who is a looker, and who isn't. So everyone could use my bathroom.

But by Sunday Rick had decided that enough is enough, and he replaced that toilet. We all trudged over to Home Depot. I picked out the color for the toilet, insisting that we had to have white, and that it had to have a powerful flush. No one should have kids and a slow flushing toilet. This one claims it can flush 150 feet of toilet paper in one flush, and I'm sure Katie will try that out in this toilet's lifetime.

Rick had it installed in no time. It works great. New problem. I noticed after it was installed, that insisting on the white toilet meant that we now have a white toilet and a cream sink. GREAT! Do you think we can uninstall it, take it back, and say we didn't like it because it was the wrong color? I think we'll just replace the sink. Someday.

Crap. Now I have to paint too. I wonder who picked the hot green under the more normal, yet still bright green paint? I bet it looked "electrifying"!!!

I want the day after too

I read the comics yesterday on my relaxing day off and Family Circus showed all that the mom did every other day, and that Mother's day she was able to relax. I am here to tell you that with a 3 year old there is no such thing as "relax." If you do get to relax it will be fleeting so enjoy every microsecond of it.

I enjoyed Mother's Day. I was able to do whatever I wanted. If I wanted to do chores I could do chores, if I wanted to relax, I was able to relax. I had a great dinner made for me, and was given a beautiful necklace from Rick, Katie, and Molly too.

This is the necklace that Rick and Katie got me. It is a silver and diamond necklace. Spoiled you say? I'm worth it!!!

Katie was busy most of the morning painting me Mother's Day pictures. I had to get up every 10 minutes or so to change the paper. Big paper is on it's way!

Here I am passed out in my hammock. It was sunny and warm, and the moment was one of those fleeting one's when Katie wasn't demanding my attention.

It was a great day. But then Monday happened. Usually on Mondays I have the morning off work. I use that time to leisurely get ready with Katie. We watch a show, we sit in our jammies until late. It is relaxing, and unproductive. I was in the process of getting dressed, earlier than usual, about 8:15 (I wanted to hang out outside, but wouldn't do it in my robe). I had just gotten out of the shower and heard my calendar alarm going off on my phone. "Stupid phone" I thought. I don't know what it's beeping for, I had nothing to do this morning. So I go downstairs to shut it off, and I look at what it says I have to do. TEACH THIS AM. Ohmygod!!! I am not dressed, I have no makeup on, hair is not done, AHHHHHHH. I ran upstairs screaming for Katie to come up and get dressed. I am supposed to be dropping her off NOW, and I am not even dressed. I put on the first pants and shirt I see (the pants being slightly too tight) and I literally throw on makeup, put my hair in a clip, get Katie dressed, and we run out the door.

So here we are at 8:50 and I am finally at work. I am in the process of reliving my morning to my aide Stephanie, when HORROR, EMBARRASSMENT, I realize I forgot to put on deodorant. Is my extra in my purse, nope, Katie had used it on herself and I didn't replace it. Can I make it home and back in 10 minutes, yeah right. I have to get through a class of brutally honest 5 year olds without lifting my arms on the off chance (good chance with the morning I had) that I stink to high heaven.

11:30- class has ended. I stick Stephanie with the remaining 2 children and run home to deodorize, make a sandwich, let the dog out to potty, and run out the door to pick up Kalesy, Jenny's (Katie's babysitter's) daughter for class. I run into her house and kiss Katie hello/goodbye and notice huh her eye is a little crusty. I hope it isn't pink eye (which is going around of course). Jenny and I decide it may or may not be so I get Kalesy and run out of the house.

12:30-I start the next class with deodorant. Happy teacher!!! This class is made up of 10 boys and 3 girls today. It is a little loud, but fun anyway.

1:30-Little boy in my class says his stomach hurts. He looks a little pale, but he doesn't want me to call his mom.

1:45-I am standing at the bathroom door supervising the hand washing for snack. The same little boy stands next to me and begins to gag, and I look at him thinking "what in the heck is he doing?" Then I realize what he is doing. But it was too late. He upchucked all over the bathroom floor. I tell him to go to the toilet. There are 4 children in the bathroom and they have to go through the throw up to get out. I yell to Stephanie to get me some gloves, get everyone out of the bathroom, except said little boy, and begin to clean. Stephanie gets me the gloves, gets a sick look on her face and runs away. "Isn't this her job?" I think. "Isn't this why I make the big bucks?" Nope.

3pm-Finally time to go home. I need to get to Walmart for some VIP groceries. I drop Kalesy off and Jenny is wiping Katie's eye. "It is pretty goopy" she tells me. Uh-Oh.

3:45-I am now at Urgent Care with Katie to check if it is pink eye, and get some medicine if it is. I call my boss to let her know that I won't be in tomorrow because Katie is contagious if it is. But of course all the extra teachers are out so I will have to find a way to be there. Of course there isn't, that's just my luck. I then get a hold of Becca the regular teacher and ask her to work the morning class, and I will take over in the afternoon. Success. Oh yeah, and I have to go pee.

4:30-Finally get out of Urgent Care. She has pink eye. I still have to pee.

4:35-I am at Smith's (Pharmacy/Grocery Store) dropping off the prescription. It is ready relatively quickly and I just need some tortillas to make dinner, the stuff I REALLY needed at Walmart can wait. Katie finds this to be the best time to throw a fit.

4:40-I placate her by taking her to her favorite bathroom, upstairs at the store. She has to pee too, and there are two stalls, but some idiot kid locked one of the stalls from the inside and crawled out, leaving only one working stall. I have to go really bad, but if I don't let Katie go first there is a good chance she will have an accident, not something I need today.

4:45-I finally get to go pee.

4:49-Katie tells me she won't throw a fit and I can pick up a few groceries. I buy tortillas to make enchiladas, and yogurt, and like two more things. We leave the store finally and head home.

5:20-We can't have enchilada's tonight because the steaks are going to be bad tomorrow. So Rick starts the barbecue for the steaks.

5:21-I ask Rick if he wants a potato or tortellini to go with the steaks. He wants a potato. On my way to get 2 potato's I realize I only have like a 1/2 tbsp of butter left. I forgot to get more at the store. So then I tell Rick we have to have tortellini. I make it with a white sauce. One problem. I don't have any white sauce.

5:30-We will have steaks, salad, and a veggie. Problem. I was supposed to get lettuce at Walmart too.

5:35-We decide the steaks can be for sandwiches, and we will all eat leftovers. Rick has a burrito, Katie has dino nuggets, and I have a blue cheese stuffed hamburger. No salad. Carrot slices instead.

The rest of the night surprisingly goes pretty normally. Katie got her bath, dessert, and before she went to bed I had to hold her down to insert a drop of medicine in her eye. The Dr who comes up with a pill to cure pink eye will receive my undying affection.

I am completely spent, but I had to tell someone about this day. I swear at least it's over.

Huh, what do you know, my eye itches. GREAT!

Happy Mother's Day

Katie, Rick, and I would like to wish all of our Moms, Grandma's, Grams, Grammies, and Great Grams, a very Happy Mother's day. We hope you are relaxing in the sun, sipping a cold, or hot drink depending on your weather.

