Forts, Fish and Fun!

What a great day! I am surprised how much fun I had. I took 238 Pics!!!! I have weeded it down to 70 ;) Part of the reason I took so many pics and had such a great time was because watching the behaviors and interactions of the kids was like being on an african safari...lol!! Note how many times Little Mr. Red Shirt made it into my pics ;)

The first stop was the Fish Hatchery. On the bus, Sean KNEW THE WAY THERE because he has been there with his grandparents so many times! I think he could have been our tour guide!

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The fry (baby fish for those of you 'not-in-the-know' lol) had already been released this year, so we didn't get to see any eggs or babies or sperm and eggs being squozen out of fish. Bummer. These blue troughy tank things are where they would have been.

This big pools are where the big fish are kept to be tagged and stuff. The place is supposed to have 16 staff and because of government cuts, they only have 6--which is sad because Atlantic Salmon are endangered and an important part of our ecosystem (see... I was listening!). Maybe if someone says that maybe they saw Osama Bin Laden there --or in a town nearby-- the government might care..... but I digress ;)

After the Fish Factory... we got back on the bus and headed over to Fort Knox for a picnic and then some exploring :)

LOVE this pic!

Fort Knox REALLY brought out the tweenitudes ;) The girls were all whispery and "OMG... Did YOU HEAR what she said!?" "NO WAY! I heard that so-and-so likes so-and-so"......and so on ;) And the boys turned into soldiers reenacting the battles that Fort Knox never saw. Sean was DELIGHTED to join in... running down the corridors screaming, "THE BRITISH ARE COMING!! THE BRITISH ARE COMING!!"

A nice pic of the new bridge! Can't wait to go back and take the kids up to the observatory!

Well Hello there Mr. Hottie Fort Knox Ranger dude ;)

Caffeine is a GOOD THING when you are spending the day with 50 tweens.

Oh boy.

And... just to prove I was really there... I had Jessi snap a pic ;)

It was a great day but I am freakin' BEAT! I love being a chaperone so much more than I thought I would. The teachers have all the responsibility... so I get to just hang out with the kids. I never even had to check the time!

Hee Hee Lolcats :)

OK... not really the moon... but I AM going on a FIELD TRIP tomorrow!! Woo hoo. I really don't know how I get myself into these things. Tomorrow Sean and I are joining Jessi and the rest of the ENTIRE 5th grade on a field trip to Fort Knox and the Fish Hatchery (or 'Fish Factory' as Sean says it and I can't bear to correct him cuz it's so darn funny)! It should be quite a trip. I will be sure to take 1456 pics for you all to see ;) ;) I know it will be hard to wait...but you are just gonna have to.







Still Pluggin' away at the Weight Watchers. Not having the BEST week ever... but I am NOT quitting and I have been getting some exersize in to try and make up for my naughtiness ;) I switched to the online version because I am not going to drag both kids with me to my meeting every Thursday ...that's just silly. So Thursday will still be my weigh-in day... the only difference is that I don't have to drive anywhere to weigh in :) I think one of the things that is helping me to stick to it is the group of gals on scrapbook.com that are also on WW! I love our chat thread and I can't be part of it if I am not on WW now, can I!?














You will not BELIEVE what I did yesterday.

I GARDENED! For real! I filled my 2 hug pots and my porch railing boxes with soil and got them all ready for the flowers and seeds I plan to buy this weekend! I have 2 large planters on the front porch, 2 window boxes that hang on the front of the porch railings, and a window box hanging on the inside of my side railing that I want to plant herbs in so that I can just step out of the kitchen and snippy snippy some yummy yummy ;)

Ross The Intern --How DID I miss you all this TIME!?

OK... I fully realize that I have been hiding under a rock with this one... but late night television is not my bag.... WAY past my bedtime and if I AM up... I am watching 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'... not Leno.

ANYHOO... I am CRACKING UP! This guy's blog is FREAKING HILARIOUS...especially his video blogs. I LOVE ME SOME GAYS!! I wish ....I WISH I had my very own fag to hag! :D

Omigosh I am so silly... I forgot to give you a linky!

Ross the Intern's Blog

Happy Birthday Jerry!!

Last evening was Jerry's birthday party. We had TOO much fun! Before the party Nicole and Kristie came over so we could all ride together.

