Makin' Tracks

The theme of the fair this year is "Makin' Tracks To The Fair". So, I made my tracks there this afternoon and I submitted four photos. I have an evil plan ... I am working a "Pub Ed" event on Friday at the fair. That day, I plan on winning the "people's choice" award. "How?" you ask? Easy. I will tell everyone that visits the Pub Ed booth to vote for me! Maybe I will even post it on Facebook!? (Kidding) I won't do either. But if you go to the fair, vote for me!

2010 Fair entries:

"Farm to Table" I entered this one in a tall alignment, not across. And I left out the fourth picture. I think this one could be a winner for best use of the theme, it's TOTALLY about "making tracks", right? Taken the day Miss I and I went to pick peaches and the days after when I canned them. Didn't they turn out pretty? The old ladies at the fair thought so, too!


(Something about "feet") Taken in Chelan one weekend when LK was visiting. Bubba had stayed several days. This was taken when we went to go pick him up (well, we stayed a couple days too!)


"Deserted Barn" Another picture taken on a peach-picking adventure. This barn is on the road home. I love the way it looks like it's in the middle of nowhere. And I love the way I was courageous enough to stop on the side of a busy-ish road to take the picture!


"Toy Tractor" My favorite. Taken in my back yard. A childhood friend and her husband were visiting, and we were sitting around chatting when I noticed the tractor sitting just so. It was too good NOT to photograph. Plus, it kind of looks like a real tractor, but it's just a toy.

It is finally my Friday. The 3am thing worked out fine the last few days; I started running after work and taking AdvilPM to aid my sleep. It just takes awhile to get in a good rhythm. Although, I'm up kind of late tonite, but I get to sleep in tomorrow!

Lastly, have I mentioned I turn 40 in two months? I kind of felt it today so I "dressed young." I wore a ridiculous (short, quilted-type pattern) skirt with my cowboy boots and layered t-shirts. I totally felt like a 12 year old in a 40 year old body. I don't know, can anyone relate? (DW, if you say "yes" I will kick. your. ass.!!)

Here we go

So there's a few tricks to working at 3am.
1) Food. No sweets before 10am. I had a blueberry bagel for breakfast and it just hasn't sat well. I used to know better. Now I remember.
1a) Food. Protein. Must remember protein for breakfast.
2) Caffeine. No caffeine after 1pm or sleep is a problem later
3) Overtime. Don't forget if you have overtime until 3pm! OOPS. I forgot I signed up and there I was a snack short for my day. Luckily My Honey was across town and ran back to McD's for a quarter-pounder for me. MMMMMM. Unfortunately I didn't pay attention to the time and finished my diet coke just after 2pm. That's gonna bite me later!
4) Sleep. It's just hard to get up at 2am. And it's hard to go to bed at 6pm.
5) ... There is no number five.

*yawn*

After school yesterday I took the kids to the park. It was a really nice afternoon, probably one of the few we have left. They had a great time and I just buzzed around with my camera.



Today, I spent the past few hours cleaning up the kids' rooms. It's a two or three times a year thing. You know, do it while they're out, throw away all the little pieces of crap that have been sitting around for way too long, vacuum, dust, maybe re-arrange. That kind of clean up. I've said it before, I will say it again - I HATE TO CLEAN. HATE. TO. CLEAN. I wish I could say I feel "so much better now that that mess is all out of the way" but what I really feel is anxious that Bubba is going to have a melt down. (Yeah, I know, who's in charge in this house?) OH. WELL. His room looks great and so does Miss I's. She just watched TV while I cleaned. It worked out pretty well for both of us.

Tomorrow I go back to work. At 3am. *sigh* there is a part of me that is really glad to be going back and a part of me that isn't. The part that wants to go back is the part that NEEDS TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE (read: away from the kids). The part that doesn't is the part that wants to sleep in past 2am. Oh well. It's just a month.

... then again, it could be all next year ...

