I like that expression. Not sure why. May be connected to our Full Moon adventures.
So apparently tonight is a blue moon. Felisa and I noticed the moon Monday night and talked about how it was almost full. I noticed it again last night when I put Darby out - nice and bright though I couldn't actually see the moon since it was behind the trees.
According to the internet, a New Year's Eve Blue Moon only comes once every couple decades.
So... Happy New (Blue) Year everyone!
Showing posts with label Full Moon Adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Full Moon Adventures. Show all posts
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, November 24, 2007
A Mouse In The House
That's right, folks. A mouse. A live mouse. In my house. In my garbage can to be exact. And now that mouse is very cold and sad. And lucky to be alive but cold and sad all the same.
I was sitting here at the computer and I heard a noise, kind of a sizzling noise. Ron had just changed the filter on the refrigerator so I wondered if perhaps there was a leak somewhere in the line that was dripping on a hot dishwasher part, since the dishwasher was still warm from the recent washing. I decided to investigate. I do not, after all, wish to burn the house down. So I walked to the kitchen sink and stopped to listen. I could still hear the noise. So I opened up the cabinet door under the sink and a movement caught my eye along with the noise which was louder now. Holy %*^^$(#! There's a mouse (oh I hope it's a mouse and not a rat, I think) in my garbage can! Now can I get it out of the house without setting it loose in the kitchen? Ryan! Open the back door! Quick! Very carefully I pulled the garbage bag up out of the can and hold it closed. The sad mouse is sad because I had just recently taken the garbage out so he didn't find anything to eat. He was also sad because the empty garbage can made it impossible for him climb back out and make his escape. The sizzling noise I had heard was actually the sound of his tiny little mouse paws trying to climb up the slippery plastic walls of the garbage bag.
Garbage bag in hand, clinched tightly closed, and held oh so gingerly, I dash out the open door to the back porch. Now what? I head for the edge of the grass, set the bag down, and step back into the light. Ewwww!!!! Live mouse! In my house! Ewwww!!! Can I just say that I prefer my mice stuffed? Though I bore the nickname Mouse for all of my years as a Girl Scout Camp Counselor, I did not receive any special live mouse loving skills during that time. I did bring home a dead mouse in my suitcase one weekend. I guess he ate too much of my towel and died of a tummy ache. I even had the job of disposing of several dead mice we caught in our house one winter in Colorado. Luckily though, no real mice in my life since then, except at the pet store. Until today.
Now here is where I put forth my confession. For the past week or so I have noticed some suspicious black looks-like-mouse-poop bits in the cabinet next to the Cascade. But, being the Queen of De Nial, and seeing no other signs (i.e. teeth marks), I just shrugged it off. That option is officially no longer available. Darn.
So I guess that means we have to stop by the hardware store tomorrow to stock up on mousetraps. I don't really want to kill them but allowing them to live in the house and eventually move up from garbage to fresher foods isn't really a good option either.
In the meantime there is one hungry, cold, sad mouse in my backyard. Oh and it is Full Moon Day. Does this count as a family activity? Watching Mommy freak out a little while catching a mouse and settting it free?
I was sitting here at the computer and I heard a noise, kind of a sizzling noise. Ron had just changed the filter on the refrigerator so I wondered if perhaps there was a leak somewhere in the line that was dripping on a hot dishwasher part, since the dishwasher was still warm from the recent washing. I decided to investigate. I do not, after all, wish to burn the house down. So I walked to the kitchen sink and stopped to listen. I could still hear the noise. So I opened up the cabinet door under the sink and a movement caught my eye along with the noise which was louder now. Holy %*^^$(#! There's a mouse (oh I hope it's a mouse and not a rat, I think) in my garbage can! Now can I get it out of the house without setting it loose in the kitchen? Ryan! Open the back door! Quick! Very carefully I pulled the garbage bag up out of the can and hold it closed. The sad mouse is sad because I had just recently taken the garbage out so he didn't find anything to eat. He was also sad because the empty garbage can made it impossible for him climb back out and make his escape. The sizzling noise I had heard was actually the sound of his tiny little mouse paws trying to climb up the slippery plastic walls of the garbage bag.
Garbage bag in hand, clinched tightly closed, and held oh so gingerly, I dash out the open door to the back porch. Now what? I head for the edge of the grass, set the bag down, and step back into the light. Ewwww!!!! Live mouse! In my house! Ewwww!!! Can I just say that I prefer my mice stuffed? Though I bore the nickname Mouse for all of my years as a Girl Scout Camp Counselor, I did not receive any special live mouse loving skills during that time. I did bring home a dead mouse in my suitcase one weekend. I guess he ate too much of my towel and died of a tummy ache. I even had the job of disposing of several dead mice we caught in our house one winter in Colorado. Luckily though, no real mice in my life since then, except at the pet store. Until today.
Now here is where I put forth my confession. For the past week or so I have noticed some suspicious black looks-like-mouse-poop bits in the cabinet next to the Cascade. But, being the Queen of De Nial, and seeing no other signs (i.e. teeth marks), I just shrugged it off. That option is officially no longer available. Darn.
So I guess that means we have to stop by the hardware store tomorrow to stock up on mousetraps. I don't really want to kill them but allowing them to live in the house and eventually move up from garbage to fresher foods isn't really a good option either.
In the meantime there is one hungry, cold, sad mouse in my backyard. Oh and it is Full Moon Day. Does this count as a family activity? Watching Mommy freak out a little while catching a mouse and settting it free?
Friday, August 03, 2007
The Rest of the Story
Here it is... the rest of our vacation story...
