Lorihadams-- hi guys...been busy!

[TTs Chicks]

nice job Maddie

4 and 2 are great ages to start the foundation - then as they get older build on that foundation. My older boys - 12 & 15 wash their own clothes and have for several years now, we started with cleaning up their messes and stuff when they were little. I want all 3 of my boys to know how to take care of themselves and their homes when they are grown men.

 

[lorihadams]

I just wanted to share this really quick. My daughter is so pitiful. She just fell asleep ON the dog UNDER the coffee table in the living room.

 

[delia_peterson]

Too Cute!!!!

 

[keljonma]

I guess potty training can be EXHAUSTING!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Nope, never too young to start their training!

 

[FarmerChick]

Hi Lori

Ahh...I feel for you. Selling that boat when it is getting the time that the kids could start to enjoy it....but as we all know, gotta do what you gotta do.

And ouch on the gas. 52 miles one way. I know that is a gas price nightmare for you each week.

Those deer in the freezer will mean alot. I hope you get big 'uns!


Money getting tight here also. Slowly, just slowly for me I am realizing that I am not that good financially each week. Somehow, each little increases in prices are sneaking up and killing me. Thank goodness for the overdraft protection I have, I had 2 checks go over the amt. Only by 1 day I missed the friday paycheck...but I have not done that in years and years. I notice now my money is not going far enough. UGH
Time for me to find cut backs big time.

I am struggling with what to cut out. It is going to be something, just not sure what.

No more camping trips. Can't swing it right now and with holidays coming, clamping down big time.


AND I HEAR YOU on playdoh....I have 4 tubs in the closet hidden from Nicole. Somehow she tears this stuff into tiny weeney pieces and they spread thru the entire room and get everywhere. she makes meatballs and stuff. I have to drag out the vacuum and suck up all that new playdoh. Well she isn't getting those last tubs in the cabinet..LOL...I hate the stuff anymore. I just keep telling her the stores don't have any..they need to make it..HA HA

take care and smile Lori!!!

 

[Beekissed]

Friday

Got up and got busy.....got 4 loads of laundry done and on the line but it is cloudy so it may take a while for it to dry but it is supposed to clear up and be in the 80s today and tomorrow. Swept and mopped the floors, changed all the towels and cleaned up a little, ran the dishwasher for a change. Still need to vacuum but I am taking a break.

Maddie pooped in the potty this morning! We're on our way! It's amazing what a little time and encouragement can do.

I banned all playdoh to the front porch (did I mention I hate playdoh) and my children decided to destroy the front porch with it. It was everywhere. I made both of them pick every bit of it up and put it in the trash and then fixed up a bowl of soapy water and made both of them scrub the front porch until it was brown again. Took about an hour but they got it clean while I hung out the laundry and helped them by pointing out where they needed to scrub.

Do you think ages 4 and 2 are too early to start cracking down? Gotta teach them early, right Bee???

Absolutely! Never too early for accountability. You messed it, you clean it up! Plus...that was one hour spent not destroying something else!

 

[lorihadams]

Sunday

Chad's mom came up Friday afternoon along with his youngest brother, Michael. We had a wonderful visit. I think that for the holidays we are going to stay put and if anyone wants to see us then they will just have to come here. My mom is he** bent on going to the beach and we just can't afford it right now.

On a happier note, we visited Chad's middle brother Preston and got to meet his girlfriend Jen, finally, she is studying to get her masters in social work and is currently working at a boy's and girl's home so we only got to visit with her briefly before she had to go to work for the weekend. She works for 3 entire days and sleeps there and everything. She likes it but it is exhausting work.

Then we went to Friendly's for lunch and then off to Maymont Park in Richmond. We spent 3 1/2 hours at the park and we were pretty well spent by the time we were done. This is a park where they also have animal exhibits, kind of like a zoo but in a park setting. They have all kinds of goats and sheep and their newest exhibits were the Raptor section, had beautiful birds of prey, and a whole exhibit devoted to bald eagles. Most of the animals they have are rehabilitated animals that cannot be re-released into the wild. We saw a beautiful hawk with an injured eye. They also have a pair of bears in a HUGE enclosure with a pond and caves and everything. Its very natural, not like a zoo at all. The park is gorgeous with trees that are hundreds of years old. I'll post pictures of Chad and the kids climbing a huge mulberry tree later.

My favorites were the goats, soooooo sweet. Every time we go somewhere with goats we come away wanting them even more. They even had some angoras!!! They had a colony of rabbits and beautiful peacocks that were roaming the barn and when we got there they were up in the hay loft roaming around.

They have a cactus garden, japanese garden including a huge pond with stepping stones all the way across filled with coi (sp??) We had not been in some time and it is always good to go there. The day was overcast and very comfortable and perfect for hiking. There is a hidden trail up the side of a rocky hillside surrounded by bamboo so we took the kids through there, they really enjoyed their adventure!

We got some awesome pictures and then when we left Grandma Cathy wanted to stop at Walmart to look for a new digital camera so we went in, she didn't buy the camera but she did get the kids each a game for their smart cycle

She had to go back home today so we are just recovering. We are getting rid of the rug in the living room, it is disgusting and we're over it. Going to the dump and reorganizing some things around the house. I got all the animal pens/houses cleaned out and redone this morning while Chad got the kids to clean their rooms. Now we are just hanging out for a little while before we tackle the shed and lean to.

 

[keljonma]

Sounds like you had a fun visit!

When we got rid of an old rug that was in our mud room (put there by previous home owners) we put it out into the farm yard in an area where we wanted to put a garden. Leave the rug in the area from autumn until spring when you are ready to plant. We found the grass was all dead, there were lots of worm, and the soil was easier to work.

edited for spelling...

 

[lorihadams]

I am embarrassed to say that our very large lab had a bit of an accident on it this morning. We were so exhausted that we all went to bed at 9pm and didn't get up until 8am!!! It's our own fault, she never has accidents in the house but boy did she ever this morning...........

It has to go...........we have to still clean our raised beds, we are still getting peppers and tomatoes so we haven't done it yet. Unfortunately, it is going to the dump, poop residue and all.

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW