Goodbye!

Well, it's official!

I've decided to do my blogging at WordPress now.

Same old blog, slightly different address....so if you've linked me, could you update your links to my Wordpress page now? Thanks!

Everyone else....just move right along!

Trying out something new..

...okay, I'm jumping on the bandwagon. All the cool kids are picking up and moving over to the Wordpress neighborhood, so I'm checking out some new digs.

Really though, what it comes down to is being able to print my blog (way back when I explained this..you know, Hubby's grandma and her journals and how I want to leave behind something for me kids to read and laugh about after I die, yada yada yada). I found out blogger doesn't work with companies that want to print and bind your blog, like all the others do.

Plus, I like 3 column templates. And I don't really "get" code. I'm sick of this vomit green hackjob that I've been stuck with.

So check out my wordpress page and tell me what you think. Should I stick with Blogger, or make the move?

(None of my links are over there yet, don't take it personally!)

What to do with this hair?!?

Alright, so I'm trying to grow it out. Growing your hair out is never easy. It's just not. And it goes through all these awkward "I don't know what to do with this" stages. Which is where I am now.

Thursday night I had the tv on (because I was actually watching 30 Rock and Scrubs) and this show came on...now, I've never been a big Posh Spice fan (sorry, you can put out all the upscale lines of clothing and act as snooty as you want, but once you've done something like the Spice Girls, your name will always be Posh...and that's not a good thing, just in case you weren't sure).

But I do love her hair. I think it's really cute....and unfortunately very trendy. I usually don't "do" trendy hair....but I really like it. And I read up on the internet and it's rated "easy to take care of" which is really important to me....since I don't have a stylist to follow me around while I strike random poses around my house like Mrs. Posh does.

Since my hair was already such an "I don't know what to do with it" wreck. I trimmed up the sides a little so it looked cleaner and a little more angled down like I want it to me. I thought it was an improvement.

The hubby barely noticed (he did have quite a day...which I'll probably blog about because I doubt he will) and when I showed him the pictures of how I want it to look eventually he gave me a look like I was insane (or stupid) and said "but her hair is a lot longer than yours".

Yeah it is genius. That's why I'm growing it out.

Jordan's comments were, "I don't like that tattoo. And you don't have blond hair".

I have no support around here.

I hate gum...

So does my husband. He hates it because he thinks it's a choking hazard. I hate it because it's nasty.

I think it started with the friend I had in high school. She had two habits that I just didn't understand: falling asleep with gum in her mouth, and forming attachments to random objects.

At least once a month she would call me crying, frantic because she had once again fallen asleep with gum in her mouth....and when she woke up the gum was all over the precious object of the week....the one she couldn't sleep or live without.

I don't know where her mom was in during all these gum fiascos. Maybe she was just as grossed out as I was and had previously washed her hands of the whole deal. But for whatever reason, I ended up being the go to person in removing gum.

And I hated it. It was nasty. And I don't care how long your freeze it, how much peanut butter you use, or what other miracle method you find....you can never truly remove gum from a teddy bear, a boyfriend's sweatshirt, or wubby. Why a 16 year old girl still needed a wubby was beyond me....but she still slept with it even after we couldn't get the gum off!

So when my oldest child went to school, and people started giving him gum....I was thoroughly grossed out. I don't like to hear the stuff being chewed. What's worse.....when you're done with it.....you have to do something with it. You have to spit it out.

Let's get one thing straight. I don't spit. Ever. Yuck. I don't like to watch people spit. Just seeing it is enough to make me gag.

So when my kids spits out gum, I want nothing to do with it.

I don't want anything to do with it when I find it on the floor BESIDE the trash.

I certainly don't want anything to do with it when I find it stuck to the wall. (to learn that it was stuck to the wall because DAD told him to put it there so they wouldn't have to pause the xbox to throw is away made steam come out my ears).

And I don't want anything to do with it when my kid comes to me because someone gave him the bright idea to put his gum behind his ear. You know, in his hair? The hair he was growing out last year. That was the final straw. No more gum in my house. He can have it when he's 18 and he moves out.

I still can't get away from gum though. On a recent outing with friends....the friends had brought along some bug spray for everyone to use at dusk. She pulled the bottle out of the bag and discovered her little girl had put her gum on the lid.....as a kind of holding spot for the gum. Everyone laughed and giggled as I retracted my outstretched hand and shied away from the contaminated spray.

It was rude, and I'm sorry.

But I can't help it.

I really hate gum.

And the Walls Came Tumblin' Down...

Ugh. If it's not one thing it's another around here.

I simply can not keep up with the deficit of home improvements that we've gotten behind on around here.

I had totally planned to start remodeling my kitchen (as soon as I finish the downstairs bath. If I ever finish the downstairs bath). It's ugly. Real ugly.

But in my massive frantic attempt to try and get my house to look like....well....a nice house....if was trying to scrub our old, faded shower surround back to white (not going to happen) and noticed something. Something bad. The shower surround is not quite bug enough. And the edges of the wall near the shower that get damp every time someone showers...well, they've started rotting away.

What the crap am I supposed to do about that? Well, I know what I'm supposed to do...I'm supposed to fix it. But WHEN am I supposed to do that? I can't even finish the bathroom I am working on! I spend an hour scraping dried grout off the shower floor tiles (I'm sure I've ranted about that somewhere.....but if I haven't let me just say, PLEASE, if you're going to tile anything, start wiping the grout off right away. Do not wait. It's bad.) until I had blisters all over my hands. It's getting there...but it's a very slow, frustrating project.

And I can't rip one bathroom up until I have the other completely functional.

Meanwhile, the wall slowly continues rotting away.

So I'm trying not to completely lose it....trying NOT to think about the boiler that needs replaced, the shingles that have blown off the roof. The gutters that need cleaned (and repaired). The window in the basement that is broken. The floors that are scratched and nicked. The yard that needs mown, the gardens that need weeded, the basement that is leaky, the paint that needs touched up in almost EVERY room, the gas log that won't work, and the fact that every single closet is a disaster that needs cleaned and re-organized.

Today, I'm just going to try and concentrate on removing the coupon that Celia shellacked to the floor with milk last week (so everyone will stop walking in the door and trying to pick it up. Don't you think if I could pick it up, I would?)...scrape some more grout, and try and complete the 40 or so reports that I'm already behind on this week.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

I've got to say, when Chris came home work last week with tickets to see the Charleston Power....I though he was off his rocker. I'm sorry, but a 2 year old at a baseball game sounds insane to me.

But I was surprised.....we actually had a very pleasant evening!

We had a ton of extra tickets....which I gave away to some very happy people before we went into the park. I love giving stuff away!

The park itself is new....and very nice! We found our seats (Chris insisted on sitting right on the 3rd base line.) I decided to go get food and drinks for everyone....I'm better at carrying precariously balanced trays of food. Chris is better at keeping baseballs from bashing the baby's face in. So that deal worked for everyone.

Since the only thing I know about baseball is that you're supposed to eat peanuts and CrackerJacks....that's what we got.

They also had frozen lemonade....which sounded great o me. Turned out, it was better than I could have ever expected. Celia was engrossed in eating her lemonade for AT LEAST 45 minutes. It was awesome.


Really, I need to learn to make this at home.


I could get a lot more stuff done if she had frozen lemonade all day.


She did get a little restless near the end, but I took her up to walk her around the walkway. She thought that was cool....and everyone thought she was cute. Since it was Friday the 13th, the park promotion was for the kids to come in costume and trick or treat on the field after the game. So she was wearing her Mermaid costume.

The trick or treat thing was almost a disaster. The kids all had to have pre-registered and had a special ticket! (They didn't put that anywhere on the website!) There were lots of angry parents, but since Celia and I had found the fan services area during our walk, we all just went over there, a lady gave us some tickets, and off the kids went to get candy.

After that, there were fireworks. We were mildly concerned....since Celia spend all of the 4th of July in the house avoiding fireworks, but she actually did really well. Buried her head in Chris's neck for the loud parts, but no crying at all ("Hey, there's no crying in baseball!" I know, the game was over, but I just had to say it!)

Adventures in Charleston...

This is the first of my three part blogging about our weekend. It's way too much to fit in a single post! At least with the time constraints I'm currently operating under!

