Today was the third day of snow day.... And it's been good. Monday was just a lazy day - which we needed after the weekend we had. We hosted 15 middle schools boys and two chaperons for a church youth event. Needless to say, we didn't get a lot of sleep, so Monday was nice to be lazy. None of us really got dressed - just stayed in our pj's. It was a great day!!
Tuesday I made everyone get a shower and we got out of the house! We went into Shreveport for lunch - it was, also, a great day. I love just sitting around a dinner table and talking and laughing with my family - that was lunch. Melissa was trying to talk William in to asking someone to prom - he didn't want any part of it! But so funny!
Tuesday the base started out with an two hours delay, then just as Drew was about to walk about the door, he got the call that said the base was closing. Wednesday - with worse weather than Tuesday! - the base opened at the normal time....then closed at noon. So, not only have I had the kids around extra this week, Drew has been around as well. We really have enjoyed this extra family time.
But it's time to get back to a normal schedule!! I have errands to do....life needs to get back to normal. So. Snow, snow...please, go away. Come on warmer temperatures!!
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Ice Day
Yesterday was the first snow day we've had here almost two years. (And another one today, as well.) We really just got ice...sleet....just enough to make all the roads nasty. At one point all my kids walked outside for a moment...not really dressed for cold weather! I, of course, had to be mean and I locked the door behind them - while I took pictures! Don't worry, I only locked them out for a moment.
Benjamin was the funniest though! He had his pj's on with no shoes and he went to take the trash out - barefooted!! He very quickly came back it - with the trash still in his hands! As he walked - well, really ran! back into the house, he said, "That was a mistake." in a very calm voice. For some reason, it just make me laugh!! Yes!! walking out in the ice and sleet with no shoes on is a mistake!!
He really thought he could just take the trash out quickly, but then found the trash can frozen shut! He needed a little bit of time to get it open - time his feet just didn't have!! Oh, I love my kids and their funny ways!
(William was out there in shorts as well, but I didn't get my camera in time. Melissa learned her lesson - after being locked out the first time, after that she took her house key with her!)
Benjamin was the funniest though! He had his pj's on with no shoes and he went to take the trash out - barefooted!! He very quickly came back it - with the trash still in his hands! As he walked - well, really ran! back into the house, he said, "That was a mistake." in a very calm voice. For some reason, it just make me laugh!! Yes!! walking out in the ice and sleet with no shoes on is a mistake!!
He really thought he could just take the trash out quickly, but then found the trash can frozen shut! He needed a little bit of time to get it open - time his feet just didn't have!! Oh, I love my kids and their funny ways!
(William was out there in shorts as well, but I didn't get my camera in time. Melissa learned her lesson - after being locked out the first time, after that she took her house key with her!)
Monday, February 23, 2015
Melissa
As I was driving down to the south part of the state for William's play-off soccer game, I got a text from Melissa. Since William had to leave with the team early that morning, he drove to school. Melissa was to drive his car home after school as he was going to ride home with me and not the on the team bus. In the text Melissa sent me, she said she left her driving license at the house and she didn't know what to do - should she ride the bus home or just risk it???
Since she asked, there was no way I was going to tell her to break the law and drive home without a license! At a pit-stop, I text back to say she needed to get a friend to help her get back to the school to get William's car. Her reply was that she had to babysit between school and church that night. I replied back, "then after church."
Then she said, "but then MY car will be at the church!!!"
At this point I just had to shake my head....oh, my. She can be blond at moments....
I text back to her, "Melissa you are a straight A student, you are smart -figure it out, but both cars need to be back at the house tonight!!!!"
Her response: Ok. I'll figure it out.
Good...because, at this point I'm five hours away - I really can't help ya!
Late in the afternoon, I got a text from her saying that the youth director's wife, Stacie, would help her. The next day when I saw Stacie I thanked her for helping Melissa. She just laughed and said, "She told me my mom said I was intelligent and I could figure this out!"
I had to laugh, too. As we were driving home, William and I both admitted that neither one of us would have told anyone that we were missing our driving license. We would have just taken a chance and driven home. Very proud that Melissa did the right thing!
Since she asked, there was no way I was going to tell her to break the law and drive home without a license! At a pit-stop, I text back to say she needed to get a friend to help her get back to the school to get William's car. Her reply was that she had to babysit between school and church that night. I replied back, "then after church."
Then she said, "but then MY car will be at the church!!!"