In the news

Hmmmm, My Honey takes a pretty good picture too! This is our new "pimpin ride." It's a black 95 Chevy with maroon velvet interior and lots of chrome accessories! All it needs is some tassels in the window and dice hanging from the mirror. I call it "Little Mexico". It's perfect for towing the whole family and the boat. It made a great "going camping" rig too!




the August break continued. The August Break is officially continuing! I don't know if I will post something every day, but I might...


Miss I and I went on a little flower excursion yesterday and I pulled out my camera and shot a few photos.

Collage of my August Break project




The first day of school was great for Bubba. He likes his new teacher, he loves playing on the "big kid" playground (the k-2 are separated from the 3 & 4 grade kids on the playground) and he had a friend over after school so life was great.

Miss I spent the first half of the day with grandma so I got some peace and quiet and a nice lunch out with My Honey. All in all a pretty good day for everyone.

The First

My last August break picture. Another art moment yesterday. Miss I's painting.



Well, I prove again I am seriously distracted sometimes.
I FORGOT to take a picture of Bubba on the first day of school. Pretty much we were running late and it didn't even cross my mind! We all woke up at 7:50 which meant we had just over a half hour to get ready. OOPS! It worked out though, we all made it where we needed to be.

The open house at Bubba's school went well last night, it was great find his class room, drop off all the school supplies and meet his teacher before the chaos of the first day. I hear Mrs. B has "high expectations and a great discipline policy" which will be super for Bubba. The discipline not as much as the expectations part. I hope he wants to work hard for her and that he/we learn some skills that will last for the rest of his schooling.

Off to work on my fair entry.

Break30

I've had this craft project sitting in the garage for a year. I finally bit the bullet and let the kids do it. I was afraid it would make a big mess or be a hassle or both. Turned out that plaster of paris isn't that hard to work with and the mess wasn't too bad. Unfortunately it didn't take as LONG as I had hoped and I still had a whole day to fill.





In my opinion, its been a rough morning around here. The kids aren't getting along very well - I think we're all sick of each other - so I separated them. Bubba is playing Lincoln Logs at one end of the living room and Miss I is at the other with plastic people and animals. They aren't allowed in each other's space right now. Or mine for that matter! Then I turned on a CD (LSL, thanks again!) because its mellow and we all needed something mellow, and here we sit. As for the rest of the day ... No idea.

Tomorrow school starts so everything changes. I've been thinking I will see if Miss I can hang out at Grandmas for awhile when/after I take Bubba. We could all use the break :)

Break29

A storm rolled in yesterday (not too much of a storm actually, turned out to be windy and a teeny tiny rainstorm) but as I looked out the back window, I saw out white birch tree against the sky and I thought that the leaves looked kind of silvery against the grey sky so I went out and snapped a few pictures.



It wasn't as silvery as I thought. But editing can fix anything!

I woke at 2am to Miss I telling me her eye hurt. I rewound my memory to bedtime and remembered her complaining about it then too, but bedtime has become a pain in the ass and I don't believe anything my kids come up with these days (I need water, my jammies itch, I am too cold, I am too hot ...). So I asked her if she needed me to look at it or if she could go back to bed. She wanted me to look at it so we went into the bathroom and there was her very adorable face with her bed-head in her new Halloween jammies looking all sleepy-eyed with one goopy, crusted over, swollen eye. Awwww, damn. Not that I could have avoided a 2am wake up call, but she wasn't lying the night before.

We had a little middle of the night "girl who cried wolf" talk and she went back to bed. Thankfully I have drops from our last little pink eye incident so we started them last night. I am a little worried about how swollen it is, but I think I will wait until tomorrow to see how it does.

I don't like leaving just a black & white picture, sometimes they are a little depressing or unemotional or just blah. How about this one to go:

Break28

Summer is winding down, the August break is winding down. It's kind of like the week after Christmas. All the hype, gone. But I am left with some great memories, some really fun photos and kind of this itch to keep on taking pictures, well, editing them actually. That is what I get out of these photography challenges.


