That's quacktastic!

Out here in the "Country" we get plenty of visitors.  The human variety do come around once in a while, but we see all kinds of different animals and critters pretty much every day.

I enjoy the birds quite a bit.  Our house backs up to a preserve so we get an amazing variety of birds. Ella loves stocking her bird feeder.  As you can see, the local raccoon likes to help herself to the bird food also.   

My favorite visitors though, are these guys.

They showed up in our yard one day a couple of weeks ago.  I went outside with some bread and the male one immediately starting squawking and then they both backed away.  I left the bread out for them and when I went back into the house, they came back and got their snack.

The next day they came back and this time the girls were home.  We went out with the bread again and the ducks backed off again, returning when we went in the house.

They quickly learned that a visit to our back yard would result in them being fed, so they visit us every single day.  After about a week we named them Fred and Ginger.

Ginger has become a little bit more bold now.  She will actually walk up onto the patio and she looks in the glass door.  It's as if she's saying "Hellooo, I'm here.  Do you have my bread?"  Fred is a little more cautious.  He comes a little closer now, but still likes to keep his eye on things.   If Ginger comes too close to us, he starts squawking until she backs up.

They will usually eat and wonder around the yard a little.  Sometimes they will nap under one of the trees.  Then when they are ready they will waddle on out back into the preserve.  I assume they have a nest in the area somewhere.

They now have their own water bowl and another bowl that we put seed in.  

(After all, ducks cannot live on bread alone!)

I actually worry about them if I don't see them for a certain period of time.  And we've had to increase the bread budget a bit, but I love their daily visits - they make me smile.

They're just.........quacktastic!! 

Managing little girl's hair

Ella has super long hair.  We are always trying new ways to keep in nice an neat.  And untangled!

My sister has two little girls.  My sister is not, and has never been, a very girlie girl, so her husband does the girls hair. So this if for you Beau....

Horses and Penguins

A story about Horses and Penguins.....as told by Ella

Hi Mr. Penguin.  What are you doing Mr. Horse?

Most creatures live in water and snow.  Some live in grass or barns.  Farmers live in houses.

Independent penguins live underground.  Independent horses protect their babies from other creatures.

This is a penguins fin.  This is a horses hoof.  They are very strong.  One is used for swimming.  One is used for running.

Bye Mr. Penguin.   Bye Mr. Horse.

Ugh! and Oooh!

Finally ventured out the house today.

Started out normalish.  Woke up at the crack of dawn with Riley.  I had a splitting headache which I attribute to lack of sleep and sinus problems.  Riley got off to school, and it was time to get the girls ready.  I am NOT a morning person, and today I couldn't have my usual breakfast of a can of coke cause I had to fast for a blood test.

Girls got off to school, I tidied up the house to kill time while all the school buses were still running, and then headed out to the lab.  Had my blood drawn (no big deal) and sat in the car for a few minutes and ate a Poptart and drank a coke. 

Started driving towards to the mall and after a few minutes noticed that my arm was really hurting.  Then I started feeling dizzy and nauseous.  Perhaps from the blood draw?  Or the massive influx of sugar from my "breakfast"?  Whatever was causing it, I was convinced I might toss my cookies in my car and I started to feel rather panicked.  Next thing you know someone is laying on the horn because I am driving like an idiot and almost got myself into a car accident.  Nothing like a little adrenaline to help with that projectile vomiting feeling!

Once again, I sat in my car for a little while till my heart beat calmed down a little, and then headed into Joann's Fabric store.  Let me just say, I have never seen a fabric store this big in my whole life!!  It was like a mega fabric store combined with a Michaels.  I was wondering around aimlessly not even knowing what to do with myself.  Talk about kid in a candy store!  And......they apparently love coupons.  And they let you stack coupons.  And they even take coupons from Michaels and Hobby Lobby.  The cashier literally had my phone in her hand downloading competitors apps so I could use their coupons too!!!

Went into Old Navy cause it was next door.  Wondered around aimlessly until one of the staff there came and asked me if I needed anything.

 

Went over to Costco.  We have a Sam's membership, but it is a 45 minute drive from our house and not next to a magical multi coupon stacking fabric store.  Wondered around in there for a while to see what kind of stuff they have and is it worth springing for a membership.   $55 to join.  Still have six months on Sam's membership :(

Decided to head back towards home with a quick detour to the grocery store for necessities.  Wondered around there aimlessly wondering what to feed my family.

Came home.  Ate some real food frozen pizza.  Noticed hard drive I ordered arrived, so decided to swap it out.  Installed it, laptop reads it just fine.  Success!    Or so I thought.  Operating system doesn't want to install properly and Laptop appears to be overheating and shutting itself down.  Probably fried the first hard drive!  Looked up a possible fix online.  One guy said he was having the same problem so he placed his laptop in the fridge while the install finished.  Well the Laptop is still not fixed but I at least I got a laugh out of the fridge guy.

So now I am sitting here, aimlessly typing.  Boring anyone who might possibly be reading.

