Catching Pollywogs

It's Wordless Wednesday!

Busy Days

So, here we are, in the first full week of Summer Vacation. Yay! Now if we only had some warm weather to go with it we could get outside and truly enjoy it.

I feel like I've been slacking in the Blogging Department, so here's a quick run-down of what we've been up to:

Saturday - The first part of our foundation had been poured so Saturday morning we went out and pulled the forms off. This required pulling nails, breaking wire with a claw hammer, and pulling the boards off the actual concrete. We spent three hours swinging those hammers and working away, then piling up the boards we'd pulled off. Then I headed home to shower & get ready to go to work. My poor hands were tore up, blistered and swollen by the time we were done, but I'm not complaining. Our efforts saved us having to pay the contractor $40/hour to do the same work. I was pretty wiped out by the time I got home from work at midnight, but my mind was a bit more at ease. Swinging that hammer and feeling the fruits of a day's honest work has gone a long way towards calming my fears and releasing some tension. Sore muscles and angry blisters will heal and if they contribute to keeping this project affordable, I say BRING IT ON. (Pictures of the progress to follow soon.)

Sunday - Hubby went to do a side job in the morning. The kids and I got ready and headed out to do some last minute Father's Day gift buying for Daddy and Grandpa. Then we had a nice BBQ lunch at my parents' house, along with my sisters, before I had to head to work. The weather was probably the nicest we've seen all year, and I, of course, was stuck inside working.

Monday - Sam started swimming lessons again so we went to those, then I let the kids play for a bit at the park near the pool. We squeezed in a little grocery shopping, then headed home so I could get ready for work yet again. It was a hellacious night at work - insanely busy, stressful, and no chance for a break. Fortunately, the charge nurse had ordered pizza for everyone in honor of a co-worker's birthday so I was able to wolf down a couple slices in between the relentless onslaught. It was a full moon, or darn near, and anyone who doesn't believe a full moon has any effect on things like that, come spend some time in a hospital and just watch what happens. It's been true of every hospital that I've worked in.

Today - Lazed around the house a bit in the morning, then ran to Costco for a few things, which quickly turned into a cart-full. Damn you Costco! The kids and I grabbed some quick lunch, then headed home. After putting all my treasures groceries away, we headed outside. The inside of my minivan was covered in about an inch of dried mud after being out at our property working (in aforementioned mud) and I couldn't take it anymore. So I cleaned it all out, vaccumed it, wiped everything down with disinfectant wipes (hanta virus anyone?), refilled the emergency snack box, organized all the various tools that now reside in my vehicle, restocked the kid supply (clothes, underwear, etc). I evicted R2D2 (aka the Shop Vac) from the van, as I'd been hauling him around for a few days, and used him to blow all the pine needles, twigs and rocks off the driveway. I also managed to do two loads of laundry, clean the kitchen, and change our sheets. This was all before dinner. Hmmm. I'd say my Crack Vitamins are helping.

Did I never tell you about my Crack Vitamins? A few months ago, I picked up some One-A-Day With Energy vitamins, thinking that I could use a little oomph, especially on days after working late. So I started taking them and BOY, did I feel GOOD! Now, if you know me IRL, you know I already tend to be a bit "high energy". I talk fast, I gesture with my hands alot, I can be kinda loud...I'm rather animated most of the time. So these vitamins probably made me look like the crazed, rabid Chipmunk sister of Alvin, but BOY, did I feel GOOD! I was so hopped up on these vitamins that I was having a hard time falling asleep at night - SO not like me. I initially attributed it to just being used to being up later, since I work swing shift. But there were nights that I'd go to bed, toss and turn for an hour and a half, then finally give up and go read on the couch for awhile. I finally started to put two and two together and decided I'd better read the label of these vitamins and find out exactly what was in there. Turns out they have a little bit of caffeine and a nice dose of guarana. Having no clue what guarana was, I Googled it. Yah, it's an herbal stimulant basically. From Brazil. Slightly addictive. Not harmful to you unless taken in large quantities or if you have an existing heart problem. With much sadness, I decided I probably should discontinue taking them so I put them way and went back to my plain ol' boring no-energy vitamins. But they've been calling my name from the cupboard, especially when I'm really dragging. So the last few days, since I've been working all weekend and still kind of physically tired from my labors on Saturday, I busted out the Crack Vitamins. BUT, I've only been taking half a vitamin (they're pretty big). And boy, do I feel good! A half is just perfect for me, and as long as I take it in the morning, I have no problem falling asleep at a decent hour. With our lack of sunshine, my late nights at work, and the stress of this house project, it's nice to have a little pick-me-up and be able to accomplish stuff and be in a good frame of mind. They are amazing little pills and now you know why I call them my Crack Vitamins. LOL

Father's Day 2008

Happy Father's Day Honey!