We ended up going to Chelan yesterday. The kids and I stopped for lunch downtown and then walked to the park with our dessert. We spent a couple hours with LK and her family swimming. I was a little worried the weather would be too cold, but it was just perfect. Well, if you weren't wet. Once you got out of the water it was a little chilly for a few minutes. We also went to the farmers market here in town. We got yummy blackberries and apples and they were doing face painting.

I call this one "Puppy Love":


Bubba kept with the camo/hunter theme:

Possible entry

Break27

My final product. I am thinking I might make a display of the peach-process to enter in the fair. Clever huh?


It's a new era.


The camo thing has been going on for awhile, but the whole hunting, fishing, being one with nature thing is new. For their last day at day camp the counselors did face painting. So Bubba had his camo'd. It turned out pretty cool and then he was more than happy to pose for the camera without making faces.

Its Saturday. Our last Saturday of Summer Vacation. I am thinking we will make a run to the Farmers Market (where there is face painting) and then maybe out to Chelan. My sister and her family are up there so it would be a nice distraction, end of the summer hurrah for the day today or tomorrow. Plus I could get my blueberry fix. And maybe another cool series of "from the tree to the table" pictures. Hmmmm, I feel a kitchen series coming on!

Speaking of kitchen, LK brought me some new dishes. We NEEDED new dishes. These ones are pretty cool, a little design-y and a little blue for me, but I like them. The kids and I washed them up and I got them all put away already today. Wow. I'm a machine!

Yeah, I am thinking Farmers Market, pit stop at home to drop off fresh food, then onto Chelan by lunch. Hopefully blueberries then home by dinner. Perfect end of summer day!

Break26

From this:


To This:


Final stop: jars!
I am feeling a LOT better today. I was not doing so well yesterday. Spend the whole day on the couch dozing off and on. My poor kids. I was useless to them. You need a drink? Go get yourself a juice box from the refer. You need a snack? Have whatever you want. Another fruit snack? Sure, no problem. Oh, you spilled juice all over the kitchen floor? Dad will clean it up later. I was in bad shape! Bless my kids for managing pretty well on their own. Playing pretty well together and not burning anything down or hurting each other too badly.

I'm off work till the 4th ... yay. Nothing to do but get ready for school, clean the house, can fruit, maybe go pick blueberries and possibly make applesauce if the apples are ready.

Break25

A visit to the farm






I went to the U-pick place again yesterday and stocked up on peaches. Now I hope to start feeling better so I can get them canned...

The farm was so interesting. They had cows, donkeys and goats. Chickens and of course the orchards full of nectarines, peaches, apples and pears. That's where I will go next month to get pears for canning too. I saw a sign that said "pumpkin cannon every Saturday night in October". Might have to check that out too! It's such a different lifestyle than mine. A lot slower, more natural. I like the feel of the country life. I liked picking my own fruit. I wondered about taking care of all that property, fruit trees and animals. Actually, I could do without the animals, they kind of scare me. Maybe I was some type of farmer in a previous life?

Break24

I am going to can peaches tomorrow. I think I am pretty much ready. Peaches (check), canner (check), sugar (check) and the cooker (check). I like to set up a gas cooker outside so it doesn't get so hot in the house and then do all the prep while the water is heating up. I've worked out a pretty good system over the years, the only thing I am thinking is that I should have picked more peaches the other day. I will probably only get 6-8 jars from what I have if I am lucky. It is possible to go pick some more today, right now, but I don't know if they would be ripe enough tomorrow. I think I will just drive out there and find out. Plus, I could take my (fancy) camera and spend some time taking pictures this time!


Speaking of ripe, check out my breakfast today! Those peaches were sooooo delicious! Y.U.M. Yes, I ate the whole bowl, guilt free.

Its my last night shift, then a week and a half off during which the August break ends and school starts. Life's routine changes a little, and then back to a modified day shift. For one month I am going to work the 3am -1pm shift and then back to a regular 5am shift. I'm going to miss my peeps on nights.

