Couchbound

yep, the rumors are true. My leg. Is broken. It is the Fibula of my right leg, which is the outer leg bone, and the ER doctor says that it's the very tip, the bottom of the bone in the ankle area, that is broken. Most of you who are Facebook friends know that Ardyn tripped me when I was going down the front steps, and I had walked on it for a week with the aircast on, pretty confident that it was another avulsion fracture of that ankle bone. Turns out that I feel again this Saturday, exactly one week (practically to the HOUR) from the fall on the steps. I was at mom's with the kids, after taking Ardyn to Eve's birthday party. Marek was asleep on the couch, and after I grabbed a bite to eat, I was going down the steps with Ardyn. I was holding her hand and turned sideways on the bottom step waiting for her to catch up in her "fancy dress gown" when my ankle completely gave out and I fell and took Ardyn with me. It hurt so bad, because I had re-injured what was already swollen and bruised. After that injury, it was painful to walk on again. It was my own fault because the aircast was really bothering my ankle, and it was rubbing and itching under there, and so I had taken it off for a bit and then of course my ankle gave out because um, hello, it was BROKEN. Well, my leg technically, but where all those bones meet to form your ankle. :)

So that night Evan had a gig, and I had both kids, and I was trying to figure out exactly how to get an Xray, because I didn't want to go through the ER thing, but you don't really have a choice after regular hours. Luckily my sweet friend Courtney put her kids to bed, and after mine were in bed she came over and slept on the couch so I could drive myself over and have it checked. When I walked in, they were all pretty confident, I believe, that it was not broken. Because people don't walk on broken bones. But.... people aren't me. :) She asked my pain level and I said 3 or 4 and she just looked at me like "Why are you even getting an xray?" So anyway. I figured they would do their regular "ice, elevate, etc" recommendation, which is why I did that for a week before going in.

I went to get my xray and after she was done, she said "well, you've got something going on, but I can't tell if it's an old or new injury (meaning the one from 2007 or a new one) and so the doctor came in and did some poking and prodding and I was a little "Ow" and he checked the Xray and came back in and said "It's broken" and within like 10 minutes I was in a soft cast from my thigh to my toes. Yeah. And they said "You can't drive, call for a ride home" except it was midnight, and Courtney was trapped at my house with my kids, and Evan in the middle of his gig, and parents all asleep... I called poor EK because I knew that if her kids were in bed and her husband was home, she would come get me, but I felt bad because hers wasn't home... lol. I ended up giving up, and a county deputy was going to drive me home. I had tried to call Evan but he doesn't get a message in the middle of a gig. I wanted about 40 minutes for a deputy and then he got another call and couldn't come. So I gave up and posted to facebook hoping that someone out there was awake and could just get me home! After I posted to facebook, I called my mom, and while I was trying to get her awake enough to understand what was happening, Kyle (BIL) Called and said he was awake and would come and get me. So he did, and I was SO grateful. And of course I hadn't thought about there being a real issue with my leg, so I didn't have crutches with me, and I was on E in the van so I needed gas. *sigh*

When I got home and woke up Courtney, and was sitting there in the chair with my cast on, it was comical because when I said it is broken, she just goes "Shut UP!?" and it still makes me laugh to remember that. She cracks me up.

So I had to send a text to Evan and let him know what was going on, and ask him to go to the basement to feed and water the chickens when he got home, and then I went to bed. It was so hard to sleep with this stupid thing on! I was to follow up with a orthopedic surgeon on Monday, and I had a heck of a time convincing them that I needed an appointment. I was able to get in this Wednesday, and I am just hoping that I don't take a hack saw to this stupid soft cast before then to make it below the knee. My leg isn't bent enough to easily walk on crutches, and I have to walk with my foot out in front of me instead of bent behind me. I already have bruises under my right arm from the crutches.

Yesterday Evan's parents kept the kids while he went to the Quad Cities, and he took me to mom's where Dad and I worked on the chicken coop. Dad more than me, but I was able to stand and help assemble the next box pieces that I had marked out and Josh had cut for me. I just stood on my good foot and propped my broken side up on the legs of the coop... it worked great. But eventually I got tired and hungry and cold, and mom made us grilled cheese and tomato soup which I wolfed down and then I fell sound asleep on the couch. When Evan came to get me they had to wake me up and I was totally tired. We went and got the kids and Evan had to carry everyone and everything into bed. I went down to the basement with my crutches and cleaned the chick brooder, which wasn't hard at all... and then Evan helped me fill their water and I put them back in their home. They are HUGE. No exaggerations. HUGE. I can't believe how much they grow in 24 hours. It's insane. They are eating a quart of food a day. They would eat more if I would let them!

I went to bed nice and early (before 11, I was in bed by 10:30 with two Tylenol PM) and I was so sore! My arms and shoulders and my good leg more than my broken one, just from hauling my ass around on crutches. Whew! It's too much work!

I had a heck of a time making lunch for the kids. I luckily had something leftover from the night before, so all I had to do was set the table and heat it in the microwave. Yeah. ALL I had to do. I couldn't carry anything with my crutches, and this is *supposed* to be a completely non-weight bearing injury. OY. I had the kids set the table, which they do on occasion, but this time I gave Ardyn 3 paper plates (all plain and identical white) and she came back like 3 minutes later saying that she gave Marek his, but couldn't tell the difference between hers and mine. Seriously. I had to laugh. I think I need a cart with wheels. I had the hardest time getting the leftovers from the fridge to the microwave. It was ridiculous. You just don't think of these things. You can't carry a glass casserole dish and walk on crutches at the same time. Seriously. I finally got it there and got it heated up, and had Ardyn push my chair from the dining room over to the front of the microwave so I could set the food on the chair and then she pushed it back to the table so I could lift it up to the table and serve it. Talk about crazy! And then, cleaning up wasn't exactly do-able. Marek and Ardyn had to do some teamwork to get the gallon of milk (even though it was half full) into the dining room and hoist it up on the table. Poor kids.

I gave them baths afterwards, but since I can't stand up on my own or kneel (cast is above knee) I had to sit on the potty lid with my leg up on their stepstool while they swam around and Ardyn helped Marek wash his face off from our spaghetti. They LOVE spaghetti. I didn't bother to wash their hair because I couldn't wrap my head around it.

Anyway. It's crazy. Luckily EK asked what we would like for meals, and started up a meal train for us, and I told her that I was not as concerned about supper as I was about lunch. Suppertime means daddy is here, but lunchtime means I am here alone with both kids, and don't know what the heck I am going to feed them. Today Grandma ended up picking up Ardyn from school and taking her to Subway for lunch. I wanted to beg her to bring some back for Marek and I but I didn't want to be a pain. She ended up keeping Ardyn for the afternoon and calling later to see if Ardyn could stay overnight. That was nice.

But Marek and I didn't eat lunch... until 2:30. Luckily the Perry Home Medical Delivery Guy came (and he was super nice and understanding, even when he had to walk over 5000 tractors and trains to get into the living room, and when I had on a pajama gown with no bra and had my hair sticking up) and he adjusted the shower chair in the bathtub for me, and adjusted the knee scooter to fit me. He was very polite and patient. I appreciated it so much. I can't drive, and can barely walk, AND I have Marek, so I had no idea how I was going to get this stupid gear home from Princeton. Thank GOD they delivered it. SO, after I got the knee scooter, Marek had a nutritious lunch of one hot dog and one piece of string cheese, and I had a piece of string cheese and a coke. Yum. Then I took a much appreciated shower. Wow. Love that chair. Just kept my entire leg out of the shower and covered it with a towel and then the shower curtain to keep everything dry. Will be SO MUCH EASIER if they cast me from the knee DOWN on Wednesday. Pray for that, okay? Otherwise I WILL be crazy!