Big Trip 2... Day 28... July 26, 2007... Thursday
0615 Up and time to start packing while downloading pictures from my camera to Ron’s computer.
0743 Leave hotel.
0756 Walmart done. Picked up 2 CD players and 3 bottles of water. Total $45.
0805 Stop at McD’s for breakfast. Get gas. $2.95/gallon. Weather: 62 degrees.
0817 Arrive at Dad’s apartment.
0842 Leaving Dad’s place, heading eastward and homeward bound.
0954 Lots of lightning near Limon.
1111 KANSAS and time change which makes it 12:11 p.m.
1:32 p.m. Stop in Colby for gas and lunch at Sonic. Felisa fell asleep right before we arrived and she won’t wake up. I order something for her to eat later. Ryan spilled his drink in the car while I was in the bathroom. It is 92 degrees in Colby. Once we get back on the road, it is movie time. Now showing… Night at the Museum
3:22 p.m. Stop in Phillipsburg to Felisa can go potty. Next movie Magic School Bus
6:11 p.m. Leaving Marysville where we stopped to play on a very cool wooden playground.
6:23 p.m. “I can’t hear because I have my sunglasses on.” Felisa says. Stop for gas in Marysville - $2.89/gallon. Temperature is a steamy 92 degrees. Back to the humidity already. Yuck!
6:30 p.m. Stop at Hardees on the other side of Marysville – everyone is hungry. Finally getting back on the open road.
7:25 p.m. Taking an inventory of the crops we see as we drive.
7:50 p.m. Movie time yet again. Now showing Chicken Little
8:10 p.m. Crossing the Missouri River and into MISSOURI.
9:00 p.m. Stop at hotel in Cameron, MO. This hotel has a pool with a slide. Yea, fun!
Big Trip 2... Day 29... July 27, 2007... Friday
0807 Leave hotel after breakfast.
1100 – 12:30 p.m. As promised, we stop at Mark Twain’s Cave. Last year we walked around Hannibal and saw the buildings (Tom Sawyer’s house, Becky Thatcher’s house, the white-washed fence…) and I promised when we came back through Hannibal again, we would see the cave. So, here we are…
Favorite Parts of the Cave:
Ryan – Stories from the book that the guide shared with us on the tour
Bella – Yogi Bear (rock formation)
Felisa – Horses in the gift shop
Grandpa F – the cool darkness
Sheila – the stories
After the tour we cross the Mississippi River into ILLINOIS!
1:00 p.m. Stop for lunch at Fazoli’s. Bella ate about a million garlic breadsticks. How that girl lives on bread and water alone I will never know.
3:00 p.m. Arrive at Great-Grandma’s house
5:30 p.m. Dinner. Beef and Noodles!!! YUM YUM YUM!!!
8:00 p.m. Walk around the block. We let the kids go check out the railroad tracks and so we end up at the park. How did that happen?!
9:30 p.m. The kids are in bed and I get to watch Psych
Big Trip 2... Day 30... July 28, 2007... Saturday
0715 Wake up.
Uncle Ron stops by with Teegan. Donna swings by as well. Teegan had fun coloring and playing with the kids.
12:00 p.m. Lunch. Grandma’s chicken salad – YUM!
1:45 p.m. Walmart
3:00 p.m. Stop at Dairy Queen with Grandpa. I’m not sure we’re going to be hungry in time for dinner though. Those were some very big sundaes! Grandpa and Grandma F used to bring Shannon and I here for ice cream cones when we visited in the summer.
After we get back, Felisa and Grandpa played cards. Felisa is becoming quite the card shark. She was playing a combination of Go Fish and Old Maid. At one point Dad asked her why he had more cards than she did and she told him “Because you’re going to lose!” Okay then – as long as we all understand the game plan!
6:20 p.m. Dinner of leftovers
7:30 p.m. Walk to the park. Play on the merry go round and the see saws. Dad and I even got on the see saw to play!
Back home… Get ready for bed… Do a little pre-packing. Refill the snack box (it’s almost empty!!!).
Big Trip 2... Day 31... July 29, 2007... Sunday
1030 All packed, loaded, photographed, and ready to hit the road.
1045 Stop at the Bushnell Highway Café for breakfast with Great Grandma. After breakfast, we say good-bye to Grandma. She heads back home and we try to navigate our way through the cornfields towards Peoria.
1:00 p.m. Drop Grandpa F off at the Peoria Airport so he can fly back home to Colorado. We are officially on our own now as we head for home…
2:00 p.m. Talk to Allie for awhile as I drive. She’s coming to Vienna this week so we’ll get to see her. Yea!
2:40 p.m. Stop for Felisa – she lost her book.
3:00 p.m. Stop at McD’s for a play/potty/coffee break. I check my map and realize that once again we will miss the Christopher Columbus boat in Columbus since it is closed on Sunday and Monday. Grrr!!! How many times do I have to drive through Columbus before I get to see that ship!?!? Oh well – on to Plan C.
4:03 p.m. INDIANA!
4:38 p.m. Felisa and Ryan are asleep. Bella watches Minty Christmas with the headphones so I can listen to Toby Keith. He is one of my new long-term favorite Country singers.
4:59 p.m. Time change? I guess we already passed it because the cell phone says it is 5:59 p.m.
6:41 p.m. I am noticing LOTS more traffic since we have gotten back on the interstate today. No more lonely empty cornfield highways.
7:15 p.m. To drive all the way through or not to drive all the way through? Is there anything worth seeing between here and home? Could we actually make it all the way back home tonight or is it too far?
7:22 p.m. OHIO!
7:30 p.m. Talk to Shani.
9:20 p.m. Check in at the hotel on the eastern side of Columbus. Take the kids swimming. The guy at the desk said he’d keep the pool open for an extra hour so the kids could burn off a little energy.
10:30 p.m. I’m hungry. And a random snack from the car just isn’t going to cut it. So… load up the kids in their jammies and go out searching for a Taco Bell. We’re going to have a little “Fourth Meal” action tonight. And… the moon looks full. Could this be a full-moon adventure??? Perhaps…
11:30 p.m. Watching Shark Week on Discovery Channel. Our favorite sharks:
Bella – Angel shark
Ryan – Great White Shark and the Prehistoric Shark
Felisa – the baby sharks
And as long as we’re on the subject of favorites…
Best Part of This Vacation:
Felisa – Seth’s Birthday party
Bella – Going to the pool
Ryan – the whole trip (which I would not accept as an answer so he narrowed it down to the museums)
Favorite Part of Vacation in General:
Ryan – doing lots of things
Bella – seeing people
Felisa – coloring (really her answer is “no comment”)
What Do We Miss From Home While We Are Gone?