Jerry with his brand SPANKIN' new pimp cane from Nicole :) She also got him a "Pimpin' Ave" sign to match ...lol!!

We had a great time and once everyone was gone and it was just Rick and I (and Sean) left... we were all "Damn.... what time IS IT!? I'm BEAT" It was only 9:42 ROFL!!!

Happy Buzz Cut Day ;)

Snakes and Slime Soup

So I read and researched and messed with my camera settings and FINALLY got a great snake shot!! Would have liked to try for some more neat shots...but the snake is feeling a little fiesty today and after a couple bites, Sean was ready to put our little friend back into the tank.

Speaking of "the tank." We originally put it out on the porch just until we got rid of it. It ended up "living there" and the kids have a blast with that thing!! It has been a temporary home for caterpillars... salamanders... froggies... tiny fish... and bugs! It has also been an ocean for little boats and a bowl for "slime soup." (recipe to follow ;) ) So if you can get your hands on an old fishtank... do it!! Your kids and their future science teachers will thank you!!


Slime Soup (as dictated by Sean)
You need...
-1 bucket
-some slime-it's like the 'Green Goblin Slime' and you get it when the grass gets mowed and gets in the water and it turns all green
-some grass
-some rocks, any kind ...big ones... little ones... just any kind
-a stick, not too small, but just a little bit big
-some dandelions
You could also use dust or some bugs or some sand and dirt that will melt and make it all brown.

You put it all in the bucket, but not the stick because you need the stick to stir it all up. Then you stir it up and then you can dump it right out if you want to. Or you can feed it to Grampa or to B, but they don't REALLY eat it... they just pretend. If someone is already REALLY dirty, you *could* dump it on them, but not if you used rocks to make it because that would bonk their heads.

Dogs don't like it much more than snakes ;)

Every dog I have ever had has hated the camera. Some of them were even terrified of it. I wonder why?? It's not like they have ever been beat with one or anything (well... I assume not... hardly any of the dogs I have owned in my life were with me since puppyhood) And Geesh... In this house you think they'd get used to it!! Of course, in THESE particular photos.... it may not be the camera as much as it is the fact that he has ripped the eyes out of yet another stuffed animal...which he knows very well is a "no-no" -but just can't help himself ;) (note how he holds it down by the tail so there is NO chance that peacock is goin' anywhere!) The toy basket down here is like a sick, twisted basket of toys missing eyes and limbs.

Anyhoo... Kind of a boring week. Scrapbooked a bit yesterday and today. Hadn't done that in awhile, so that was fun. My layouts are over there on the left <--- in my flickr badge. Looking forward to Jerry's birthday party this weekend. I am just looking forward to getting out of the house and spending time with adults! The kids have been particularly annoying this week... not sure if it's me or them ;) Sean has been oppositional and defiant a lot more than usual. He usually has like 1-2 time- outs a week. This week he has had 1-2 time outs by breakfast!! I think he is bored. It has been too buggy for him to play outside. Jessi has also been a handful the past couple weeks. Those hormones are definitely starting to kick in because she is like a raw nerve walking around the house just waiting to get upset at something ...or someone... usually ME. Good times. Good times. If this is a preview of the teen years.... YIKES.

PSA: Snakes do not stay still for photographs

The BEST RIB RECIPE EVER!!

Rick (now officially dubbed "Hero of the Day") made these tonight and they are UNBELIEVABLY good! We used country ribs because they are on sale this week for 1.19lb ;) ....and Sweet Baby Rays Sauce because after last summer of experimentation we learned it's the BEST for chicken and pork!! (For beef the best is Cattlemen's Classic... if you were wondering ;) )


Prize Winning Baby Back Ribs

Enjoy!!

It's only 1130am!?