I snoozed on the couch for a while as Marek played farm and watched PBS. Daddy is on his way home with a few supplies, and then I have a class Reunion Planning meeting to attend. Thankfully I have arranged for rides from friends to my activities this week, and Evan takes Ardyn to school and Grandma picks her up. Daddy will take her to dance on Thursday, and so this is all arranged. I just need to figure out what we will do on Wednesday, to get me to and from my appointment, and we also have haircuts that day. Grandma has offered to help, and Evan might end up taking me to the doctor... I am hoping someone out there wants to take Marek to playgroup on Wednesday while I am at the doctor.

So, just hoping at this point for a quick and efficient doctor visit this Wednesday, leading to a knee down cast and hopefully the news that I won't need any surgery.... !

If you want to participate in the meal train, the link is on facebook, and we are pretty flexible. My wishlist includes things that can go right to the microwave or right to the oven, and come right out and be served. I really want to be able to feed them lunch :( And the less I have to carry the better!

Thanks for all the phone calls and the offers for help. Right now I am most concerned about keeping toys picked up so I don't break my other leg, and also laundry (ack) I am trying to convince Evan to take me and the laundry to the laundromat so I can do all of it at once, and just sit there and fold it. That would be so awesome! :)

Okay, time to move around for a few minutes so I don't get bedsores.

Is there any topic I don't touch on?

It's strange that we have been so busy, but I don't feel like I have anything to write. This morning I am trying to get some things done inside, because we have been gone so much that I am again getting behind. I am having a hard time convincing Marek that he does not need to be outside every second of the day, particularly because mom sometimes has things like laundry or dishes that need to be taken care of. Although, despite all my green efforts and lack of paper plate use over the past two years, I am seriously considering some heavy paper plate use this summer. It would be so much easier to keep up on dishes if summer meals were on disposable plates!

Today is the second day that we have our new friend Asher over to play. It has been going well, he is a sweet little guy. Marek doesn't really do well with Asher being the small one, but whenever Marek even looks at Asher or tries to talk to him or play with him, Asher starts crying... so that's probably not helping much. LOL. But they are excited to see each other in the morning, and so that is a good start.

I am going to start trying out a new iPhone app, called Home Routines. I am hoping it isn't like the other apps that seemed like a good idea but I could never keep up with, like Grocery IQ, Groupon, Mealboard, etc. The Idea by home routines is much like Flylady, or Motivated Mom's Planner. Another mom brought the Motivated Moms Planner to MOPS last month, but I missed the meeting, so I didn't know about it until I saw Facebook talk. I googled it and looked into it. It seemed very promising, except that it didn't have the ability to customize, and if you want it customized, you might as well make your own planner. On the Motivated Mom's Planner website, I was looking at the cost ($8) and saw that they had an iPhone app. the app is a little more flexible and also costs about the same. But then I saw that there were other similar apps that were higher rated, specifically Home Routines, which allows you to fully customize your tasks if you choose to, and edit them, and also allows you to add your own tasks, your own zones (which can also be edited) and has options as to when your chores reset, which zones happen which weeks, etc etc. It was also less than half the price, and had more and higher ratings by users. I decided to go ahead and give it a try. It's great because I have morning chores, afternoon chores, evening chores, and weekly chores, and I can even add other things if I want to. The zones are so nicely customizeable, not just WHAT your zones are (I put the bathroom in the same zone as the playroom and kids' bedrooms, because we always tend to work on those three together) and I appreciate the fact that I can add a front porch, back porch, and pantry to the pre-programmed list of zones. I can cluster rooms together (like dining room and living room, because ours are sort of one in the same) and that I can edit exactly what I want to do in each room, like have the kids pick up their crocs and put them in their baskets, or replace the hand towels in the bathroom, or take the recycling to the van on a specific day so that it makes it's way to Princeton when we are already heading that way for preschool. I can even create a morning chore that reminds me on that day to take the recycle OUT of the van and to the recycle center.

Now the thing is, I can still ignore tasks if I want to. So it all boils down to WILL I DO IT and WILL I KEEP DOING IT. I hope they come out with a motivation app sometime soon.

I am currently working on my Farmgirl Badges. This week I am hoping to get to Hobby Lobby to get some transfer paper so I can print out the badges I have earned so far.. and start embroidering them. I have Crochet beginner and Crochet Intermediate, Shopping Green beginner and Intermediate, Gaining Ground Beginner, Backyard Farmer Beginner, First Aid Beginner, and Aprons Beginner. I have several more that are partially completed. Once I get them all embroidered, I have no idea where I am going to attach them. Some put them on a denim jacket (which I don't want to do) and some on a tote bag (eh. I dunno)

We went out to the farm yesterday to work on the coop. the weather was beautiful and there was plenty to be done, but dad was working on seeing the hay ground, so I could only do the things that I could accomplish without any help. I took the roof off the chicken coop and pulled all the nails. Then I drew out the nest box measurements on the plywood. Last night I brought the plywood home, hoping that I would be able to cut it in the garage after the kids went to bed, but that didn't work because I couldn't find the circular saw. Someone must have taken it out of the garage. I found a the battery powered one, but it just couldn't cut it, which was SO frustrating. I ended up starting and having to leave it uncut. Grrr. Today Evan looked for the saw and said it is missing from the garage. Boo. SO now I am trying to determine if I want to feed everyone lunch and then load up all three kids AND the plywood and try to go to the farm and get it cut, or just wait till sometime later. Problem is, chicks are growing fast and weather is about to turn cool and rainy again, and I would love to be moving forward. Before we can side and roof, we need the nest box assembled and attached, and the holes cut in the back wall of the house for the hens to enter the next boxes. I need the side access door cut in the wall of the house, and a front and side door built and attached. The legs need to be put on.... and then I can work on siding. There are so many things that I feel like I can do if someone would just show me how to get started, but it's hard because dad has lots to get done too when the weather is nice. I know I should just be patient, but patience means full sized birds crammed in my basement.

This morning I got a call from the Gastroenterology Office about arranging payment for my bill. I had just opened it last week and thought it was awfully high, but what else is new. I hadn't gotten a chance to look up all the EOB's yet. I decided to go ahead and call the insurance company. Come to find out, all 4 claims were processed as out of network and nothing was paid.... because the Doctor's Office is not including the last two digits, the suffix, of the Tax ID number, in the physician's OR the group's billing information. This resulted in the insurance company's system NOT finding the physician or the group he practices with, and therefore made all the claims be denied for me. So the insurance company has corrected all of his tax ID numbers in their system and resubmitted them all through their system in order to have them reviewed and hopefully paid accordingly. So I tried to call the physician's office back, and they are at lunch. Of course. With no voicemail. I have such limited time to make a phone call without being interrupted by an ornery, screaming, hungry, persistent, or tired child... I hate when I can't at least leave a message so that they can call back later if they need more information. It sometimes takes me weeks to get a phone call completed.

For example, when I was on the phone with the insurance company, Marek decided he needed a banana. He had already had breakfast, AND a snack, and I was in the process of making lunch. The last thing I wanted him to have was more food because then he wouldn't eat lunch. Then 20 minutes later Ardyn starts asking me who I am talking to, and question after question, and then tells me that she needs to talk to that insurance lady about doctor bills because her ankle hurts and she wants to go see the doctor. Oy. This is why I get so cranky when my husband says "can't you just call" as though I am the person with all the free time on my hands. What he doesn't understand is that I have no QUIET on his hands. I am hoping that the new app will help me remember to make phone calls during quiet intervals.