Felisa – My friend Cameron/My ponies
Bella – Grandma Duffield/my other pink poodle
Ryan – Friends/my teacher/alone time
Big Trip 2... Day 32... July 31, 2007... Monday
0545 Wake up. Shower and watch the news
0630 Wake up the kids
0700 Breakfast at the hotel – lots of business men around this morning. No other families.
0735 Stop for gas. $2.52/gallon which is the best price from the whole trip. Temperature 72 degrees. I fixed the broken door… the gas cap was open a little which is why the side door wouldn’t open last night. Duh!
0815 Zanesville. Stop to find stuff. Stuff that the kids have dropped onto the floor of the car. I’m getting a little cranky and am ready to be home again.
830 Gearing up my brain to not be on vacation anymore… starting to think about all the things I have to do at home.
0835 See a prairie dog in the median
0838 Girls are asleep
0842 Pass a minivan with 2 tricycles on top
0923 WEST VIRGINIA!
0924 I think we need a mountain house in WV to go with the beach house in NJ
0934 PENNSYLVANIA!
0949 Washingon, PA – we almost got lost! Almost ended up on the wrong highway. Oops!
1003 Ryan found a map of VA and WV so he can follow along as we drive.
1015 Feeling a bit of eco-guilt. I have begun to feel very consumptive by the end of the trip. Maybe next year I can try to address some areas in the pre-trip planning. I think it’s mostly the increased use of disposable items.
1021 WEST VIRGINIA (again)!
1038 Passing Cheat Lake and Fairchance Road. I love those names!
1040 Ron called to see where we are.
1058 MARYLAND!
1155 Leaving the Cumberland exit. We had stopped at Arby’s for lunch and potty break.
1:01 p.m. WEST VIRGINIA (again?!?!?)
1:22 p.m. VIRGINIA! Woo hoo! Finally!
1:57 p.m. The gas light is on. Uh oh!
2:13 p.m. Stop in Marshall, VA for gas.
2:50 p.m. Home sweet home. Total miles for this year: 6,750!
Big Trip 2... Day 28... July 26, 2007... Thursday
0615 Up and time to start packing while downloading pictures from my camera to Ron’s computer.
0743 Leave hotel.
0756 Walmart done. Picked up 2 CD players and 3 bottles of water. Total $45.
0805 Stop at McD’s for breakfast. Get gas. $2.95/gallon. Weather: 62 degrees.
0817 Arrive at Dad’s apartment.
0842 Leaving Dad’s place, heading eastward and homeward bound.
0954 Lots of lightning near Limon.
1111 KANSAS and time change which makes it 12:11 p.m.
1:32 p.m. Stop in Colby for gas and lunch at Sonic. Felisa fell asleep right before we arrived and she won’t wake up. I order something for her to eat later. Ryan spilled his drink in the car while I was in the bathroom. It is 92 degrees in Colby. Once we get back on the road, it is movie time. Now showing… Night at the Museum
3:22 p.m. Stop in Phillipsburg to Felisa can go potty. Next movie Magic School Bus
6:11 p.m. Leaving Marysville where we stopped to play on a very cool wooden playground.
6:23 p.m. “I can’t hear because I have my sunglasses on.” Felisa says. Stop for gas in Marysville - $2.89/gallon. Temperature is a steamy 92 degrees. Back to the humidity already. Yuck!
6:30 p.m. Stop at Hardees on the other side of Marysville – everyone is hungry. Finally getting back on the open road.
7:25 p.m. Taking an inventory of the crops we see as we drive.
7:50 p.m. Movie time yet again. Now showing Chicken Little
8:10 p.m. Crossing the Missouri River and into MISSOURI.
9:00 p.m. Stop at hotel in Cameron, MO. This hotel has a pool with a slide. Yea, fun!
Big Trip 2... Day 29... July 27, 2007... Friday
0807 Leave hotel after breakfast.
1100 – 12:30 p.m. As promised, we stop at Mark Twain’s Cave. Last year we walked around Hannibal and saw the buildings (Tom Sawyer’s house, Becky Thatcher’s house, the white-washed fence…) and I promised when we came back through Hannibal again, we would see the cave. So, here we are…
Favorite Parts of the Cave:
Ryan – Stories from the book that the guide shared with us on the tour
Bella – Yogi Bear (rock formation)
Felisa – Horses in the gift shop
Grandpa F – the cool darkness
Sheila – the stories
After the tour we cross the Mississippi River into ILLINOIS!
1:00 p.m. Stop for lunch at Fazoli’s. Bella ate about a million garlic breadsticks. How that girl lives on bread and water alone I will never know.
3:00 p.m. Arrive at Great-Grandma’s house
5:30 p.m. Dinner. Beef and Noodles!!! YUM YUM YUM!!!
8:00 p.m. Walk around the block. We let the kids go check out the railroad tracks and so we end up at the park. How did that happen?!
9:30 p.m. The kids are in bed and I get to watch Psych
Big Trip 2... Day 30... July 28, 2007... Saturday
0715 Wake up.
Uncle Ron stops by with Teegan. Donna swings by as well. Teegan had fun coloring and playing with the kids.
12:00 p.m. Lunch. Grandma’s chicken salad – YUM!
1:45 p.m. Walmart
3:00 p.m. Stop at Dairy Queen with Grandpa. I’m not sure we’re going to be hungry in time for dinner though. Those were some very big sundaes! Grandpa and Grandma F used to bring Shannon and I here for ice cream cones when we visited in the summer.
After we get back, Felisa and Grandpa played cards. Felisa is becoming quite the card shark. She was playing a combination of Go Fish and Old Maid. At one point Dad asked her why he had more cards than she did and she told him “Because you’re going to lose!” Okay then – as long as we all understand the game plan!