Two and One

Well, it's my last two night shifts. I will say this, it was FUN, FUN, FUN. Most shifts were chaotic, (which I like) very few had problems that we couldn't handle and there was so very little drama. Well, except that one day ("HELLO!!") because there was no administration around and it's just too busy for whining.

Unfortunately, the kids seemed to miss me a lot more this year than in past years. That meant when I called to say good night a couple times I got crying and "why do you have to work nights" kinds of things from them, but My Honey also happened to be sick that week so ... I will take that into consideration when I bid for my 2011 shifts. I am definitely keeping Thursday and Friday off tho if I can!

After we dropped off Bubba at Day Camp yesterday Miss I and I went and visited her pre-school. I just wanted to touch base and make sure she was good to go and get it paid for. Her teacher was happy to see her and confirmed everything was in order. I am considering a day of daycare a week, I really liked that last year. We shall see. It's an extra hundred bucks or so a month, not to mention the hundred or so bucks I will spend finding something to do.

October. Yesterday I leaned I am invited to go to Oregon with my relative-girls in October. It's the Fourth Annual Female Family Gathering. I didn't realize it was the FFG, but requested the time off because my MIL was going to be gone, so I have the time off, now I need to see if I can arrange some childcare so I can go too. It was relaxing when I went two years ago and such fun places to take pictures, and I have a cooler camera now! Imagine what I could come back with this year!

Holy Hell

If you're local, you may know what this is.
It's a pedestrian bridge that goes over US 2 at Monitor.
I WALKED OVER IT TODAY.

If you know me, you know I am NOT a fan of heights. Not at all.
I WALKED OVER THIS BRIDGE TODAY.
I nearly passed out every time a car drove under it.

But guess what?
Miss I LOVED it.
She wanted to RUN OVER THE WHOLE THING ALONE.
Holy hell no!



Then we went to pick peaches. I am gonna can some this week, so we went to pick our own. Miss I loved it, unless there was a bug on the fruit and then she would squeal and drop it. Funny girl. The guy at the U-pick place was totally helpful and let us pet the goats and all kinds of fun stuff. Another good find this summer!

Break22

It's getting near the end of summer, the start of school and then HOCKEY.

We love us some hockey so when we heard the Wild hockey team was playing a little game of baseball, me and Bubba went to cheer them on. He tracked down the mascot, who chased him back to where I was sitting and offered a private photo session. Pretty cool. Walt, (the mascot,) was doing a great job of running around in the crowd, he pitched a few and even took a turn at bat. Pretty impressive since he's in a big ol' mask.

Since it was just the two of us, I let Bubba run around like a wild thing. I think its going to be a stage of new-found freedoms for him this year. First getting to run around while we camped, now at the baseball game, next thing you know he will want to walk to school! YIKES ...

(Yes, I noticed they have the same fang-looking teeth!)

Break21

Miss I loved her multi-colored nails.

It's a little over a week until school starts! Bubba has this week of summer day camp, then a few days off till school starts on Wednesday. Except for new clothes, we are ready. I'm not going to get him too much stuff. He outgrew things before he got to wear them last year so I am thinking one new pair of pants and some shorts, because that's the other thing, its still warm.

A cousin is visiting from Eugene, Oregon so Miss I has gotten to spend a lot of time with her this weekend. She came and visited us while we were camping and then Miss I went home with her to grandma's for the night. They are coming back to get her later this morning too.

Break20

Ahhh, it's good to be home.
Yes, we did have wifi at our campground, but we had to go into the game room to use it so it was a really short-lived deal. Just enough time to get a picture posted.

The campground was great. Very crowded, they pack 'em in like sardines, but we didn't really get bothered by any of the people around us.

It was on the river, but the water wasn't very high or swift so we allowed the big kids free reign to go down there. There was a dirt road loop for the kids to ride their bikes or walk around. Plenty of grass, an outside play area, pool and a game room with (broken) video games, a pool table and ping-pong. It was pretty great for everyone.