So anyway, I call back after lunch, and I wait on hold for a little bit, no big deal. I get to the person who called me earlier and I told her that I had printed out all my EOB's and that I had them all in front of me, and had called the insurance company. I verified all the dates of service with her, and then I explained that the insurance company did not receive the last two digits of either the physician OR the group tax ID number. I told her that they were resubmitting each claim into their system with the corrected information and that it would take 30-45 days for the claims to be reprocessed and paid. This is when she started to get a little defensive. I told her that the claims had been paid as out of network providers. I told her there was one other issue that I wanted to share with her, and that the insurance company told me that the very first date of service, which was the time that I was an inpatient at the hospital and the surgery department called the gastroenterologist in for a consult, that the visit had been billed to the insurance company with an incorrect code for outpatient consultation, when it should have been inpatient consultation as I was an inpatient in the hospital. Then she got angry with me and started saying that this isn't possible, and she's looking right at the code and the location and I stayed calm and said "that's fine, I am just relaying what the insurance company is telling me, and they pay differently for outpatient consultations than for inpatient, and they may require you to resubmit the claim with the correct code." And then she said "But I am saying that is NOT possible and I don't know why they are telling you that" and I said "Listen, I understand what you are saying. I have done my part and called the insurance company and looked up all my EOB's and I am just telling you what the insurance company is doing and how they are now handling it. If you have a problem you are more than welcome to call the insurance company directly and discuss it with them." - Kind of like putting the conversation to an end.

What frustrates me is that most insurance companies and physician offices expect that every person that crosses their path has no idea about their rights, their insurance claims, and the potential (the very HIGH potential) for mistakes and incorrectly filed claims. I am not saying that the doctor's office made a mistake, I am saying that somewhere there is an ongoing miscommunication, every date of service from August 2010 until March 2011, and that this problem is not going to be fixed by continuing to do what they are doing. Obviously.

I am fortunate (I think) to have worked in healthcare, and learned a bit (and just a bit) about insurance and coding and health billing. I was also fortunate to work in the office of a REALLY particular and stingy insurance salesman (no, not related to me at all :) Who went over every single EOB and medical bill with a fine toothed comb, comparing each thing and even taking a calculator to each one to be sure there were not mistakes. And I can tell you, he found a mistake on at least 3 in 5 EOB's. This taught me that there is a very high chance you are being incorrectly charged, billed, OR reimbursed. So, hopefully this gets all straightened out with the insurance and the physician, because I have another appointment with the gastroenterologist and probably also another upper and lower scope coming up in the next month or two.

My ankle has been killing me today. I think it's because yesterday afternoon I was just sitting around here with the brace off because my leg was sweating and itching under it, and then when I left home initially I forgot it. Walking on it without the aircast felt fine, but I ended up having to come home and get it because it started hurting. Then when I was on my way home after MOPS Tacos, my ankle started to itch again, so I took it off, and forgot it in the van. Well, I have been walking on it this morning without the aircast and it hurts pretty dang bad. I am going to have to take myself outside and get it pretty soon. When Paige gets Asher I need to have Ardyn all dressed for dance class and ready to go soon after, so I keep hoping that if I just sit here with my foot up I can just go out and put the aircast on when we leave. But man is it hurting! stupid weak ankles.

Well, Marek wants to cuddle and rock, he's a tired guy today. Later :)

Happy Birthday!

What a great birthday celebration! The cake turned out great, the decorations were cute, and Marek was excited when he arrived at the party. We had lots of family attend and it was just plain fun for the kids. Marek got lots of cool stuff. Lots of cute summer clothes, and a couple of hooded sweatshirts that will be so handy for the cool evenings and windy days ahead. (like the fact that it was 70+ degrees yesterday and is headed for 30 tonight and 24 tomorrow with wind chill)

He got a Lightening McQueen Fishing Pole and Gas Can for his Cozy Coupe, Thomas Bathtub squirters, The Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Barn, The Learning Curve for John Deere "BIG Red Barn," A Monster Truck that does wheelies, Chuck the Dump Truck, a Wall-E Pillow, A couple of Red Tractors, some new books, Cash for new socks (which we got today, along with some little undershirts :) Some Caterpillar Sandbox Toys, and.... let's see, mommy's favorite toy, Bill-Ding blocks. We had the Bill-Ding men when we were kids, actually they were at my Great Grandma's and Liz and I along with our cousins used to play with them all the time. I assume that my dad played with them when he was a kid, and perhaps even my grandpa? They are so much fun, and the company that purchased the rights to them still makes the wooden men. My cousins Danielle and Jessica were so sweet to get them for Marek, it's a fun toy and it brings back lots of memories for me :)

We got Marek a John Deere blanket and two little Tractor Pillows, and some die cast John Deere, and a Tractor shaped carrying case. We also got him some tractor clothes and some shorts and bibs, and a box of Cars Stickers. Ardyn was really excited because Grandma Susan brought her a little miniature Lalaloopsy from Wisconsin (which she is loving, she already has the tea party set) and Darrell and Leslie brought her a princess Zhu Zhu Pet that is pink. She was so pleased and it was SOOOO Sweet of them to think of her during such a big event.

So anyway, Marek was of course infatuated with the big red barn. With both barns, but the one that he could drive his tractors into was awesome. He's been playing with it nonstop. It was just the perfect gift :) Thanks to Jodi and Mike for taking the trouble to assemble it for us too, it made it just awesome to have it right there to play with!

procrastinating....

This is what procrastination looks like. I am supposed to be cleaning the kitchen and baking Marek's Birthday cake and cupcakes. See how well I am doing? The kids got up around 10, and I gave them baths and got them, dressed, and did a few loads of laundry, which is ongoing... but I have been purposely ignoring the kitchen. Oh boy. If I could just be motivated! It might be better if the sun was out, but then I would want to be outside, and so would the kids... so it's probably just as well that it's rainy and overcast.

I also still need to figure out what Marek is going to wear for his birthday, and make the shirt if I am gonna do it. AND I need to get the key to the community center. AND I need to wrap his presents. Oy. The day is half gone and I haven't even begun. Oh well.

Marek's birthday was a fun day. We did all the things he loves to do. We went to the farm and he rode tractors and 4-wheelers and trucks. They played outside and we watched daddy and grandpa burn the prairie plots. Then we went to Farm and Fleet to get some hardware cloth for the chicken coop, and then to take Ardyn to dance. While she was at dance, Marek and I went to the John Deere dealer and he got lots of tractor time, and he picked out a new toy for his birthday. He had such a great time that we were late picking up Ardyn from dance because I had to drag him out.

Then we came home and made mini pizzas for the kids at Marek's request, and after putting them to bed, Evan and I got some Chinese takeout and ate and chatted in peace and quiet. Then Evan went to sleep and I cleaned out the chicken brooder and spent some time with my favorite chick, who is now the largest, with the most feathers, but is also the most bold and curious, and loves to be held. I am thinking it might be a rooster based on it's forward and fearless personality, but secretly hope that it's a hen, because I really want to keep this bird! Ardyn and I have already decided one chicken's name. One of the hens that we keep will be Gwen the Hen... and now I am just hoping that this one can be our Gwen. I guess if it's a rooster we can call him Glen. Glen and Gwen :)

Anyway, they are growing SO rapidly. It's amazing. They have full wings now and most of them have tail and neck feathers. Their feet have seriously increased in size, and they have long necks and their combs are beginning to form. I haven't seen wattles yet, but there is still a bit too much fluff to see clearly. I am so excited about building the coop that I can barely stand it. I want to get started but I really need to wait until next week, after Marek's birthday party gets over.

I think it's about time that I start a movie for the kids, and make their lunch and start on the kitchen cleaning. *sigh* No fun I say!

Lush Period Piece

Sunday. Long Day. Pretty productive, though not at home. We needed to get out of here for a while. BADLY. With the weather being cool again and windy, the kids are dying to get outside. They started asking to "go bye bye" as soon as they woke up.