6:20 p.m. Dinner of leftovers
7:30 p.m. Walk to the park. Play on the merry go round and the see saws. Dad and I even got on the see saw to play!
Back home… Get ready for bed… Do a little pre-packing. Refill the snack box (it’s almost empty!!!).
Big Trip 2... Day 31... July 29, 2007... Sunday
1030 All packed, loaded, photographed, and ready to hit the road.
1045 Stop at the Bushnell Highway Café for breakfast with Great Grandma. After breakfast, we say good-bye to Grandma. She heads back home and we try to navigate our way through the cornfields towards Peoria.
1:00 p.m. Drop Grandpa F off at the Peoria Airport so he can fly back home to Colorado. We are officially on our own now as we head for home…
2:00 p.m. Talk to Allie for awhile as I drive. She’s coming to Vienna this week so we’ll get to see her. Yea!
2:40 p.m. Stop for Felisa – she lost her book.
3:00 p.m. Stop at McD’s for a play/potty/coffee break. I check my map and realize that once again we will miss the Christopher Columbus boat in Columbus since it is closed on Sunday and Monday. Grrr!!! How many times do I have to drive through Columbus before I get to see that ship!?!? Oh well – on to Plan C.
4:03 p.m. INDIANA!
4:38 p.m. Felisa and Ryan are asleep. Bella watches Minty Christmas with the headphones so I can listen to Toby Keith. He is one of my new long-term favorite Country singers.
4:59 p.m. Time change? I guess we already passed it because the cell phone says it is 5:59 p.m.
6:41 p.m. I am noticing LOTS more traffic since we have gotten back on the interstate today. No more lonely empty cornfield highways.
7:15 p.m. To drive all the way through or not to drive all the way through? Is there anything worth seeing between here and home? Could we actually make it all the way back home tonight or is it too far?
7:22 p.m. OHIO!
7:30 p.m. Talk to Shani.
9:20 p.m. Check in at the hotel on the eastern side of Columbus. Take the kids swimming. The guy at the desk said he’d keep the pool open for an extra hour so the kids could burn off a little energy.
10:30 p.m. I’m hungry. And a random snack from the car just isn’t going to cut it. So… load up the kids in their jammies and go out searching for a Taco Bell. We’re going to have a little “Fourth Meal” action tonight. And… the moon looks full. Could this be a full-moon adventure??? Perhaps…
11:30 p.m. Watching Shark Week on Discovery Channel. Our favorite sharks:
Bella – Angel shark
Ryan – Great White Shark and the Prehistoric Shark
Felisa – the baby sharks
And as long as we’re on the subject of favorites…
Best Part of This Vacation:
Felisa – Seth’s Birthday party
Bella – Going to the pool
Ryan – the whole trip (which I would not accept as an answer so he narrowed it down to the museums)
Favorite Part of Vacation in General:
Ryan – doing lots of things
Bella – seeing people
Felisa – coloring (really her answer is “no comment”)
What Do We Miss From Home While We Are Gone?
Felisa – My friend Cameron/My ponies
Bella – Grandma Duffield/my other pink poodle
Ryan – Friends/my teacher/alone time
Big Trip 2... Day 32... July 31, 2007... Monday
0545 Wake up. Shower and watch the news
0630 Wake up the kids
0700 Breakfast at the hotel – lots of business men around this morning. No other families.
0735 Stop for gas. $2.52/gallon which is the best price from the whole trip. Temperature 72 degrees. I fixed the broken door… the gas cap was open a little which is why the side door wouldn’t open last night. Duh!
0815 Zanesville. Stop to find stuff. Stuff that the kids have dropped onto the floor of the car. I’m getting a little cranky and am ready to be home again.
830 Gearing up my brain to not be on vacation anymore… starting to think about all the things I have to do at home.
0835 See a prairie dog in the median
0838 Girls are asleep
0842 Pass a minivan with 2 tricycles on top
0923 WEST VIRGINIA!
0924 I think we need a mountain house in WV to go with the beach house in NJ
0934 PENNSYLVANIA!
0949 Washingon, PA – we almost got lost! Almost ended up on the wrong highway. Oops!
1003 Ryan found a map of VA and WV so he can follow along as we drive.
1015 Feeling a bit of eco-guilt. I have begun to feel very consumptive by the end of the trip. Maybe next year I can try to address some areas in the pre-trip planning. I think it’s mostly the increased use of disposable items.
1021 WEST VIRGINIA (again)!
1038 Passing Cheat Lake and Fairchance Road. I love those names!
1040 Ron called to see where we are.
1058 MARYLAND!
1155 Leaving the Cumberland exit. We had stopped at Arby’s for lunch and potty break.
1:01 p.m. WEST VIRGINIA (again?!?!?)
1:22 p.m. VIRGINIA! Woo hoo! Finally!
1:57 p.m. The gas light is on. Uh oh!
2:13 p.m. Stop in Marshall, VA for gas.
2:50 p.m. Home sweet home. Total miles for this year: 6,750!
Friday, September 08, 2006
Marshmallow Moon Balls
Another month, another full moon fiasco. Though this one hardly qualifies as a fiasco compared to last month's desert adventures. Though apparently I was wrong when I said that the kids would always remember our desert adventure. I asked them last night if they remembered what we did last month and they had NO IDEA! The month that we had breakfast at IHOP sticks in their memory no problem but not the super-fun drive/night hike in the desert. Oh well.
So I was walking Bailey Wednesday night when I noticed what appeared to be a very full moon. Uh-oh, I thought. Is today the full moon? Our calendar hasn't been in it's normal spot since the remodel (I have a very cool calendar hanger on order though) so maybe I had missed the moon phase somehow. When I got back, I looked at the calendar. Which very clearly stated new moon. Huh. Doesn't look like a new moon! Ron googled the moon schedule and the full moon would be officially full on Thursday. We debated for quite some time if we should go ahead and do something quick that night since the moon was already shining and looked full. Ron was too tired so we decided (against my better judgement since I was remembering last month when the moon was hidden on the actual full moon day even though it had shone brightly the night before) to wait until Thursday night for our activity. Moon rise, 7:36 pm. Okay....