I think an early night is in order.  Nope.....Riley needs help with homework.  Last minute of course.  Oh well, tomorrow is a new day!

 

1st Day of School

The kids started their new schools last week.   We were all feeling a little anxious.  Since we had lived in our previous house for 12 years, this is the first time the kids have ever gone to a new school outside of their familiar school district.

Riley is now in 8th grade.  His last year of middle school :(

Which means next year, he will go to a new school again.

Ciara is in 5th grade which is the last year of Elementary School here.  

(So new school next year for her too!)

Ella started 1st grade.

The girls are riding the bus to school for the first time.

Check out the insane amount of school supplies Riley has!

This doesn't even include the workbooks that we had to buy and pick up the weekend before school started.  All of this, as well as his textbooks has to fit in a half size locker! 

All in all they had a great first week!

Ella loves riding the bus to school and adores her teacher Ms. D  

She is going to be starting ballet in a few weeks.

Ciara is adjusting well to being in such a large school.  Her teacher Mr. R is very nice.  

She is working on the Yearbook Staff and will soon be starting a Pottery Class.  She is wonderful at taking care of Ella, making sure she gets off the bus and to class okay.  It's very comforting to me to know that they have each other.

Riley always seems to go with the flow.  He has a pretty full workload at school.  He is taking three AP classes, a Technical class that will earn him a Microsoft certification and an Honors Math class.  He is working to finish up his Eagle Scout.

Memorial Day

Mom has actually been feeling a little better the past two weeks.  She has been driving a little - a quick trip to the store and back.  She hardly ever coughs or wheezes.  She has a little more energy and her color looks good.  

I invited her to come out to our Church picnic and she and Charles met us at the park.

She looked super cute in her hat don't you think?

Check out my girlies...

Ella's summer fare.  Fruit with fruit on the side.

Usually not much of a meatasauros, but who can pass up a delicious burger

cooked by your bishop who just happens to work for Hardees?

Chemo - Cycle 3

This week, mom started Cycle 3 of Chemotherapy.  We didn't start on a Monday as usual because it was a holiday here (Memorial Day)  Tuesday was her long day.  We got to the center at 9am and didn't leave till about 2 pm. 

Tuesday was the first time using the new access Port.  It looks great and seems to be healing just fine, but it had not been quite two weeks from the surgery and as you can probably imagine, still a little tender.  Mom was a little nervous to be jabbed with a needle in the chest.   The nurse showed up with her medications that they give her before chemo (fluids, steroids etc) and a massive looking needle.  Because there is still some swelling, she was having some trouble locating where the entry point to the port was.  She stuck her twice without success.

At this point, mom started getting even more anxious.  Especially since one of the main "selling points" of the Port was that she wasn't going to have to be repeatedly jabbed over and over again.  She started to look a little pale and sick to her stomach, so the nurse reclined her chair and gave her a minute to relax.

A second nurse came over.  This one is apparently very experienced with Access Ports.  She got the needle in with the first attempt.  She did mention that she thought next time, they should use a longer needle.  A one and half inch.  (Gasp!  Those suckers are pretty thick too)

So sigh of relief and the drugs start dripping.  Next thing you know, the nurse walks by and says "Oh oh.  Looks like you stopped dripping.  I was worried that needle wasn't quite long enough"  The look on poor mom's face!!  She thought she was going to have to be jabbed again!  The nurse started checking the connection and the lines and realized there was a kink in the line that was stopping the flow of fluids.  Yea!  No need to stick her again!

A sweet older man sitting in the chair next to her's, was very quiet the whole time.  He was very pleasant, and smiled and at everyone, but he pretty much kept to himself.  He leaned over to mom and said "I was praying to Jesus that there would be an easy fix, and they wouldn't have to stick you again"  I replied to him "Thank you.  Obviously he was listening to you"

Mom was thumbing through some magazines and was looking at different recipes.   This made her hungry for soup.  So I ran over to Olive Garden which is a few minutes away from the hospital and got her soup and breadsticks and a sandwich for me.  Even though we are at Chemotherapy - it was still fun for us to hang out and eat lunch together and chat for hours.  Maybe mom is getting tired of my constant chattering though - she said she was envious of all the people who could just lay back and sleep the whole time!!


Wednesday morning, mom convinced me take out her stitches for her.  The nurse at chemo said they were ready to come out, but the doctor couldn't see her till next Tuesday.  The stitches were driving her crazy, itching and pulling.  The nurse couldn't do it for her because of liability issues since she doesn't work for the doctor, but told me exactly how to do it.  No biggie.  Cut the knots and pull them out with tweezers.  I'm not a doctor, but I play one at home!!

Chemo Wednesday and Thursday went smoothly.  She actually seemed to have less side effects this round.  Other than extreme sleepiness - she could barely keep her eyes open in the car on the way home.

Friday, I picked her up and she said she was feeling out of sorts.  I told her she was entitled to.  She had her Neulasta shot.  All the nurses came up and hugged her and told her they would miss her and good look in Las Vegas.  So round three is officially over.  Halfway done!