We got dressed and headed to Peru for some lunch at McDonald's. I thought the kids were going to explode with excitement at the site of it. Oh how they miss their beloved MCD's. We can't wait until the new one gets built in Princeton!

Then we went to Menard's and returned our broken rake. No one there seemed to know what to do or be able to make a decision. They kept passing me off onto someone else, asking them to make the decision if I could exchange it. Finally I just went back to the service desk with a replacement rake and told them that I had found the replacement and wanted to exchange it and they just took the broken one and I walked out. Simple. Eventually. Once I made the decision for them. Everyone important was out to lunch, (bah.) We happened across hooded towels on clearance for $6, which is a steal. Ardyn picked a puppy and Marek picked a lion. So $12 at Menard's and a new rake. Then to JoAnn for some white thread, which I was nearly out of. And I snuck in couple of 50% off Easter basket stuffers and got a half off licensed fleece throw kit, as Marek is outgrowing his John Deere fleece rapidly.

Then we came home and took a late nap. The kids were exhausted and I was too, needed a quiet break from their constant chitter chattering. Tonight Evan brought home Ardyn's request for Taco Pizza and we all ate and watched a movie together. It was nice. We just put the kids to bed and carried a cattle tank down to the basement for the chicks to move into. The darn thing is so cold from being outside, that I have the heater running INSIDE of it, to warm it up before transferring the chicks, so I don't freeze them to death. They are really really getting big! I have taken some photos. They are flying all around (well, like 6 inches off the ground) and the largest one is getting nice and tall, and not only does he? have magnificent little wings now, but also a tail coming in! Exciting!

I am watching another "B" movie. Well, I have found several lately that have been really good. I tend to look for period pieces, historical fiction, or anything that is English :) Tonight I am watching "An Education" and so far it's entertaining. The co-star was born in Illinois :)

Last night I watched "Heartbreaker" which is the subtitled version of the French L'arnacoeur. It was awesome. I LOVED it. Even subtitled. I didn't KNOW it was subtitled when I started it, and had every intention of NOT watching it, but it was really good from the get-go, so I just had to stick to it. I also watched FAME (the remake) which was also awesome. I am just trying to tide myself over till April when the next Masterpiece Theater starts. :) I LOOOOVE Masterpiece Theater. I think if I ever donate to a cause it will be PBS. I adore PBS.

An Education is about a high school girl in the 1960's who is 16 and hopefully heading to Oxford, who meets an older man, like out of college, and somehow her parents either don't see them as romantically involved, or just think him trustworthy, because they let him take her out to cultured events. He has money, and a sportscar, and convinces her parents to let him take her somewhere for the weekend (!) and.... that's what I am watching. He turns out to be in a questionable profession and she has to overlook or accept that in order to be with him and a part of his cultured life. In P.E. She sneaks off with her friends behind a tree to share Russian cigarettes bought in Paris, where he will supposedly be whisking her off to on her 17th Birthday.

It's not a to die for movie, but good enough to keep me from pausing it so far to go check the chicks :) Oh yeah, better check the chicks!

Okay, chicks transferred to their new home! I also raised the light up since it has been a week or so, but I am thinking I might have to raise it higher because the walls of this are so much higher, and metal, that I think it might retain the heat more, and it might be warmer in there than previously. I let Boyd come down after I had transferred them. This time he was really really interested in them. Sniff sniff... and lip licking. LOTS of lip licking. This will be an interesting journey!

OMG This movie just took a serious turn. I don't know WHY I didn't see it coming. wow. Her parents didn't see it coming either. LOL.

Hmmm. Have you noticed I seem to have nothing of any significance or importance to say tonight? Well. I guess Happy Spring Break to so many of you, and I will write more tomorrow if something noteworthy comes to mind. Perhaps I will start "Young Victoria." Since it is described as a "lush period piece" I am sure it will be right up my alley.

Ardyn's daily piece of wisdom "The wicked witch's car is red."

Yes, yes it is Ardyn :)

Saturday. I can't say I am thrilled. Sort of indifferent. Evan has a gig tonight. We have no plans. None. Nothing. Except cleaning house. Still. And Laundry. Cleaning ladies on vacation, so I really need to vacuum and mop, because that just can't wait four weeks. But I also really need to clean the kitchen up, pick up around this disaster zone, and also, maybe just maybe, put away the Christmas Decorations. And the Valentine Decorations. Oh, they have long since been taken down, but they are in a big pile in my dining room waiting to be packed up into their totes and taken to the attic. I am afraid I still don't care.

I woke up this morning to Ardyn screaming from her bed. Why? Because her nose was snotty. And I don't mean like it was running down her face. I mean the diva woke up with a snotty nose and therefore decided to lay in her bed and scream at me. While Marek was still sleeping right below her. I wanted to strangle her. Her behavior has been so bad lately... specifically screaming. She screams in Marek's face. She screams when she's playing. She screams when she doesn't gt her way, she screams when she is angry. Yesterday I thought I was gonna strangle her. I ended up implementing a new punishment for screaming. Random screaming, angry screaming, any kind of screaming that is not necessary. Yucky Spray in the mouth. She got yucky spray twice, spankings twice, two time outs in the time out chair and one in her bed. And then, this morning she woke up screaming. She was screaming at Marek in the tub and I reminded her that screaming was punishable with yucky spray.

The problem is a phase, but also that the weather got nice, and we got to spend several days outside, and not it's frigid cold again and we haven't gotten to be out. They are feeling cooped up and it's showing. Marek's evil is to smack, hit, kick or scratch you and then immediately hug you as tight as he can and say "I Love you too mommy." Oh he's good.

Another problem right now is the "I Can't" phase. The "I can't.... (wipe my own butt, put on my own coat/shoes/socks/pants/shirt/underwear/pajamas, turn on the light, open the door, clean up my toys)" and then "Help me mom! I can't do it without you!" Veteran parents, please give me tips on this. I can't stand it. I am forcing her to do things herself, but it always boils down to screaming and whining and crying. She's big into unbuckling her seatbelt without permission. In fact, on Thursday she did it so many times that The last time she did it, we were right by home and I drove into the driveway when we were supposed to be heading to dance class. Then she started her classic "I can't buckle myself" and I said "If you can't buckle, then you need to stop unbuckling without permission. We will not go to dance class until you buckle yourself up." We sat in the drive, until she went into full meltdown mode, then we parked in the garage and I took Marek in, then came back for her and she was in absolute panic that she was going to miss dance class. But still refused to even attempt to buckle herself up. It's infuriating. We ended up coming inside and laying down for an hour and then going to dance class.

We have had conversation after conversation about acting like a big girl and that if she isn't going to act like she's almost four, then I am not going to give her privileges like she is almost 4. No more big kid snacks, no more big kid books to read, no more littlest pet shop and zhu zhu pet toys to play with. Two naps a day, and she can sleep in a toddler bed instead of a bunk bed. This works well, temporarily, but it seems each day starts with this refusal to get dressed, or do anything. She conveniently forgets things like how to put on her pants, and she starts acting silly and puts her underwear on through the leg holes. She puts her shirts on backwards. It's like an intentional regression, considering she was almost completely dressing herself. Now suddenly she can't get up in bed, she can't wipe her butt. It is infuriating. Because it almost always results in a standoff that makes us late and makes me angry.

Well, this is being cut short, more tomorrow?

Cooped up

It's almost Friday! Which generally means nothing to me. Except that I don't have to take anyone to school, dance, or MOPS. So, yay me!

Today the kids were mostly little monsters. Marek has just still been stuffy and snotty and coughing here and there and I think that he is really feeling the terrible two's sometimes, and he stops talking and proceeds to endlessly whine and talk in a foreign language. Now he could be Belgian (kidding!!! kidding!!!) But I think that he is actually just not feeling tip top and when that happens a whole lot of everything goes down for him. Ardyn for some reason has spent a couple of days just plain DISOBEYING or DISAGREEING at/in every single situation that is presented to her. Normal I suppose, but exhausting just the same.