I decided our activity could be popcorn balls eaten on the back porch while gazing at the moon. I remember my mom making popcorn balls in the kitchen sink once oh so many years ago. So I figured, no problem. I let the kids each add 10 marshmallows to the pot and then let them watch me try to make balls out of the VERY STICKY popcorn. So we had popcorn blobs but really they taste pretty much the same as popcorn balls, I think. Yummy Marshmallow Popcorn Blob treats, check. Moon? Um, hello? Where's the moon? At 8 pm it still wasn't up past the trees. So walked to the corner. Still no moon. Oh well. Back home and into the bathtub to wash off sticky marshmallow then off to bed. Happy Full Moon Day!
So I was walking Bailey Wednesday night when I noticed what appeared to be a very full moon. Uh-oh, I thought. Is today the full moon? Our calendar hasn't been in it's normal spot since the remodel (I have a very cool calendar hanger on order though) so maybe I had missed the moon phase somehow. When I got back, I looked at the calendar. Which very clearly stated new moon. Huh. Doesn't look like a new moon! Ron googled the moon schedule and the full moon would be officially full on Thursday. We debated for quite some time if we should go ahead and do something quick that night since the moon was already shining and looked full. Ron was too tired so we decided (against my better judgement since I was remembering last month when the moon was hidden on the actual full moon day even though it had shone brightly the night before) to wait until Thursday night for our activity. Moon rise, 7:36 pm. Okay....
I decided our activity could be popcorn balls eaten on the back porch while gazing at the moon. I remember my mom making popcorn balls in the kitchen sink once oh so many years ago. So I figured, no problem. I let the kids each add 10 marshmallows to the pot and then let them watch me try to make balls out of the VERY STICKY popcorn. So we had popcorn blobs but really they taste pretty much the same as popcorn balls, I think. Yummy Marshmallow Popcorn Blob treats, check. Moon? Um, hello? Where's the moon? At 8 pm it still wasn't up past the trees. So walked to the corner. Still no moon. Oh well. Back home and into the bathtub to wash off sticky marshmallow then off to bed. Happy Full Moon Day!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
All blogged out
Day 17 - Tuesday - August 8, 2006
I've been thinking and thinking about what I should title today's post. And I finally decided, as I was dragging my feet, deliberating between blogging and reading a book that I'm feeling "All Blogged Out". Guess that was bound to happen given all that I have written in the last two weeks - more than I've written all year, I think! Of course when I finally get around to scrapbooking all these pictures of our trip (I think we're up to about 450 now!) I'll be glad I have all this written to go along with them.
0730 - Wake up. I can hear Ryan in the other room trying to turn on a movie. I know he won't be able to figure out how to get the TV onto the right channel for the DVD player. Which means I'm going to have to get up. Definitely regretting staying up so late last night. But that happens sometimes when Ron is gone. Can't fall asleep. And of course that ice mocha at the bookstore definitely didn't help any!
0745 - Felisa is calling for me. Something about needing a tissue. Ewww - that's a big one. That girl has some of the biggest, uckiest, morning sneezes ever.
0800 - Breakfast. Felisa has a screaming fit because she wants the chair Ryan is sitting in. Which turns into a coughing fit. So I give her some Zyrtec and honey cough. I was going to give her an echineccea yummi bear but apparently they all melted in the hot car at some point along the way. Ewww. By the time we get back to the kitchen Ryan has finished his breakfast so she gets the chair after all.
0820 - Patricia calls to let me know we can come over to play today. I tell her I'm aiming for mid-morning.
0830 - shower time. Tell the kids that they need to get dressed after the movie is over.
0900 - I'm ready to leave. Ryan is still in his PJs, watching. I ask him if the movie is almost over. He says that this is a bonus episode (meaning the movie ended and then he chose a bonus feature). So I suggest that he can watch it later. And he whines. And so I give in because I just don't feel like dealing with it. I work on getting everything ready to go - sunscreen, cups full of fresh water and juice, DVD to return with receipt. I even paint my toenails and fingernails. Don't you just hate it when the color that looks nice in the bottle at the store is ugly once you get it on. Maybe I'll get another bottle sometime later today...
0920 - I can't take it anymore. Tell everyone to get their shoes on and get in the car. Ryan asks where we are going. For the third time I explain that we are going to a store then to meet new friends. Oh, he says. I need to get dressed. Um yeah. And make it snappy! Clearly he has not heard a single thing I said to him this morning.
0930 - off to enjoy a little Starbucks Drive Thru. What I wouldn't give for one of those back home some days... Lourna calls while I'm in line. I end up talking to her while I'm at the window. As the guy is handing me stuff faster than I can grab it I realize what I'm doing. I ask Lourna to hold on then apologize to the clerk and finish our transaction. I HATE when people are so busy talking on the phone that they don't give store clerks the courtesy of their attention during the transaction. And there I was doing it myself. I'm so embarrassed!
0943 - Funny kid conversation overheard from the backseat...
0945 - arrive at Hastings to exchange the Wallace and Grommit DVD. Go to the kids' section to find a replacement movie. The kids are behaving fairly well which is good since I prefer shopping there alone! But it was helpful to have Ryan along as my spare memory - telling me which ones we already had at home. Then Bella found what I was hoping to find there - a Little Einsteins movie. So off we went...
1015 - Leave Hastings and head for Patricia's. I had hoped to be there by 1000 but 1030 is good considering how hard it was to get everyone going this morning.
12:40 pm - Leave Patricia's. A nice visit. A nice bonus that another friend of hers was also there with her 2 kids so my kids had someone to play with while I visited. Grandpa R called and asked if he could ride along on our return journey if Mom is unable to make it. I told him yes but he should bring a credit card in case he changes his mind and we have to drop him at the nearest airport so he can return home! Hee hee. Mom called about an hour later and said that unfortunately she wasn't chosen for the MD job so she won't be coming. She did say she has us on the calendar for September. Hope she can make it!