At this point I just had to shake my head....oh, my. She can be blond at moments....
I text back to her, "Melissa you are a straight A student, you are smart -figure it out, but both cars need to be back at the house tonight!!!!"
Her response: Ok. I'll figure it out.
Good...because, at this point I'm five hours away - I really can't help ya!
Late in the afternoon, I got a text from her saying that the youth director's wife, Stacie, would help her. The next day when I saw Stacie I thanked her for helping Melissa. She just laughed and said, "She told me my mom said I was intelligent and I could figure this out!"
I had to laugh, too. As we were driving home, William and I both admitted that neither one of us would have told anyone that we were missing our driving license. We would have just taken a chance and driven home. Very proud that Melissa did the right thing!
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Soccer Update
Last Friday was the first playoff round. We won 5-0. It was a GREAT game - even if the temperatures were very, very chilly! William scored the first of the goals...and it was a beauty! While I think we played well, the other team really wasn't that good....a few couldn't even do a throw-in very well and got called on it. But that's soccer in Lou-zee-ana. While you'll have a handful of players that understand the game, most kids here don't. They think they do, but little things like throw-ins they just don't understand it really does matter how you throw the ball back in.
The next playoff game was Wednesday about five hours away. I ended up going alone. Drew was out of town, Melissa had to babysit in the afternoon, and Ben wasn't interested in being in a car for that long of time. But I really didn't mind driving that far by myself. After all, I went to college that far from home, so I've driven lots in my life alone. I set up some podcast to listen to and enjoyed the sights.
Lou-zee-ana is not the most beautiful place in the world....very flat at times. I guess there is an eery beauty in the swamps and bayous in the winter...the trees all look dead, though. Not a leaf on them! But I did see next to houses a few dogwood trees already blooming -such pretty pink! And in more of a wooded area there was a tree blooming with leaves that looked dark red or maybe they were just turning from green?? Either way, the dark red was very pretty and a nice sight in all the dead of winter around.
When I got to the playing field (the pitch as true soccer fans call it), I was excited to see the field was grass and not turf. I thought that would help us.
I was wrong.
It did not.
We lost 5-1. It really should have been 4-0. One of their points was given to them by our goalie. He caught the ball, then dropped it. Inside the goal. Which counts. Urgggg. He felt so bad! (This is why I'm SOOOO glad neither of my boys are goalies!!!) Our one goal came from a penalty kick. They fouled one of our players close enough to the goal that we got an indirect penalty kick (where they can have several players trying to block the kick. A direct kick is just the goalie trying to block it.) But a point is a point and we'll take it! There was another time we really thought we scored, but the ball just didn't go in.
Overall, I think our boys played HORRIBLE!!!! Several played like they were sleepy....sluggish...DRUGGED! Not sure if the long bus ride did them in....too big of a lunch at the all-you-can-eat buffet...but our boys just didn't show up and play well. This other team did! I really didn't see any one player of theirs that was outstanding, but they just knew how to play well as a team. I think that has been a problem for us all season....we have several good players, but there's three that seem to play for themselves more than for the team. Two of them have a hard time getting along with the rest of the team...not sure if anyone on the team actually likes them!
William had some good touches with the ball, but just couldn't seem to outplay those around him and make a huge play happen.
Its been a great season, though. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching William play not just this senior year, but all four of his years at high school soccer. He really did have a great season!
So, that ends high school soccer. Now we're back to the recreation league....Ben is on the same team as the fall and William will play as well as be a referee.
The next playoff game was Wednesday about five hours away. I ended up going alone. Drew was out of town, Melissa had to babysit in the afternoon, and Ben wasn't interested in being in a car for that long of time. But I really didn't mind driving that far by myself. After all, I went to college that far from home, so I've driven lots in my life alone. I set up some podcast to listen to and enjoyed the sights.
Lou-zee-ana is not the most beautiful place in the world....very flat at times. I guess there is an eery beauty in the swamps and bayous in the winter...the trees all look dead, though. Not a leaf on them! But I did see next to houses a few dogwood trees already blooming -such pretty pink! And in more of a wooded area there was a tree blooming with leaves that looked dark red or maybe they were just turning from green?? Either way, the dark red was very pretty and a nice sight in all the dead of winter around.
When I got to the playing field (the pitch as true soccer fans call it), I was excited to see the field was grass and not turf. I thought that would help us.