Today she got her finger caught in a mouse trap at Grandma and Grandpa's, specifically by disobeying. I didn't even feel badly for her, because it was so blatantly disobedient that I figured she learned her lesson. She wasn't injured, just scared, shocked, embarassed... you name it. And I know it hurt some too. She later told me "I thought it was just something made of wood but then I saw PEANUT BUTTER...." I had to laugh at that. That is completely a child's logic. But mom, there was PEANUT BUTTER. Kudos to Grandpa Dave who can trap anything under the age of 10 with his own very favorite food. I saw it as soon as we walked into the house.

The story was that she had to go potty while we were measuring the dog house that we will be converting to the chicken coop. So I sent her into the house, with strict instructions to go potty and come RIGHT. BACK. So, time passes. I measure the doghouse, I go back into mom and dad's and she comes running out of the living room. I say "What are you doing, did you go potty?" and I can see by the look on her face that she had been caught red handed doing SOMETHING and that she had not gone potty at all. I said "You had better go now before you pee your pants!" and she said "Mom I was just looking for that little tea set so I could play it..." and I knew right away that she was looking for the tiny china tea set that I had bought at the Amish Furniture store earlier in the week. I had brought it to moms and that's where I opened it and let her play tea party with the bunnies. It was funny because she apparently thought it was grandma's and that It was at grandma's house and she was searching for it in the living room. So, off she went to potty, and came right back, and we left. Then we were at GREAT grandpa's outside and when we left there she said "I left my ring at Grandma Deb's!! It's in the bathroom" so we went BACK to grandma deb's (right next door, don't panic) and we went in together and I saw the mouse trap. I said "go up and get your ring and come right back" and I went to the basement and heard her come back down. She called for me and I said "Stay RIGHT THERE (at the top of the steps) and I will be up in one second." I heard "Okay Mom." and then I said "RIGHT. THERE. Ardyn" and two seconds later I heard a scream and I knew right away what she had done. I just knew it. Silly girl. Well, now she knows what a real mouse trap is. We use sticky boards at home because of the kids and the dog. Well, and because I can't set a mouse trap :) and I don't want to have to empty and salvage a mouse trap.

After the mouse trap debacle, we took turns sitting in Grandpa Dave's tractor (the 1086) and then we went to Princeton so that we could pick up our book order and take Ardyn to dance. Marek and I got a lot done during dance, picking up the book order and then dropping school pics off to Great Grandma, and also going to a few stores in search of some graph paper. After dance we came home and I cleaned out the chick's brooder.

I can't believe how much they have grown in the two days we have had them! It's amazing. Their little heads are now peeking over the edges of the baby pool and today one jumped up on the edge of the pool when I was cleaning it out. Tomorrow Evan will bring home the stock tank to put them in as they are now able to escape. Hopefully they just stay put tonight, I think they will because they will just sleep under the light. I am also impressed with how much they have eaten and drank in 24 hours. A decent amount! They really are growing. They now have wings! I know that sounds silly, but when born they are just all fluffy and soft and now their fluff is starting to come out and their wing feathers are all coming in. It's quite impressive. Pretty soon they will go through their "ugly duckling" phase, so I am trying to enjoy the soft fluffy chicks while I still can. I don't know how I will wait until they are all soft and fully feathered. Buffs are really full and fluffy birds, and are classified as a heavy bird, weighing about 8 pounds. And they are good for cold climates and lay eggs year round. This is what a grown Buff Orpington looks like :)

Tonight I went to mom and dad's and drew out the plans for the chicken coop conversion and for the run. There were a few compromises that I had to make, which I realized after the measurements that I took this afternoon, but overall I LOVE the design and am super excited about it. It took some convincing for dad (which I am sure is not over) because to him, of course, the dog house is "just find how it is" and really doesn't need much of anything. I, however, Can't wait to tear off the boring vinyl siding and paint it barn red, and add a green steel roof, and the external nest box and a sliding coop door, and barn doors for cleanout. Yep. When I showed dad my drawings he was surprised, but I think we are at least on the same page now and he has stopped telling me to just set the house on cinder blocks and "voila." (although dad has probably never said Voila in his life)

I am in bed... but should totally go get those drawings and take a picture of them to show you. *sigh*

Can we please wait till tomorrow? No? okay, fine... hang on....

Chillin with my Peeps

Chickens. On the Brain. That's the only way to describe us. I thought that when I got the idea to get chickens, I would be the only one (well, besides the kids) that would not laugh hysterically at the idea... or shake their heads disapprovingly. When I first told Evan that I wanted a chicken (it started with just one) He was not only open to the idea, but he seemed to encourage the idea. I wasn't sure if it was just because he didn't want me to launch into debating convincing fact-providing Meagan mode, or if he really truly thought it was a good idea. In the next day or so, the excitement with which he researched online with me was proof that he really DID want to have chickens.

I have never had chickens. When I was in high school, we moved the chicken shed (an old and very cool shed that used to house feed and chickens at different stages in it's life) from my great grandparents house on the farm, to our house on the farm. I was entirely excited. It was going to eventually be converted. I wasn't sure if I would do chickens, but was excited about possibly pheasants or quail or something that I could raise and release into the wild. I saw an animal related project, another FFA Project... I was entirely excited. I guess at the time I didn't see that my dad must have been excited too, because he moved the building for me without much prompting. At the time I probably meant that HE didn't want me to launch into debating convincing fact-providing Meagan mode, but I should have taken into account that as a child, he was raised around chickens. He had a pet chicken on a leash. He had animals all around him, thanks in part to his amazing grandpa, and his dad (my grandpa.) He had a goat looking into his bedroom window in the morning, from the garage roof. He had a pony. He had chickens. He had cows. He had pretty much any animal that they wanted to raise. I have to believe that there is something about animal lovers that just might be genetic. (I know that someone is laughing) But I have always loved animals. I have wanted to raise them, nurse them, care for them (and eat some of them) regardless of whatever stumbling blocks might have supposedly been in my way.

Growing up, no matter what animal I wanted, no matter what reason that I was given that it just couldn't happen, I would try to find a way. The only animal that I was absolutely forbidden to have, was a cat. This is probably a big reason why I am not a cat person. But my dad would never ever give on cats. And I think we knew that, but when we were young, I know we still harassed him about cats.

I am not really sure that I actually asked permission for some of my animals. Okay, for most of them. I know for a fact that I was occasionally told no.... but did it anyway. That's kinda my style. As a parent that must have been insanely annoying. But I did bring home a rabbit from school when it let out for the summer my senior year. And it was a mean rabbit. Like a wild one that we bred in class. But it needed a home and it was cute and small at first. Then it got mean and it bit and it clawed the shit out of me on a regular basis till it got to the point where I didn't have much enjoyment from it anymore. Eventually it got some type of tumor or growth on it's chest that just kept growing and eventually it got so that I could lay it in a small cardboard box and it wouldn't even try to get out. Not because it was well-behaved, but because it wasn't healthy. It was devastating and relieving at the same time... to know that the rabbit's time had come. I remember one day I left for school/work. I told dad that I was leaving the rabbit in a cardboard box on the front step and that I knew it was very sick. I told him that I hoped that it would be gone when I got home, and that I didn't want to know if it hopped into the wild or if my dad ended it's suffering. I still don't know to this day. Dad was good like that :)

Lots of animals have lived in that rabbit hutch since then.