12:50 pm - Stop at Other Mothers, a consignment shop. Or as Ryan likes to call them - leftover stores! Picked up a couple cute dresses for Bella. Which means Felisa had to have one too. And cute winter pj's for Bella. So Felisa and Ryan needed some too... There were no books, toys or videos to speak of though.
1:15 pm - Target. They'll have a cute DVD for the ride home I think. I can't find our backyardigans that we brought with us so I wouldn't mind getting another one. And in typical Target fashion - we found 4 movies and 3 leapster games and a puzzle. Because we were there to buy one thing. It is against the natural laws of the universe to exit Target after purchasing only one item, you know.
1:30 pm - Pick up lunch at Wienerschnitzel. Satisfied that craving... I think Schlotsky's is the only one I haven't had yet on this trip...
3:00 pm - sit down with computer to blog while the kids watch the new Backyardigans DVD we got today.
3:20 pm - Phone is ringing. Which means I have to get up AGAIN and walk to the kitchen AGAIN. In the last 20 minutes I have made about 10 round-trips from the couch to the kitchen. Felisa wants a snack. I forgot my notebook. I forgot my drink. Bella wants a snack. Felisa wants another snack. I forgot my other sheet of blognotes. Man, I'm tired. Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night... Yawn.
3:28 pm - Felisa just peed in her pants. And on the carpet. No rest for the weary...
3:41 pm - get up to unlock the back door for Felisa. Tell her to STAY OUT OF THE WATER. Though I'm sure she'll find an excuse to get wet anyway. Too bad she doesn't have any more clean clothes to change into.
3:49 pm - Felisa is back inside. Dry. Said it was too hot outside. I think all the rain has been raising the humidity a bit around here the last couple of days. Of course, nowhere near the horrible humidity back home. Ron called while we were at Target. He made it home okay. Said it was REALLY hot there. And the grass was about a foot tall!
3:54 pm - Felisa has developed the annoying habit of saying, "I'm not (fill in the blank)ing." Immediately after being told to Stop (fill in the blank)ing. Which means she was in fact (fill in the blank)ing. But okay - whatever.
4:48 pm - We have entered that horrible time of day when everyone is tired and I wonder how I will ever survive the rest of the evening until I can banish them all to the bedroom and go off-duty until tomorrow.
5:05 pm - They're following me. I came to hide in the bedroom to avoid the bickering. Not 5 minutes later, two of them are here. And fighting over Goldfish. Someone save me! Or them...
5:17 pm - There's more to this entry but since it really is 5:17 pm on August 8 that means I am finally CAUGHT UP!!! And so I will publish it now and edit it later. Because I am CAUGHT UP and I want the whole world to know!!!
9:10 pm - Back from our Full Moon Adventure. Felisa blessedly fell asleep on the way home and not on the way there. The other two are in pj's and watching their new Veggie Tales video. Which leaves me free to rant and rave for a few minutes. I should be doing dishes or laundry but who cares. I'm on vacation. And clean underwear is optional on vacation.
So, back to the Full Moon. Several months ago (probably back in February or so) I was reading a book about family activities and togetherness and traditions. It was very clear that every family needs traditions and I decided that our family didn't really have many. But I didn't want to force one. So I thought and thought and suddenly a brilliant idea came to me... The Full Moon! There is one or fewer every month. It falls on a different day every month. Ryan, for some reason, is very interested in pointing out when the full moon day is on the calendar. Perfect! I put Ryan in charge of reminding me when a Full Moon day was coming up. I decided that we would do a special family activity on each full moon day. Sometimes something very simple like a special dessert or a moon-lit walk around the block. Sometimes something more exciting like spending the night at the condo. And so a family tradition was born. Of course people think it is some sort of pagan ritual but now you all can clearly see that it is not! So quit giving me such a hard time! :)
And now for this evening's activity... A drive up to the top of 4 Hills (though it was probably just one of the four that we actually were on at the time!) to take a short walk in the moonlight. Sounds simple, right? Did I mention that Ron went home last night? Which means that any activity I attempt to undertake on my own is doomed to at least a little trouble. First problem, no moon. Last night we had the most gorgeous moon I have seen in months. Right up over Four Hills area. At about 8:15 pm. Wasn't there tonight. The skies seemed fairly clear in that direction even though it is monsoon season and there has been record-breaking rain here lately. But no moon. Apparently that Navigation class I took sophomore year has all leaked out of my brain because I really thought that even though the moon is not on a strict 24 hour rotation like the sun is, it generally rises about the same general time two days in a row. Of course just typing that is making me think that I am wrong and completely crazy. Oh well. You get the idea. No moon. Bella said it was because it was too shy to come out. Ryan said it was wrestling with the clouds to get out. We saw it yesterday on our drive to and from the airport so that's good enough for me.
Second problem - all the rain has been wreaking havoc on the dirt road going up the hill. Which leads to me four-wheeling up an almost dark road in my mini-van. Oh yeah. Talk about asking for trouble. But we made it. Of course, if the car won't start in the morning, we'll know why.
Third problem - We forgot to take the flashlights out of the van. Which leads to several sub-problems. While I'm getting the camera out and pausing for just the briefest of moments to try to get a picture of the city lights, the kids going running off down the road. And a car comes from around a corner. The two older ones yell car and run back towards me, out of the way. Felisa tries to run and slips on the loose gravel and falls down. And I COMPLETELY FREAK OUT because it is dark and there's no way the driver will see her there. But luckily he was going slow and I think he did see some of our frantic movements because he had slowed way down. And we all survived. But I was still shaking 20 minutes later. And even now, a sick feeling in my stomach when I think about it. I was really scared. Second sub-problem of no flashlights - as we go hiking down the trail I start to worry about snakes and other wild animals jumping out to bite someone. I'm sure the recent car incident had my nerves on edge and we had no flashlights so we wouldn't be able to see the animals before they ate us. So we walked not very far. And I stopped to take a shaky picture of the lights and a couple of the kids. Then we turned around to go back.