How is it even possible that it's not even noon yet?? This morning after Rick went Turkey hunting, we had breakfast and coffee (sans kiddos ...since they spent the night at B and Grampa's last night). Then we headed out to pick up the kids and take Jessi to her friend's house in Bangor for a Birthday party. After that we went to the cemetery to 'visit' Rick's grandfather. On the way home Rick veered off to his secret spot near where his grandparents used to live where there is a HUGE patch of Lily's of the Valley.... my FAVORITE flower. He picked me a whole bunch of them :) We passed by an antique shop and I ran in to see if they had any cute vases for my flowers. That store is AMAZING!! I got the CUTEST little jar that was formerly known as a honey jar for $2. I love it!! I will DEFINITELY be back to that place when Rick and Sean aren't in car waiting for me and I have time to explore!! After THAT... Rick veered off AGAIN to his parents house where he cut me a bunch of Lilacs... my OTHER favorite flower!! LOVING him today...and every day :)

Where they are....

Camping in the backyard (more like the front/side-ish yard... but that doesn't have very good flow ;) ). We had a campfire and roasted marshmallows. Then Jessi and I got the blankets all set up and I headed inside to let them have at it ;) Jessi has already come to the window once to whisper to me (sitting comfortably INDOORS)... "Is there really anything out there that will come eat us? I'm not too sure about this anymore." LOL I assured her that nothing out there will eat her... maybe WOUND her a little... but not eat her. She didn't see the humor there..lol! Let's hope that Daddy has enough sense not to tell any ghost stories.

Apple Blossoms

Our land is surrounded by apple trees and I LOVE IT!! The best time of year is when they are blossoming! They are so pretty and smell so good! I wish the apples were good eating apples... but you can't have it all, can ya? ;)

Finally Ready to...

-spend less time on the computer chatting at scrapbook.com.
-NOT know exactly why Rosie O'donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck are fueding and exactly how Rosie feels about it.
-have a much less familiar relationship with my couch.
-not wake up in the morning knowing that I have NOTHING TO DO today.
-have to get up and get dressed and GO!
-have daily adult interactions with more than 2 people (no offense Rick and Nicole ;) ).

This SAHM gig has been wonderful. I love that I have been able to be home with my kids during their important first years. And I never thought it would happen, but I am READY to get OUT THERE and DO SOMETHING!! Tomorrow is Sean's kindergarten screening. Next Friday I have a meeting about my internship at the Eastern Maine Agency on Aging and I CAN'T WAIT!!

Disclaimer: This does blog should not be interpreted to mean I that won't spend the day crying on the day I put my baby on that yellow school bus on August 29th. Nor does it mean that I won't be complaining in future blogs when I am having a hard time adjusting to my new "busy life."

They played RIGHT into my little plan ;)

While I cooked dinner, THEY....

The Ripple Effect

Ever since 'The Osbourne's" and a magazine article in a Home Dec mag where a woman described how she loved having a couch in her kitchen/diningroom because the kids would snuggle up on it in their blankets in the mornings while she cooked breakfast... I have REALLY wanted to have a couch/loveseat in mine!

This morning I started my monthly "let's see what the monster under the couch has sucked up" mission. That mission then turned into...
-Hmmm... maybe I should move the fishtank like I have been wanting to....
which turned into having to mostly empty it and 'may as well clean it' since I am emptying it anyway to move it...
which turned into well I already have the couch all pulled out and apart, maybe I should steam clean it and wash all the cushion covers and let the cushions sit out on the porch to air out.

I thought I knew where I wanted the fishtank... but the more I thought about it, the more I didn't want it there. Then I decide to put it against my blue wall because then everyone can see it and it will be easier to clean (plus the whole blue=water thing ;) )... but then what will I do with all the other furniture???

So..... That turned into a complete furniture re-arranging/super cleaning session. A session where the "couch in the kitchen" lightbulb came on! Rick has always complained that he hates being all the way across the room from me in the evenings. Solved that problem too!

The Osbournes and the magazine chick have a more "Pottery Barnish" look going... but until I have a "Pottery Barnish Budget" this will have to do ;) Moving the couch in there also caused a ripple effect of Super cleaning and table shrinking (leaf removing).

I really think I like the livingroom like this!! It looks much less cluttered. I would love love love to have new furniture in here, but that is not in the cards for awhile... and that's ok :) My next goal this week is to FINALLY put up the window valances that have been sitting in my closet for about 8 months...lol!! And sometime this month I want to fix the legs on the 'kitchen couch', and try and make it a little less 'sinky' so that people don't feel like they are going to fall into an abyss when they sit down on it..lol! I also have a couple artsy projects in mind for the walls. I think I am done for today though!