And I had cows. A gentle, cud-chewing, pacifist mamma cow named Geraldine who I raised from a bucket calf that I bought at the sale barn, right up until the day she got on the truck to go back to the sale barn after her calving years were over. She was tame as can be and I walked her around with a halter on and my beef cattle records won me a section FFA Award for Beef Proficiency. And her first calf was named Rowdy, after it promptly head butted my dad when we tried to rope him after birth... and gave dad a serious black eye. I remember not thinking that cow would see his next day of life that moment.

And then there were all our dogs. We had bad luck with dogs. Beagles. LOTS of beagles. Beagles that got sick and beagles that got hit by hay mowers and beagles that got stolen. We were attached to LOTS of beagles. We love beagles. And one mean black poodle that we took off someone's hands when they were moving and it needed a home. Then right back to beagles. Eventually I wanted my own beagle and so despite dad's answer of NO I bought Boyd for $50 from my husband's cousin back in 1997. And he will be FOURTEEN this May! And salamanders. OH did I have salamanders! I would catch them on the road, and dad would find them, and I kept them in a muddy aquarium in the garage with slimy leaves and things in there. I loved those things. I think dad loved them too.

And I had fish in my bedroom and little crabs in the water that jumped out and I found like MONTHS later all dried up on the floor. When I was really little (4 or 5?) I had a fish named... Molly? I know that was our first bucket calf's name... but I think it was the fish's name too? It was in a goldfish bowl in the living room and one day the fish was gone and mom said she grilled me over and over about what I did with the fish, and even tried telling me I wouldn't get into trouble if I would just please tell her where the fish went. I swore up and down that I had no idea and then a while after that, she pulled out the couch to vacuum and we found the petrified fish behind the couch. She said It must have jumped out of the bowl and that then she felt bad for accusing me and drilling me for info on the missing fish when I truly did not know where it was.

Unfortunately my first attempt to have chickens or quail or pheasants never came to light, because a bad storm came through that spawned tornadoes in our area, and it sheared off pine trees in the backyard and flipped that little chicken coop right over and did enough damage that we deemed it fit for the burn pile. There are pictures of that somewhere. I was sad.

I never thought that 15 years later I would be sitting in my own house with 6 baby chicks in my basement. They are so wonderful. I love everything about them. I think I was always dissuaded from liking chickens because I was always told they poop too much and they are filthy and loud and smelly and that they peck at you and eat your plants and kill your grass.

The day that Marek and I stumbled upon the new chicks at TSC, I didn't really think about having chickens. I thought about having chickens "someday." You know, "someday" when I get to live on a farm again. "Someday" when the kids need a pet project. But for some reason those darn chicks nagged at me all day. By early afternoon I had already decided that I could have just ONE chicken. Right? I had been googling and reading and seeing things about backyard chickens... and my research rapidly expanded and continually came up with encouraging, positive, happy chicken owners. Even in CITIES. Not in villages like we live in... in CITIES. Houston. Seattle. Chicago. Really.

We set out to find out about out local ordinances (clear!) and then to find out what we would need to provide (doable!) and then to choose a breed. As soon as I opened a magazine, I saw a Buff Orpington and instantly was in love. Beautiful, fluffy, soft hens. They looked like everything a hen should be! Plump and soft and mothering. But I thought right away that those pretty chickens probably couldn't live in Illinois. The more I researched, the more pleasantly surprised I was. They were recommended for city and town dwelling. Tame and Quiet. Docile and good with pets and children. Great Egg Layers and Meat Birds. Beautiful Fluffy Plumage that keeps them nice and warm in very cold climates. The list of positives just went on and on. Heavy birds so they don't fly (bonus!) The problem would just be finding them.

I went through lots of online hatcheries, discovering that most required a minimum order of 15-25 chicks. I only wanted 1. Then a friend had told me that was really not a good idea, because one chicken won't live long without some companionship. So then I thought... well 2. Then it became three. But there was no way I could take care of more than 2-3 hens in this little yard. I wanted the chickens to be able to free range in the front yard when we were home during the day, and be outside with the kids when we played. I wanted to provide them with a small but adequate coop with a small run they could use when they couldn't free range. But there was just no way I could even raise 25 chicks... I just don't have the space! Then I found a place that lets you buy 5... but 5 chicks were going to be insanely inflated because the shipping cost of that small number was higher than for a whole lot of them. It would cost me MORE to have 5 chicks shipped than to have the same breed shipped in a lot of 15-25 chicks. What? $46 for 5 Buff Orpingtons. I set out to find a hatchery "locally" that would have chicks or even eggs I could incubate if I had to.

The most local I could find was almost 2 hours away, in Miller Iowa. I made plans to potentially drive there, sent the hatchery an email, and they didn't respond. As impatient as I am, the very day after this chicken idea popped into my head, I decided to call TSC Back and just check to see which bird breeds they were carrying. I was sure there wouldn't be Buffs there, but I was curious and thought maybe they could give me an idea of where I could go. The lady at the store ran through the entire list of chicks and ducks they had, and then said "Oh, and there is our feature chick too... let's see. What are those called? *rustling of papers* Buff something..."

I nearly jumped through the phone at her "Buff Orpingtons?!?!?! Are they Buff Orpingtons?!?!" Well, she said "that might be it." and I thought I was going to have to reach through the phone and say "For Gods sake woman, Go look!" She still couldn't pronounce the name, but I spelled it out for her and she said "yep, that's our feature chick" and then I asked how many they had and how much they were and asked them to hold 6 for me at $1.99 each. Yep. Six chicks for $12. I did only want three, but there is the issue that these are straight run chicks, which means they aren't sexed, which means that there might be a rooster (or 6, hopefully not) in my lot... and I don't plan on keeping a rooster...

If I ordered online I could have gotten pullets (female chickens under a year old) but I wasn't paying $46 for 5 chicks. Plus there is a minimum quantity of 6 chicks from TSC, and you have to order in multiples of 6. I suppose this is so they don't have someone just take ONE home as a pet and also because they won't be left with just ONE or TWO at the end of the season. I wonder if chicks go on clearance? LOL.

So they were holding the chicks and The kids and I feverishly got dressed and Evan looked at me and said "Now, you can't just go buy those chicks without having everything you need all set up for them." (really, I could tell that he knew that's exactly what I was about to do, and he knew exactly that I would make it work, but he wasn't prepared to let me do that) and so I put the kids in the van, we drive to the farm and got our baby pool (good ol turtle) out of the bottom shed and then drove to MY parents for a light, gathered the wood chip bedding that I had in the basement already, cleared a space for them, plugged in our light and then hopped right back in the van to drive to TSC to get the chicks, some starter feed, and a waterer and feeder.

So, 24 hours after I saw the chicks for the very first time with Marek, with no idea or thought of having chickens in my near future, I was already on my way to pick up 6 baby chicks. If you haven't noticed already, this is how I operate. Most people probably think that I jump into things without thinking them through, and that I am impulsive and silly. But I have to say, it's quite the opposite. In fact, I might just be one of the quickest researchers I know. The night after I saw the chicks the first time, I had already spread out a pile of about 25 hobby farm and homesteading/natural living magazines (which I already owned of course) and had read every chicken related article in every single one of them (and there were plenty) Then I got out my sustainable living book and read about every type of poultry or fowl and how to raise, care for, and shelter them. Then I read how to process them and store the meat and eggs. Then I googled and spent hours researching breeds and looking at coops and reading about backyard chickens.

The next day the kids and I talked about chickens like crazy. Evan too. We are already in a great little routine of checking on the chicks a few times a day, and today I cleaned their bedding and replaced it, and the same with their water... and also checked their food and removed any debris. They like to be held and softly petted (especially on the chest) and are nestled all snug. They lay sleeping and we like to sneak down and catch them all laying flat with their eyes closed. Evan and I both commented that the first time we saw them sleeping like that we thought they had all died. LOL. So far, it's been more than 24 hours and we still have all 6. I sure hope we can keep them healthy and safe, but I know realistically (because a hundred people have reminded me) that chicks do get sick and die, or predators get them, etc etc.

So now I have been all crazy researching pens and coops and on all the backyard chicken websites looking at photos and specs and ideas... and at things that the coop owners or builders would do differently. I have a sided and shingled wood doghouse that we are planning to convert to a little coop. I have decided that I want the coop to look like a miniature barn or cottage. I would love to have a miniature barn, red with white trim. I would REALLY love to have a cupola on top for venting with a miniature rooster weather vane (believe me, I have already looked into all of this!) But I realistically know that perhaps my helpers won't be as excited about barn details as I am, and if this is the case I am going to rally my cause for a cottage looking coop with a windowbox... maybe yellow with white trim or even a pretty blue or green. My luck it will look like a dog house that got attacked by chicken wire :)

So, that's the story. Well, someone is coughing in their bed, so I had better wrap this up. I will leave you with a couple of images that might make you smile :)

Top: Chicks Huddled together sleeping right after they got home. 2nd Row from Left: Ardyn helping pack the chicks up at the store, kids and daddy checking the temperature in the brooder, Ardyn listening for the peep peeping in the checkout line. 3rd row from left: chick close up in my hand, Marek is so excited about the chicks!

These pics are currently serving as my coop inspiration. They were generously shared at backyardchickens.com by other chicken owners.

I would really like mine to have a compartment that is latchable, perhaps under the coop, where I can store a sealed plastic containers or buckets of food, grit, etc with the food scoops. Then I don't have to find a place "elsewhere" when I can just have the supplies on hand right there. I also want to make a slatted floor that is ABOVE a solid floor, with a space between that will fit a plastic tray, like you can buy at the farm supply stores, just like the kennel trays that are in dog kennels. I would then make a small door that I can open from the outside, and slide the tray and dirty bedding out to dump or scoop, and then freshen. The plastic tray could also be cleaned/scrubbed/pressure washed whenever necessary. I choose a slotted floor over a wire floor because the specific breed I have chosen is a heavier breed and can be prone to foot problems if not on a slatted or solid floor. They don't do well with wire flooring in their coops. I think it would be nice if the house were on stilts, but I honestly don't think I want it too high off the ground. Just perhaps 2-3 feet. I want the kids to be able to see inside and help collect eggs and care for the chickens too, and I don't want it to be toooo tall and obviously glaring above the fence in the yard... plus that wouldn't block the porch windows in the location we have in mind.

I want an externally added on nest box, and I am thinking just one, but perhaps two just to be safe. I am considering that the nest boxes themselves be removeable and just nest perfectly inside the "addition" and the roof of the nesting addition be hinged for easy access and removal of the nesting boxes. I would also like a lightweight roof, instead of a shingled one. I have considered tin, or perhaps even that corrugated looking plastic that mimics tin. I have seen one coop that used the clear corrugated plastic in the roof, which allowed lots of natural light into the coop. This could be good and bad in summer heat.... so not sure about that just yet. Tin roof seems to be lightweight, sturdy, and logical. The lighter roof would allow for removal of the roof for cleaning, maintenance, and additions to the coop.

I am currently undecided on the floor of the small run. Some people have solid wood. Some people have wire bottoms. I could do slatted wood, but there would still need to be something to stop digging predators. Unsure about this. The solid floor is nice because there is a definite bottom to the coop... but at the same time, it isn't necessarily easier to clean, and I have seen dust baths with play sand done either way. Oh the decisions!

A Great Day and the Learning Curve Red Barn Dilemna

The dog and both kids are sleeping. I thought about napping, but a nap starting at 5pm probably isn't in my bestest interest. probably. Plus I had a few things to take care of.

Today was a really great day. I started the morning with getting myself and the kids all dressed, and then I left the kids with daddy and went to pick up Courtney. I wanted to take her to Tampico to the Country Lane Market and Shady Acres Grocery. We ate lunch at R&B's (Former dutch diner) and visited with Jeff Hinton while taking the full house and barn tour. I almost died when Courtney said "I've never been in a barn before." WHY does she not tell me these things? I feel like I have been purposely depriving her. What a horrible friend I am.

The Amish run stores were even better then the last times I visited them. This time Courtney and I bought 100 lbs of rolled oats. Yep. You heard right. And we are splitting a 50 lb bag of white winter wheat, which we intend to grind into own fresh wheat flour. (raise the roof, that's right!)

I actually hugged the bag once, before Hans took it out of my van. Just in case it would be a few days till I saw it again. They have lots of soup base mixes now, so for about $7-9 you can buy a big container of dry soup mix. You then add a few fresh ingredients (if you so choose) like peas, meat, broccoli, etc. and about 1/2-1 cup of the soup mix, and have a hearty delicious soup. Can't wait to try them. There were so many things there that I just WANTED to try, but had no idea what to do with them. Like DARK Brown sugar. Besides wanting to roll around naked in it, I figured there must be something more productive that I could do with it. It just looks so pretty! Crystalline and Dark! I NNNEEeEEeD a reason to NeeeEEEd some.

The Grocery Store itself was also much expanded as far as what they are carrying. Courtney and I got stuck in the Book section for what might very well have been HOURS!!! They had an entire aisle (a large and long aisle) of books. Homeschooling books, Christian books, oh my. some really cute and nice little toys too. They even had Melissa and Doug toys. My favorite was a wooden barn that I know Marek would LOVE LOVE LOVE but It was $49 and I just could NOT do that. But then I came home and looked online and it is $65! WHAT?! So now I want to drive back over and get it for him. His birthday is next week.... *sigh*

If I had any cell phone service there I could have looked it up online and decided while I was still there. Oh well. I guess I will have to go back this week. Don't anyone rush over there and buy it and make me cry.

But the more I thought about it, the more I thought of the previous Learning Curve Barn that I asked Grandma to buy, that ended up being a piece of junk, and this hesitated my purchase enough to make me think about it. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Although I have been happy with almost every Learning Curve product we have (and we have MANY) that I just didn't feel right about their product after that darn barn. So I sent the company an email that went something like this:

Hi there. I am writing regarding the plastic John Deere Big Red Barn Playset, with the barn that folds and the hayloft that attaches inside. I asked grandma to purchase this as a gift for my children, and when we received it, I was so incredibly disappointed in the quality of the barn. I thought perhaps that it was a learning curve (no pun intended) that I needed to get around in order to operate it. Both my husband and myself, and everyone at the party tried to get this barn to work properly. We are still extremely dis-satisfied with the barn. For a while we put it up thinking that our 3.5 and 2 year olds just weren't old enough for it. But when we did bring it down, they would have the whole thing falling apart and bringing the pieces to us within minutes. The doors don't stay on, the roof won't close properly, and the hayloft we are ready to throw away completely. If two 30+ year old parents can't work the barn, how can you expect a child to enjoy and not be frustrated by this toy? I also read the reviews on Amazon and quickly concluded that this was not a one-time "bad day at the factory" incident. This barn is not properly made. We have owned and spent money on a great deal of learning curve children's toys, including Thomas Wooden Railway (we have an entire train setup) and Lamaze Infant Products, including crib toys, stuffed learning animals, and the Lamaze Spin and Explore Garden Gym.

This is only the second product that we have been unhappy with (The first was the Garden Gym, which I never said much about.) Today I almost purchased the $60 Wooden Big Red Machine Shed and when I realized it was a Learning Curve Toy, I hesitated. This was the moment that I realized I should write you about the playset. Before purchasing the big red barn or machine shed (the wooden ones) I was wondering if we sent you back the original Learning Curve barn that we bought, if I could perhaps get some money off the purchase of a more expensive, more sturdy barn. I would love to have a coupon or something, because it seems silly to purchase a product that clearly has a problem, spend $35 on it, and then reinvest in a similar product from the same company. Please respond and let me know. We have a Birthday Party April 3rd and I would like to pick a new barn for my son as soon as possible so that we can have it assembled and ready for a gift at his party. Thanks!