Fourth problem - possibly a sub-problem of no flashlights but I'll give it its own heading. I was totally freaking out that we would be lost getting back to the car. Because we were a whole hundred feet or so away from it. And did I mention wild animals eating us? Believe it or not, I'm not usually such a "bogey man is going to get us" person but once it starts, there is no going back.
We made it back to the car without getting lost. We made it back to the paved road without falling into a hole or off the edge of the road and without getting lost. The kids all had a fabulous time. At least I think they did - they were laughing and joking the whole time. So that makes it a success. We will all remember the evening for a while - just for different reasons!
And now in closing, some advice... Don't take your kids on a night-time hike in a strange area when you are PMSing and your hormones are raging out of control. Not going to be fun for you. Oh and be sure to check the moonrise schedule in the early planning stages!
I've been thinking and thinking about what I should title today's post. And I finally decided, as I was dragging my feet, deliberating between blogging and reading a book that I'm feeling "All Blogged Out". Guess that was bound to happen given all that I have written in the last two weeks - more than I've written all year, I think! Of course when I finally get around to scrapbooking all these pictures of our trip (I think we're up to about 450 now!) I'll be glad I have all this written to go along with them.
0730 - Wake up. I can hear Ryan in the other room trying to turn on a movie. I know he won't be able to figure out how to get the TV onto the right channel for the DVD player. Which means I'm going to have to get up. Definitely regretting staying up so late last night. But that happens sometimes when Ron is gone. Can't fall asleep. And of course that ice mocha at the bookstore definitely didn't help any!
0745 - Felisa is calling for me. Something about needing a tissue. Ewww - that's a big one. That girl has some of the biggest, uckiest, morning sneezes ever.
0800 - Breakfast. Felisa has a screaming fit because she wants the chair Ryan is sitting in. Which turns into a coughing fit. So I give her some Zyrtec and honey cough. I was going to give her an echineccea yummi bear but apparently they all melted in the hot car at some point along the way. Ewww. By the time we get back to the kitchen Ryan has finished his breakfast so she gets the chair after all.
0820 - Patricia calls to let me know we can come over to play today. I tell her I'm aiming for mid-morning.
0830 - shower time. Tell the kids that they need to get dressed after the movie is over.
0900 - I'm ready to leave. Ryan is still in his PJs, watching. I ask him if the movie is almost over. He says that this is a bonus episode (meaning the movie ended and then he chose a bonus feature). So I suggest that he can watch it later. And he whines. And so I give in because I just don't feel like dealing with it. I work on getting everything ready to go - sunscreen, cups full of fresh water and juice, DVD to return with receipt. I even paint my toenails and fingernails. Don't you just hate it when the color that looks nice in the bottle at the store is ugly once you get it on. Maybe I'll get another bottle sometime later today...
0920 - I can't take it anymore. Tell everyone to get their shoes on and get in the car. Ryan asks where we are going. For the third time I explain that we are going to a store then to meet new friends. Oh, he says. I need to get dressed. Um yeah. And make it snappy! Clearly he has not heard a single thing I said to him this morning.
0930 - off to enjoy a little Starbucks Drive Thru. What I wouldn't give for one of those back home some days... Lourna calls while I'm in line. I end up talking to her while I'm at the window. As the guy is handing me stuff faster than I can grab it I realize what I'm doing. I ask Lourna to hold on then apologize to the clerk and finish our transaction. I HATE when people are so busy talking on the phone that they don't give store clerks the courtesy of their attention during the transaction. And there I was doing it myself. I'm so embarrassed!
0943 - Funny kid conversation overheard from the backseat...
R - Do you know why I don't want to be an astronaut when I grow up?So I guess he was paying attention and actually learned something when we saw The Black Hole movie at the Natural Science Museum in Denver!
B - You want to be an astronaut when you grow up?
R - No. I DON'T want to be an astronaut.
B- Oh. Why?
R - Because I don't want to go through a black hole.
B - Well, (in that special way she says "well...") you can just go around
it.
R - I don't think you can do that. The closer you get, the harder it
is to get away from it.
0945 - arrive at Hastings to exchange the Wallace and Grommit DVD. Go to the kids' section to find a replacement movie. The kids are behaving fairly well which is good since I prefer shopping there alone! But it was helpful to have Ryan along as my spare memory - telling me which ones we already had at home. Then Bella found what I was hoping to find there - a Little Einsteins movie. So off we went...
1015 - Leave Hastings and head for Patricia's. I had hoped to be there by 1000 but 1030 is good considering how hard it was to get everyone going this morning.
12:40 pm - Leave Patricia's. A nice visit. A nice bonus that another friend of hers was also there with her 2 kids so my kids had someone to play with while I visited. Grandpa R called and asked if he could ride along on our return journey if Mom is unable to make it. I told him yes but he should bring a credit card in case he changes his mind and we have to drop him at the nearest airport so he can return home! Hee hee. Mom called about an hour later and said that unfortunately she wasn't chosen for the MD job so she won't be coming. She did say she has us on the calendar for September. Hope she can make it!
12:50 pm - Stop at Other Mothers, a consignment shop. Or as Ryan likes to call them - leftover stores! Picked up a couple cute dresses for Bella. Which means Felisa had to have one too. And cute winter pj's for Bella. So Felisa and Ryan needed some too... There were no books, toys or videos to speak of though.
1:15 pm - Target. They'll have a cute DVD for the ride home I think. I can't find our backyardigans that we brought with us so I wouldn't mind getting another one. And in typical Target fashion - we found 4 movies and 3 leapster games and a puzzle. Because we were there to buy one thing. It is against the natural laws of the universe to exit Target after purchasing only one item, you know.
1:30 pm - Pick up lunch at Wienerschnitzel. Satisfied that craving... I think Schlotsky's is the only one I haven't had yet on this trip...