I was wrong.
It did not.
We lost 5-1. It really should have been 4-0. One of their points was given to them by our goalie. He caught the ball, then dropped it. Inside the goal. Which counts. Urgggg. He felt so bad! (This is why I'm SOOOO glad neither of my boys are goalies!!!) Our one goal came from a penalty kick. They fouled one of our players close enough to the goal that we got an indirect penalty kick (where they can have several players trying to block the kick. A direct kick is just the goalie trying to block it.) But a point is a point and we'll take it! There was another time we really thought we scored, but the ball just didn't go in.
Overall, I think our boys played HORRIBLE!!!! Several played like they were sleepy....sluggish...DRUGGED! Not sure if the long bus ride did them in....too big of a lunch at the all-you-can-eat buffet...but our boys just didn't show up and play well. This other team did! I really didn't see any one player of theirs that was outstanding, but they just knew how to play well as a team. I think that has been a problem for us all season....we have several good players, but there's three that seem to play for themselves more than for the team. Two of them have a hard time getting along with the rest of the team...not sure if anyone on the team actually likes them!
William had some good touches with the ball, but just couldn't seem to outplay those around him and make a huge play happen.
Its been a great season, though. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching William play not just this senior year, but all four of his years at high school soccer. He really did have a great season!
So, that ends high school soccer. Now we're back to the recreation league....Ben is on the same team as the fall and William will play as well as be a referee.
Friday, February 13, 2015
I'm a Wimp
Several times last weekend I told Benjamin to clean his room - after all it smelled like something had curled up and died in there. But the weekend was busy and it never got done. As Benjamin walked in the door from school on Monday, I told him now was the time!! We were going to start in one corner and clean EVEYRTHNG!! And that meant taking stuff off shelves, dusting everything, moving furniture....whatever it took to find and get rid of that smell!
So, we did...things got dusted....furniture moved...carpet vacuumed. I even made Benjamin unroll his sleeping bag thinking a wet towel got left in there from a sleep over. While we did find dirty clothes in there, it was not the smell. He did get rid of lost of trash that was hiding in his room. He, also, decided to get rid of all his nerf guns (which we gave to a neighbor). I was very surprised at that, but happy! We, also, have a bag for the goodwill. Makes his room look so much better.
Then we moved to his closet area...Yep! That was were the smell was. We cleaned out old clothes, found missing socks, emptied old backpacks and bag....but still nothing that was stinky.
Until I moved the small shelf unit that's inside his closet and I saw something....."Please, tell me that's a gray ROCK!!"
"Nope. That's not a rock. That's a dead mouse."
Yep. I was right. Something did curl up and died in Benjamin's room.
Poor Benjamin! He muttered, "Why did it have to be MY ROOM??!!"
Did I mention that Drew was out of town?? Which presented me with a problem...how was I going to get that thing out of my house???
Not once did it cross my mind that I would actually do the deed. No way. I've done a lot of things because Drew was out of town, but this? Nope. Not gonna happen. Nor did I really think either of my boys would man up and take care of it. So, I called a neighbor. After all he had snakes as pets, so surely, he wouldn't mind helping???!!! I'm sure he and his wife laughed at me, but thankfully, he disposed of the stinky thing.
Yep. I'm a wimp. And I'm totally fine with that.
(Back story: We thought we had a mouse before Christmas. Drew and William saw one on the patio, and I thought I saw one inside, but we never saw droppings or a nest. Off and on since before Christmas we have set out traps but never caught anything. But apparently, this little mouse did eat the poison we set out. Praying that he was a loner and had no family....or if he did that they like the taste of poison as well....)
So, we did...things got dusted....furniture moved...carpet vacuumed. I even made Benjamin unroll his sleeping bag thinking a wet towel got left in there from a sleep over. While we did find dirty clothes in there, it was not the smell. He did get rid of lost of trash that was hiding in his room. He, also, decided to get rid of all his nerf guns (which we gave to a neighbor). I was very surprised at that, but happy! We, also, have a bag for the goodwill. Makes his room look so much better.
Then we moved to his closet area...Yep! That was were the smell was. We cleaned out old clothes, found missing socks, emptied old backpacks and bag....but still nothing that was stinky.
Until I moved the small shelf unit that's inside his closet and I saw something....."Please, tell me that's a gray ROCK!!"
"Nope. That's not a rock. That's a dead mouse."
Yep. I was right. Something did curl up and died in Benjamin's room.
Poor Benjamin! He muttered, "Why did it have to be MY ROOM??!!"
Did I mention that Drew was out of town?? Which presented me with a problem...how was I going to get that thing out of my house???
Not once did it cross my mind that I would actually do the deed. No way. I've done a lot of things because Drew was out of town, but this? Nope. Not gonna happen. Nor did I really think either of my boys would man up and take care of it. So, I called a neighbor. After all he had snakes as pets, so surely, he wouldn't mind helping???!!! I'm sure he and his wife laughed at me, but thankfully, he disposed of the stinky thing.
Yep. I'm a wimp. And I'm totally fine with that.
(Back story: We thought we had a mouse before Christmas. Drew and William saw one on the patio, and I thought I saw one inside, but we never saw droppings or a nest. Off and on since before Christmas we have set out traps but never caught anything. But apparently, this little mouse did eat the poison we set out. Praying that he was a loner and had no family....or if he did that they like the taste of poison as well....)
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Soccer - Again
I wish I had remembered to take a picture tonight! Benjamin was so happy! Tonight was his first practice for his spring soccer season. He's on the same team as he was in the fall, but with a few new members. And we need those new players!! There was not enough on our team last season - hopefully, we won't have that problem this season. (Several times we had to play with less players than the other team due to illnesses or players traveling.)
William's first playoff game is tomorrow. The other team is ranked very low, so we should win easily. Praying that we do!!
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Sadly, This is Normal
All military wives know how to tell if you husband is out of town: all things fall apart. While we are no longer active duty, Drew still goes out of town some. And yes, this week I can tell he's out of town without being told: Things are falling apart.
Last night I could NOT get my drain to work on the bathtub. Neither could William. Which really isn't a big deal. I could just leave the water in the bathtub....just irritating that its stuck. It was stuck once before (when Drew was gone - of course!), but I was finally able to fix it. Last night I just left it all there. This morning I had William with his teenage boy muscles work on it. He could not. He just laughed - "Yea...I don't know WHAT you're gonna do with THAT!"
Thanks, William....
Then this morning Melissa's car wouldn't not start. Great....just great..... So, I rearrange my afternoon schedule and got all the children to and from their activities.
After we all were home, I had William to try again on the bathtub. He had a great idea to use a butter-knife to try and pop it open. We were able to get it open enough for the water to drain. I'll look at the drain later, and see if I can get it working normally. If not, Drew will be home Friday and he can be in charge of it.
Then, it was time to figure out what was up with Melissa's car! I got in it and decided it was the battery. As I searched for our jumper cables, I realized they were in Drew's car. Which is with him. In Dallas.
Lovely....
But thankfully, we have some great neighbors!! Trey across the street did have jumper cables and we decided it was the battery. We got it up and running! Yea!! It's now in the garage with a battery charger.
While these things were annoying and caused me to change my planned schedule, none of them were life stopping. Thankfully, no child is sick or and the house is still standing! But I'll still be happy when Drew returns home on Friday!
Last night I could NOT get my drain to work on the bathtub. Neither could William. Which really isn't a big deal. I could just leave the water in the bathtub....just irritating that its stuck. It was stuck once before (when Drew was gone - of course!), but I was finally able to fix it. Last night I just left it all there. This morning I had William with his teenage boy muscles work on it. He could not. He just laughed - "Yea...I don't know WHAT you're gonna do with THAT!"
Thanks, William....
Then this morning Melissa's car wouldn't not start. Great....just great..... So, I rearrange my afternoon schedule and got all the children to and from their activities.
After we all were home, I had William to try again on the bathtub. He had a great idea to use a butter-knife to try and pop it open. We were able to get it open enough for the water to drain. I'll look at the drain later, and see if I can get it working normally. If not, Drew will be home Friday and he can be in charge of it.
Then, it was time to figure out what was up with Melissa's car! I got in it and decided it was the battery. As I searched for our jumper cables, I realized they were in Drew's car. Which is with him. In Dallas.
Lovely....
But thankfully, we have some great neighbors!! Trey across the street did have jumper cables and we decided it was the battery. We got it up and running! Yea!! It's now in the garage with a battery charger.
While these things were annoying and caused me to change my planned schedule, none of them were life stopping. Thankfully, no child is sick or and the house is still standing! But I'll still be happy when Drew returns home on Friday!
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