We set up two tents and let the big kids sleep by themselves in one -- and it went really good! I kind of worried that one of our more worrisome kids would not make it, but he did just fine! I was pretty impressed with us moms, too! We did have a hand from my 18 year old sister, she wandered around keeping an eye on the big kids occasionally, and hung out in the pool swimming with the littles, making sure each of them got a little extra attention. She was great!

Good times, a definite do-over next summer.

break19

HAHAHAHA!! Pretty funny huh?
The kids created this :)
Nice work Bubba and Girl Cousin.

We adults have been a little out numbered this weekend. 7 kids, 2 moms and an 18 year old. HOLY COW!!! But a lot of fun.

Break18

Wishing rocks found by the kids near the river.
I wish .....

Break17

We went to the Farmers Market on Saturday. This was the best looking display of them all. It's too bad, really, that the other vendors don't set their stuff up nicer. Quality displays sell product!

Going camping, might not get to post pictures, but I will certainly take a few!
...

Break16

*sigh* the last bits of summer. Swim trunks and knobby knees.

We're just a few weeks away from school starting. Its been a pretty fun-filled, busy summer, but not too much.

The kids haven't said "we didn't get to .... " and My Honey is going on a well-deserved golf weekend while the kids and I get our camping trip in. There was family time, boating (!) fishing for Bubba, spending time out of town without their parents for both kids, spending time without the kids a couple nights for the adults, all in all, pretty good summer.

There is this little part of me that is sad to see it end, but a part of me that will be glad when the kids are back in school and there is a routine going on again. So far we don't have any extra-curricular activities planned, but we did get the gymnastics schedule and I went to an open house at a dance studio. I don't know what I am thinking. Getting my daughter into dance? That means being around dancers and stuff right? I'm not sure I am up to it yet. But maybe with some peer-support and counseling I can do it!

That open house is something I should write about, it was a weird experience for me. All those x-cheerleaders (who are my age) in their glamour gal makeup and (false) smiles. Lots of makeup and (false) smiles. I just don't do make up or (false) smiles. Nor do I dance. So I am not sure I could related to the whole scene very well. The whole thing is taking up way too much space in my pea-brain right now.

Break 14 & 15

It was a great weekend full of family!
Lots of time in the water, both the pool and the boat (we just HAD to try out the new truck!)
We saw Girl Cousin in her Shakespeare play - what a hoot! She did a great job. Unfortunately there isn't any photography allowed so I don't have any pictures of her TOTALLY RAD costumes that her mom made.

This is the cousins making "crazy faces."

What is summer without the ice cream man?


All three kids decided to try out tubing! I was totally impressed with my two!



Good times!

break13

The kids had a blast playing last night. We let them stay up a little late so Mason could work out his kinks after being in the car for a VERY LONG time yesterday!


Later Grandma came over so we "let" her read the kids a bedtime story. Thanks Grandma!


And finally:


Seriously, this was our bartender last night! My mom, LK and I went for a drink and we were greeted by this guy. We just kind of chalked it up to weird people in town, but later, after some liquid courage, we asked the gal what his deal was and she told us he dressed up for Friday the 13th. Ahhhh, now it makes sense. I wonder if he got good tips?

Break12

Re-purposed pottery in the front yard.


This piece makes me sad. 12 or so years ago several of us went to Oregon, I think it was my sisters, my mom and aunt, but I could be wrong, anyway I bought this piece on that trip. It's raku fired and I fell in love with it. Unfortunately a year or so ago it fell off the dresser where it had resided for several years. It became yard art because I just can't bear to part with it.

After I went iTunes crazy, a couple of my girls brought me some new cd mixes. I popped one in today and -- oops! Lots of bad language. I don't care about it myself, but the kids are listening ... As if they have not heard half the language in the songs - duh. Anyway, DW's mix is excellent and full of great songs. JP's was fun too, full of rap and fun summer-y lyrics. My girls are so good to me :)

I've been trying to stay active even though the triathlon is over. I ran once last week and then went for a swim today. It was good to get back in the pool. The run was also good. It's amazing what your body remembers even if its been awhile.

