We found a Snake!

Actually, Daddy saw it when he was driving down the road and stopped and picked up and brought it home. It had been run over,but was still intact, with only a bit of bruising on it's tummy.

Anna had a wonderful time playing with it, pushing it around with a stick. I told Daddy I knew what we should get her for her birthday. lol

It was 22 1/2 inches long, which, according to our field guide, is pretty good size, as they are usually 16-20 inches.

Yesterday we went over to the mountain and hiked all day. We had a really good time...and Oscar got to go, too. He loves that. We let him off the leash and he got to run and play.

Tomorrow the girls are planning to go to a re-enactment with my mom and a pile of cousins. I do hope they'll be safe and not fight with their cousins. Usually when they've been together more than a couple hours they start fighting. Maybe she won't keep them there longer than that. ; )

This Week We've...

gone for a walk (or bike ride) every day. I'm starting to see more results in the weight loss dept. : )

Monday we went up to mom's and the girls got to play with their cousins.

Tuesday we were going to help at the food bank, but Anna didn't want to go, so Daddy went alone and we girls went to the library and waited on him. He was a bit grumpy about us not going, something about he didn't think it was right to give our word that we were going then not show up, even though he said he'd go pick up food today, and cancelled on that. Somehow *he* changing his mind is okay, but not us. Yeah.

Today he had two doctor's appointments...and they went okay. He had blood taken again, and his hand is all swelled, but for the most part he's well. ; ) Emma finished spading up her garden spot and got her flowers and watermelon planted.

We also turned the tadpoles loose today. I checked the tank and there were five dead in the bottom, and I just couldn't keep the rest and hope for better. Seems too cruel. So we let them all go, and buried the dead ones. (That reminds me...I left the tank soaking and should go finish cleaning it.) : P

Anna killed a rat. She's a better ratter than the cats. lol We've had a bit of a rat problem outside...they've been getting into the bird feeder. Last week I told her not to feed the birds for a while, and put poison out (under a table so the birds couldn't get it) and she looked into the table (it's like a box with a removable lid) and there was a rat in there, so she dropped a piece of metal on it's head. She felt awful afterwards, and cried, but I was VERY glad it was dead.

We are apparrently having a rodent explosion around here...there have been mouse droppings in the kitchen and my building...and I just cleaned out the darn building a week or so ago! The cats have been watching the kitchen pretty heavy, and I put poison in my building, and DH's brother has been shooting the rats outside (their nest is over the bank between their house and ours), so hopefully we're winning the battle.

I can take just about any other kind of infestation except rodent. Give me termites any day! lol

I'm reading The Secret, and it has inspired me to think rodent-free thoughts. I've always thought "I don't want mice, I don't want mice." So I'm changing that to visualizing all rodents running away from our property and a shield coming down to prevent them from coming back. Somehow positive words don't come to mind concerning rodents, so I'm not able to come up with a sentence...only an image. lol

Speaking of images...here's one of my first crimson clover blooming! I have several blooming, but it was rainy today and I didn't get out to take pics of them...but I'm SO happy they're blooming. I just LOVE them. : D

My Kids Are Back!!!

They had a great time, but are very tired tonight. : )

They had to get up at 7 this morning...very unusual for them...then it was a long day of work.

Mom showed Emma how to use the cash register, and she got to ring up some people's purchases, they both got to water the plants and dig in the soil bin, they helped Mom dig out a big plant that had rooted itself in the compost pile, they carried purchases to the car for the customers, and they both picked out lots of flowers.

Now we just have to find a place to plant their new flowers. lol

Anna has already gone to bed and is asleep...which is amazing considering Oscar is barking at a toy ambulance Daddy is playing with...and Emma is taking a shower.

I'm SO glad they're home!

Home Alone

The girls are gone to work with Mom, so Daddy and I are home alone today. She works at a greenhouse once or twice a year, and this weekend was it, and she invited the girls to go with her.

We're SO lonely! I LOVE having my kids with me...I don't understand those people who say "I can't wait for school to start." We love having them with us, and they love being with us, so it all works out very well. ; )

We got the fifth season of The Andy Griffith Show yesterday, and Daddy and I are using it to take our minds off missing the girls. ; )

That is helping...and Oscar. He's such a big baby, it's like having another kid. One that has to be walked. lol

Peony

Lookit what I got!!!!! My first peony bloom! I got the plant several years ago for our anniversary, and this is the first time it's bloomed. I'm SO glad it's blooming...I was starting to worry I had planted it too deep or in the wrong place or something.

The Loss of a Tadpole, and a Used Curriculum Sale

We lost the first of our tadpoles Monday night. The girls found it quietly expired in the tank. : ( It was SO tiny, no bigger than a dime, but it had all it's legs, and it's tail was shrinking. We guessed that it may have started developing lungs and didn't know how to get out of the water. There is another one with legs which has climbed up out of the water, and it's still alive.

Last night was the local used curriculum sale. My picture didn't turn out very good, but we got books and craft kits and posters and toys and art supplies...all kinds of good stuff.

I ended up spending $7 more than I'd planned. Daddy said he'd *really* like to have a game, then he went outside. The game was $10, and I didn't want to spend that on it, but after awhile, the lady called "Everything half-off!", so I ran over and bought it for $5. When I got out to the van Daddy claimed he'd said, "If *you* think it's something the girls would like you should buy it." Yeah, right. So I spent $5 I probably wouldn't have otherwise there, then Anna REALLY wanted that Aztec book on the far right side of the picture and it was $2, so there went the $7 I hadn't planned on spending. At least that 's my story. ; ) It couldn't have been anything *I* wanted. lol

The game actually looks like it will be fun to play, and has wonderful pieces, which I always love, even if the game stinks. lol

The girls found lots of books...I didn't realize how many until we got home! I was so proud of myself for taking two boxes of books for the free table, until I came home with...4 boxes. Well...in my defense, *I* was the only one picking things out to get rid of, while there were 4 of us picking up new things. ; )

What We's Been Up To...

Friday night we went to DH's nephew's (mine too, I suppose, but I don't really think of him that way) birthday party. He's 2. He's cute as a button...looks just like DH. We think the stork got mixed up on that one. ; )

The girls took their bikes and rode in the parking lot some, then played on the playground and with a little dog which wandered by. Then DH got out his metal detector and sprinkled a few pennies around, and let his other nephew (the birthday boy's older brother) find them. He really thought he had something! : ) Cheap way to entertain kids. ; )

Saturday we all went to the place where I grew up and metal detected in the front yard, at least until the girls and I got bored and rode bikes. (Gosh, my rear isn't used to THAT!!) Daddy ended up finding a silver ring, though, so he was happy.

Today was my baby brother's 16th birthday, and we went to church so we could give him his present. I didn't think I'd get a chance to see him otherwise, because he always spends Sunday running around and is hard to pin down. He's awfully cute, though, at 16. ; )

We've been (well, the girls and Daddy have been) riding about a mile every day on the bikes. Oscar and I walk/run along with them...and try not to get run over. I'm hoping I'll lose weight doing it, but nothing has happened yet. ; )