3:00 pm - sit down with computer to blog while the kids watch the new Backyardigans DVD we got today.
3:20 pm - Phone is ringing. Which means I have to get up AGAIN and walk to the kitchen AGAIN. In the last 20 minutes I have made about 10 round-trips from the couch to the kitchen. Felisa wants a snack. I forgot my notebook. I forgot my drink. Bella wants a snack. Felisa wants another snack. I forgot my other sheet of blognotes. Man, I'm tired. Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night... Yawn.
3:28 pm - Felisa just peed in her pants. And on the carpet. No rest for the weary...
3:41 pm - get up to unlock the back door for Felisa. Tell her to STAY OUT OF THE WATER. Though I'm sure she'll find an excuse to get wet anyway. Too bad she doesn't have any more clean clothes to change into.
3:49 pm - Felisa is back inside. Dry. Said it was too hot outside. I think all the rain has been raising the humidity a bit around here the last couple of days. Of course, nowhere near the horrible humidity back home. Ron called while we were at Target. He made it home okay. Said it was REALLY hot there. And the grass was about a foot tall!
3:54 pm - Felisa has developed the annoying habit of saying, "I'm not (fill in the blank)ing." Immediately after being told to Stop (fill in the blank)ing. Which means she was in fact (fill in the blank)ing. But okay - whatever.
4:48 pm - We have entered that horrible time of day when everyone is tired and I wonder how I will ever survive the rest of the evening until I can banish them all to the bedroom and go off-duty until tomorrow.
5:05 pm - They're following me. I came to hide in the bedroom to avoid the bickering. Not 5 minutes later, two of them are here. And fighting over Goldfish. Someone save me! Or them...
5:17 pm - There's more to this entry but since it really is 5:17 pm on August 8 that means I am finally CAUGHT UP!!! And so I will publish it now and edit it later. Because I am CAUGHT UP and I want the whole world to know!!!
9:10 pm - Back from our Full Moon Adventure. Felisa blessedly fell asleep on the way home and not on the way there. The other two are in pj's and watching their new Veggie Tales video. Which leaves me free to rant and rave for a few minutes. I should be doing dishes or laundry but who cares. I'm on vacation. And clean underwear is optional on vacation.
So, back to the Full Moon. Several months ago (probably back in February or so) I was reading a book about family activities and togetherness and traditions. It was very clear that every family needs traditions and I decided that our family didn't really have many. But I didn't want to force one. So I thought and thought and suddenly a brilliant idea came to me... The Full Moon! There is one or fewer every month. It falls on a different day every month. Ryan, for some reason, is very interested in pointing out when the full moon day is on the calendar. Perfect! I put Ryan in charge of reminding me when a Full Moon day was coming up. I decided that we would do a special family activity on each full moon day. Sometimes something very simple like a special dessert or a moon-lit walk around the block. Sometimes something more exciting like spending the night at the condo. And so a family tradition was born. Of course people think it is some sort of pagan ritual but now you all can clearly see that it is not! So quit giving me such a hard time! :)
And now for this evening's activity... A drive up to the top of 4 Hills (though it was probably just one of the four that we actually were on at the time!) to take a short walk in the moonlight. Sounds simple, right? Did I mention that Ron went home last night? Which means that any activity I attempt to undertake on my own is doomed to at least a little trouble. First problem, no moon. Last night we had the most gorgeous moon I have seen in months. Right up over Four Hills area. At about 8:15 pm. Wasn't there tonight. The skies seemed fairly clear in that direction even though it is monsoon season and there has been record-breaking rain here lately. But no moon. Apparently that Navigation class I took sophomore year has all leaked out of my brain because I really thought that even though the moon is not on a strict 24 hour rotation like the sun is, it generally rises about the same general time two days in a row. Of course just typing that is making me think that I am wrong and completely crazy. Oh well. You get the idea. No moon. Bella said it was because it was too shy to come out. Ryan said it was wrestling with the clouds to get out. We saw it yesterday on our drive to and from the airport so that's good enough for me.
Second problem - all the rain has been wreaking havoc on the dirt road going up the hill. Which leads to me four-wheeling up an almost dark road in my mini-van. Oh yeah. Talk about asking for trouble. But we made it. Of course, if the car won't start in the morning, we'll know why.
Third problem - We forgot to take the flashlights out of the van. Which leads to several sub-problems. While I'm getting the camera out and pausing for just the briefest of moments to try to get a picture of the city lights, the kids going running off down the road. And a car comes from around a corner. The two older ones yell car and run back towards me, out of the way. Felisa tries to run and slips on the loose gravel and falls down. And I COMPLETELY FREAK OUT because it is dark and there's no way the driver will see her there. But luckily he was going slow and I think he did see some of our frantic movements because he had slowed way down. And we all survived. But I was still shaking 20 minutes later. And even now, a sick feeling in my stomach when I think about it. I was really scared. Second sub-problem of no flashlights - as we go hiking down the trail I start to worry about snakes and other wild animals jumping out to bite someone. I'm sure the recent car incident had my nerves on edge and we had no flashlights so we wouldn't be able to see the animals before they ate us. So we walked not very far. And I stopped to take a shaky picture of the lights and a couple of the kids. Then we turned around to go back.
Fourth problem - possibly a sub-problem of no flashlights but I'll give it its own heading. I was totally freaking out that we would be lost getting back to the car. Because we were a whole hundred feet or so away from it. And did I mention wild animals eating us? Believe it or not, I'm not usually such a "bogey man is going to get us" person but once it starts, there is no going back.
We made it back to the car without getting lost. We made it back to the paved road without falling into a hole or off the edge of the road and without getting lost. The kids all had a fabulous time. At least I think they did - they were laughing and joking the whole time. So that makes it a success. We will all remember the evening for a while - just for different reasons!
And now in closing, some advice... Don't take your kids on a night-time hike in a strange area when you are PMSing and your hormones are raging out of control. Not going to be fun for you. Oh and be sure to check the moonrise schedule in the early planning stages!
Happy Full Moon Day!
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