And yes, I got the house pretty well cleaned up. Mopped, bathrooms and I even changed sheets! Yay me :)

Break11

More back yard photos today.

These ones happen to be new, I didn't have to go to the archives today. The one with the pine cones is completely unedited except for the rounded edges. No idea how I caught that shadow at the top of the picture, but I like it.

The other one is edited to boost the color. I like the way it looks sort of ghostly. Sometimes that is how I feel, like I am there but no one sees me. It's worked to my advantage MANY times, but left me feeling lonely a lot too.


It's the weekend and LK is coming over tomorrow! We're taking the kids to see Madi in the Short Shakespeareans production of "As You Like It." I am excited, really excited to take the kids to see their cousin perform. Must remember to get flowers!

Ideas for Sunday: Blueberry picking, boating, hanging out in the back yard playing in the pool. Any or all of those sound good to me!

** update **
I am using this ghostly picture for this week's Sunday Creative. The word is "ethereal" fitting, no?

Break10

Crazy damn night at work last night. I can't even describe it. Not crazy as in busy or anything, just weird, unusual happenings.

I went a teeny tiny bit iTunes crazy yesterday. I had a few artists I wanted to download and a few new singles. Can't wait to check them all out. Then one of my girls at work brought me a CD she had copied for me. What a doll!

Me and my DW are planning a camping trip with the kids in a week. I can't wait! It should be fun. The kids are excited too. Bubba is especially excited because there is a creek nearby and he wants to fish. That kid, he's totally into fishing and outdoor television shows right now. I have seen more "Monster Fish" than I need in this lifetime, thank you.

And it's my "Friday" of a long weekend. LK will be here Friday, she and I are taking the kids to see Girl Cousin perform Shakespeare! It should be a great time. But I got some cleaning to do!

Break9

This is what I did today.
The yard looks great, I am counting it as my workout!

Break 7 & 8

This one is a blanket (snuggie, actually) that Mustard was using at work last night. Yeah we wrap up in blankets at work. Silly HVAC doesn't work very efficiently! I liked the quote. It made me think of a new book I just bought. I am in love with this book. I have wanted to go to this workshop for a couple years now. Maybe next year? Anyway, there is a quote "Change your words into truths and then change that truth into love..." (Stevie Wonder) a few pages into the book that just touched me right now. And the quote on the blanket somehow seemed to go with that.


These are the lockers we use during swim lessons. Not really that photogenic, but one of the things I see every day at 11:30.

I really didn't mean to slack, but life was just busy and tiring. Sick kids, sick husband, working. You know. I just didn't want to make time.

Enjoy those, maybe I will be back later with a fresh picture for today?

YIKES

Uh oh, two days to catch up on.
That's the way life is, isn't it?
I have had some great ideas, just ran short on time.
Hopefully I will have an hour or so tomorrow - unless the sun is shining. I feel like summer is fading away, and so will my tan so I have to get all the sunning I can. So, it the sun is shining, game off. No editing.

Break6

My back yard is turning out to be a great photography playground!

We were sitting around outside yesterday and this toy caught my eye, so I went in and grabbed my camera just to take it's picture.

Had a nice afternoon with my life-long friend and her husband. He and I were just getting our groove on, bantering back and forth like we used to do in the old days when they had to go. He left me with a "Bye, Miller." One of the few people that ever actually called me by my maiden name back then and he still does. It makes me smile every time!

Back to work today. Bummer deal because now Bubba has the fever-sickness that everyone else has gotten. My Honey was home from work most of the week with it and is still trying to shake it. Please let it not get me, I would go crazy with a fever that lasted for a week and not being able to leave the house!

Not only that, we are supposed to have company next week. My dad and his wife checked to see if they could come over early in the week and LK is coming over next Saturday. So lets get this household well!

Break5

Another picture from trolling around the back yard the other day.

Today's plans include a visit with a childhood friend. She and I have been friends since we were in preschool. It is fun to imagine that my kids have may have met life-long friends in preschool. That they might still be friends when they're nearly 40.