Thank you for giving me these precious babies and for caring for us all so lovingly and completely. I fell in love with you all over again watching you welcome our babies to the world. The joy and pride radiating off of you as you held your new child was intoxicating and is forever etched in my memory. Your tenderness and wonder in caring for them, even as tiny newborns, only endeared you to me more. I love how you love our babies, how dedicated you are to our family, how hard to work to make our dreams a reality, and how you've embraced parenthood. I couldn't have picked a better Daddy for my kids and I'm so thankful we're on this ride together.

We love you up to the moon and back.

Love,

Kate, Sam & Zoë

Guess Who's Blogging?

My pal Brooke (aka Whitey) has finally caved to the pressure and started a blog! She says it's to chronicle her summer adventures but I know it's really because she wants to be cool like me and throw her life out to the interwebs. I've apparently touted the addictiveness of the blogsphere to her one too many times and now she's been sucked in. If you get a minute, swing by and say hi to her and make her feel welcome! You can find her at http://www.thegatclanchronicles.blogspot.com/.

Brookie & I met almost three years ago thru our local MOMS Club. She had recently become a full-time SAHM and was looking for activities and friends to keep her busy and get her out of the house. When we met, our little ones, Dane and Zoë, were 6 weeks and 3 weeks respectively. As the months went by and we found ourselves at activities together frequently, I grew to admire and appreciate her razor sharp wit, her easy-going manner, generosity, and her overall joie de vivre. We soon discovered we had more in common than just babies the same age.

~We both adore being moms yet sometimes crave our old "freedoms".
~We both love to be on the go.
~We both were a bit wild & crazy in our younger days.
~We both like to dream big and shoot for the stars.
~We both love coffee and baked goods.

~We both have "Martha" tendencies (although I'll admit, she's a much better hostess than I).

~We both need sunshine and warmth and dream of living somewhere tropical.

The list goes on and on, but it all adds up to a really fun and special friendship. Being friends with Brooke is just easy. She makes me laugh, she's always ready to lend an ear, she's honest, she's creative and energetic, and she's comfortable in her own skin. She's a helluva gal and I love her. I know you will too.

I felt the earth move...

It was a rainy Friday when we began excavation. Fortunately, it tapered off after awhile and we were able to get out of the car. Raindrops on our heads should've been the least of my worries, because after an hour or so of tromping around, both kids were covered in mud. It was in this state of dishabille that I delievered Sam to school, having not had the presence of mind to anticipate mud and/or children who are naturally attracted to mud, thereby requiring a change of clean clothing. I might have been a little excited to finally see some dirt moved.

Two days later, on Sunday, we went out to check the progress. Because it'd been so wet and the ground so soft, they'd had to lay a road fabric down first before dumping the gravel. Otherwise, we'd of had to put about two feet of gravel down in order to get the road stable enough to support heavy vehicles, such as a cement truck, which I heard was going to be necessary.

It was a big job, this excavation. All the dirt basically had to be moved twice; once it was dug up, it was dumped, still within the outline of the house due to the limited reach of the trackhoe. Then that dirt had to be moved further away in order to dig out more of the foundation. The next two pictures show the building site partially excavated. I guess they don't work weekends. Must be nice.



As previously mentioned, my children are drawn to dirt like a moth to a flame. Good thing, since we seem to have an abundance of it in our lives lately. The way I figure, it's cheap entertainment and good for the imagination. Throw in some sticks, rocks and leftover lumber pieces and it's a kids paradise.

Since they are soon going to offcially be "country kids", I suppose a healthy love of dirt is a good thing. *sigh* But I fear for the state of my floors already.

Flashback Friday

It's been awhile since I've flashed ya (hardee har har!), so today we're flashing back to June 2006. Zoë was 9 months old and Sam rapidly approaching 4.

Happy Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

These beautiful girls dropped by for a quick visit when we were out inspecting the excavation on Sunday and kindly paused long enough for me to snap a quick picture.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, go here.