Meagan Johnson
Loyal Learning Curve/Lamaze Toy Brand Customer of 3.5 years

So. That's that. Now we wait to see what Learning Curve says. Poor Marek always wants his tractors in the barn. He loves barns. He LOVES Tractors. But we all hate that darn Big Red Barn because it is essentially just PIECES of a barn that don't function.

Wonderful Day

What a wonderful beautiful day! Yay for spring weather! I am writing this post from MIL's iPad. She dropped it off and asked me to do a couple of things to it, and i am getting the feel of it. I love it of course, except the auto correct (which I would have to turn off. I am surprised that I am liking the on screen keyboard as much as I am. I can say, however, that I seriously miss the keypad on the righthand side.... I suppose there should be a way to choose a custom keyboard, right??? And what about shift lock?

Is there the ability to have more than one user? Oh the things to figure out.

So this vertigo is bothersome, but not yet completely kicking my ass. I have been doing the exercises when it becomes overwhelming, and am able to manage okay. I have a prescription for Dramamine II. I haven't taken any yet because I am pretty sure it is gonna knock my ass out. Today the kids and i worked in the yard. Basically ignoring the total chaos and turmoil that is inside the house! I spent the morning raking the yard, and then the rake (new last year) snapped in half. The wood handle just snapped clean through. Strange! So i proceeded to sweeping off the patio and sidewalks, clearing the garden off, putting the hose on the sink/reel, and then organizing. I assembled the wheeled deck box that Evan and I bought for our anniversary last August, and put it out front as well. I cleared off last year's growth from the perennials inside the fence and then was feeling worn out so we went to town to get a new rake and pick up my new dramamine prescription. Then we came home and took the cover off the sandbox and I finished raking and picking up the yard.

Grandpa and grandma came to take Ardyn to dance class and Marek and I went to stuff as many outside toys as we could into the back of the van. We got both cozy coupes, the hippo seesaw, one tricycle, the shopping cart, the bubble mower, and the toddler swing. Marek was thrilled! We came. Home again and Marek played with the toys outside while I picked up leaves into trash bags. Evan came home and helped and I was so relieved because I had been doing all this alone today and bending over to pick up leaves repeatedly and then standing. Up again was making me really dizzy and nauseous. We ran to town for supper with Marek. It was nice. He had a lot to say tonight without Ardyn around!

Yesterday when we were at the park swinging, Ardyn got a big smile and looked up at the sky and said "God is so happy to see me today mom! He's smiling down at me with the sunshine!" awwww. Then today she was peeling green moss off the ground in the yard, and sitting in on the seat of the swing. Then she would push the moss on the swing, really high, and it would fall off and she would do it all over again. I asked her what she was doing, and she said I am pushing this moss really high on the swing, trying to send it flying up to God!" wow. I said "but God made that moss here on earth for us, why do you ink he would want it back?" she pondered and decided to keep it here.

Then tonight, On the way home from supper, Marek was singing in the van to himself. This is the first time I have heard him sing. He was singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" but he would sing "Twinkle twinkle little star of Jesus." lol. Tonight when i rocked him to sleep he. Said "sing Jesus mommy!" too cute that kid! Both of them actually.

Well, I am gonna catch some Z's and avoid vertigo tonight :) hope you enjoyed these past two days of great weather here in IL or elsewhere! The strawberries are already growing nicely here in the garden!

Ardyn's quote of the day "I just pooped a poop that looked just like the body of a children!!!"

A Letter from Dr James Dobson in my mailbox??

I received a letter this week (on paper, via mail) signed from Dr. James Dobson, and Focus on the Family. I was just able to read it, and was very unsettled- wait... ANGRY. Particularly by his suggestion that we should shield our daughters from cultural influences that will encourage them to come home with piercings, hair dyed green, orange, purple, and pink, and *gasp* become lesbians. This is the most ridiculous and offensive assumption. I could go ON and ON. Seriously? The letter starts by talking about issues with child pornography, two 7 year olds in California who were naked in the classroom with the teacher present... (which is horrifying) and then discusses the new MTV Series SKINS (which I am really not interested in.... am mildly sickened by, and also recognize that it's on CABLE and not on "regular" broadcast TV... I don't let my children watch MTV... so.....) and then proceeds to place same sex relationships and piercings at a similar level? My respect for this man has just dropped. By at least 50%.

I wish he was focusing more on ways to make our children confident and loving, and teach them morals that we hope will carry them through their lifetimes.... As a mother, will I be more effective spending my time on my own children, and preparing them for what is out there in this world, and empowering them to make educated and responsible decisions no matter what others are doing.... or more effective sending money to Dr. James Dobson and attacking lesbians? Seriously?

I was also particularly disgusted by his mention (which he is quoting from his newest book "Bringing Up Girls" which I had considered purchasing- emphasis on HAD!!!!) that our girls could become "brash, loud, and aggressive in their relationships with males." Versus what? Meek and submissive? Oh yes. Don't teach your daughters to speak their minds, stand up for themselves, or ask for equal rights and treatment. That would bad! And he goes on further to say "Is it your desire that they imitate rogue masculine behavior, such as being quick-tempered, immodest, insensitive, and disrespectful to others? Do you want them to be foulmouthed, cruel, rude, profane and discourteous?" He continues to say that popular culture will take care of these things for us, corrupting our "vulnerable little girls."

I am sure that everyone knows that boys and girls are different, and that girls can be sweet in certain ways while boys can be more agressive and rambunctious. But to assert that society is doing our girls a disservice by making them loud and aggressive, really really irks me. The last thing I will do is raise my daughter to be meek and submissive towards men... I'd rather her be a pierced, tattooed, independent woman who is true to herself and others.... I'd rather her be a *gasp* lesbian. I'd rather her be open-minded, caring, and accepting of all people.... than closed-minded, meek, and judgmental, and in an unhappy marriage.

I have heard Dr. James Dobson and Focus on the Family say many things and give several pieces of advice that I believe it, but this time I have heard, unquestionably, things that absolutely disgust and offend me. Judgments that I (and many other parents) work very diligently to prevent our children from passing. Not to mention protect them from being the judged in their future lives.

This letter gave me a sneak peek into exactly what propaganda Dr. Dobson uses to sell his books. It was almost like I was given an "inside look" at a very politically incorrect side of Focus on the Family. Which has no place in my family.

When he mentioned that he wants to help us raise God-fearing children, I actually laughed out loud.

This letter was included with my card and a pre-addressed envelope for me to send my donation back to help support this campaign. Right.

Ah Sears. You top yourself in service, yet again! (not!)

Remember my dishwasher? Remember the ENTIRELY annoying and ongoing debacle with Sears, and getting them to recognize the problems that we had with the dishwasher, and getting them to honor the purchased extended warranty? Yeah. Me too.

Information UPDATE 02.18.2010: Had Dishwasher Issues and called 8004myhome on February 18, 2011

Was told that the dishwasher was out of warranty. Was transferred to Warranty department who told me the same thing. Luckily I kept my documentation (above) and knew that I had purchased an extended warranty that expired on August 7^th, 2011. They had no record of that purchase (WTF?!) and I had to dig to find my salescheck # (my original receipt from 2008!) which I luckily had and was able to quote to them and prove that I have warranty. The dishwasher was replaced in January of 2010. And is covered until August 7^th, 2011. Then I was transferred back to the department who can schedule a repair appointment. I was also promised that this would be fixed in the computer and also I would be emailed my agreement information as proof for future transactions.