I've decided I've had enough

Katie has made a mess on my couch for the last time. I told her if she wants to be in MY family room, watching a movie and eating snacks she has to do it from her "new" seat. You are thinking poor Katie, I hear you. But what about poor me??? I vacuum, and I vacuum, and still I find loose cheerios, cracker crumbs, and are you ready for this??? Gogurt wrappers, yup gogurt wrappers under the cushions of my couch. (Gogurt is yogurt in a plastic tube, for all of you who may not have the privilege of knowing) Do you know how gross it is to stick your hand under the cushions and feel wet? It's gross. Katie decided that her shows sometimes got too interesting to watch to bother with putting the wrappers in the trash. I will be up in the living room typing this blog for you all to enjoy and I will say "Katie did you throw away the gogurt wrapper?" Then I will hear movement but I will be too absorbed in the story I am writing to look and see what the rustling is all about. Then I will hear; "Yeah, Mommy, I threw it away." "Thank you, Katie," I reply. Only to find WEEKS later the wet gooey mess and the wrapper under a cushion, because of course, she can't ever get the entire contents of the gogurt tube out. Surprisingly you have to sit on it, and then, and only then, can it be emptied all the way. Now can you understand why she must sit here to watch her shows, etc? She looks happy, that's all that matters.



Disclaimer: I didn't make her sit in the basket. She found the basket, which is empty because I gave up on the ginormous mountain of laundry and there was no clean laundry to put in it. Katie ran to me as I was again probably writing a blog post and just NEEDED me to help her make a bed in the basket. She asked to do it. She is strange. Just like her Dad. So don't call the authorities, she did this to herself. The gogurt incident is real, and gross. I shudder even now at the memory of it.

Disclaimer #2: if you come to my house you stick your hand under the cushions at your own risk. There is no money under there. I already will have looked.

Lookie what I did!

So I tried my hand at making pizza last weekend. From scratch. Yup you heard right, I made pizza from scratch. It was yummy too!

But as you can see my dough stretching skills leave a lot to be desired. If you have never spread pizza dough let me tell you. It's hard. Really hard.

This was Rick's piece. Awww a heart. I did that on purpose, yeah, that's it, I made that crazy shape in the dough so Rick would get a heart shaped piece. It's my lovey dovey side showing through. Now don't go getting sick from all this sweetness!
If you want to try to make pizza, but are nervous, afraid, and too petrified to try, well, you should be. It's hard. But try anyway!

Happy Birthday!

Dee and Rosette are having a birthday today! We won't mention their ages, we'll just say they're OLD!! In the picture above Dee is on the right. I'm the cute one on the right. These two ladies are unfortunately going to have to celebrate without us. But even though we have moved far away from the festivities it doesn't mean we can't eat a cake for them. I mean a slice of cake. Did I say a cake. I meant a piece. So you two be sure to comment what flavor you would like and I'll get right on it. Yum, Drool, Cake!

We hope you both have a wonderful day, and that you don't let all those OLD jokes get to you. Like:

Three old ladies are sitting in a diner, chatting about various things. One lady says, "You know, I'm getting really forgetful. This morning, I was standing at the top of the stairs, and I couldn't remember whether I had just come up or was about to go down." The second lady says, "You think that's bad? The other day, I was sitting on the edge of my bed, and I couldn't remember whether I was going to bed or had just woken up!" The third lady smiles smugly. "Well, my memory's just as good as it's always been, knock wood." She raps the table. With a startled look on her face, she asks, "Who's there?"

And don't forget to get your birthday spanking, plus one for good luck!!!

Learning to Spell

Do you remember the feeling you got when you finally learned how to spell your last name? I was with my mom in the big blue suburban, we were most likely driving up to Clearlake. It was night time, Dee was probably asleep in the back, or next to me (days when there wasn't a restriction on age for sitting in the front seat.) I don't know how old I was, I assume 5 or 6. I probably drove my mom crazy asking over and over to spell our last name.
M-E-I-S-E-N-B-A-C-H. When I got it I felt euphoric. What an achievement. It is one of my favorite memories!!
Last week Katie informed me that her name, and mine, and Daddy's, is spelled C-O-"PES"-E-Y, the p and s she says together, and dang if she wasn't right. She can't spell her first name, or any other words for that matter, but she has her last name down. I hope she feels the same way I did when I figured it out.
Good Job Katie!!
Love,
One proud Mama C-O-"PES"-E-Y