So last week the hubby comes home with pile of tickets to a baseball game. The Charleston Power (minor league) and we started planning a trip. His company leases a rarely used apartment in town, so his boss gave him the keys and off we went.

About halfway there he says "Oh, I'm pretty sure the AC in the apartment won't be working....Boss had to call maintenance because there was a problem with it". Oh. Okay....well, it's not that hot anyway. Should be fine. "And I'm not sure that the cleaners have been in. Boss had his assistant call because he was worried that they hadn't been there in awhile". Erm...that's another story. But really, no one stays there. It's vacant most of the time. How bad could it be?

Well, first thing I did was check the sheets. No way am I sleeping on sheets that someone I don't know has slept on. They look....wrinkly. And they don't smell like fabric softener. So we rip those puppies off the bed and try to fit them in the teeny tiny washing machine. One. sheet. at. a time.

Now, keep in mind that my in-laws were joining us on this adventure. Since I have kids....my standards of cleanliness are lowered. I mean, my house isn't filthy...but there's usually stuff out and you can often find crumbs in one room or another. My mother in law....well, she hasn't had kids in the house for many years. Her house is always spotless (well, unless my kids are visiting to crumb it up...but even then it stays pretty clean). Therefore....if I'm appalled by the filth of the place.....you can guess that she's going to be WAY grossed out.

Being brave (and having to pee) I peeked in a bathroom, screamed "HOLY CATS" and ran the other way. It was bad. Real bad.

I became crystal clear that the cleaning service had indeed totally punked out on their duties...and I really hope the Boss hadn't been paying someone to clean....because if so, he was getting majorly ripped off.

Hubby thought I was over-reacting, so I sent him in to check things out. He starts explaining that the Charleston water is bad (ha, compared to Fairmont?) and peeks around the door. He shrieks his manly version of "HOLY CATS" and also runs the other way.

I brandished a toilet scrubber at him and sent him back in. I think he scrubbed the tub with it first. It was that bad.

So the two of us cleaned like mad people to get it looking some kind of livable before the in-laws showed up (though honestly, it was still pretty bad when they got there) and I made a mad dash to the mall (did I mention Celia peed through her PullUp while napping on the way down....and I'm so bright I only packed dresses instead of more pants).

I went out just in time to meet the in-laws, apologise in advance for the stench of the hallway (the neighbors had their garbage out there!!! What kind of crap is that?) and the over all condition of the apartment.....and have a discussion with the lady that apparently lives downstairs about over what MIGHT be dripping in her apartment. I don't know lady, I've been here for 15 minutes. Call maintenance, will ya?

So, mad dash to the mall. Luckily, I walked in the door of Macy's and found super sale. I grabbed some pants (and a cute Hello Kitty shirt.....sorry, but the pants didn't match the ones she had on. I had to do it!) and ran to the only open checkout on that floor.

Which was staffed by a 92 year old woman. Who was methodically slow about , removing from hangers, checking for sensors, folding, wrapping in paper, and bagging each of the 92 items the lady in front of me was buying (not that I blame her, it was a great sale!).

20 minutes later....mad dash back to the apartment, dump the girl in her new clothes (which she proclaims "beautiful"...thank you baby) and we're off to the baseball game! (More on the game later)

We didn't get back until very, very late. Part of the problem was that we needed milk. You can't buy milk in downtown Charleston at midnight. You just can't. We had to drive all the way down Kanawa Blvd to an Exxon where someone handed me milk though a pull out drawer. The hubby wouldn't even get out of the car because he was convince someone out "bust a cap at him". I reminded him that as an uptight, white yuppie.....he should just say "shoot me" to avoid sounding like an idiot.

So the next day we had a leisurely breakfast at Starbucks, had some fun in the city (more on that later too) and headed back to the apartment for a cleaning spree.

It took Chris and I about an hour and a half to get that apartment spic and span, sparkly clean. I started thinking about getting a smaller place then and there. No WAY could we do that to our house!!!

Once we had it all clean....boy it looked nice. Classy. The Boss has really good taste in furniture. No clutter anywhere.

So I came home from a very nice trip with an unhealthy case of envy and a desperate need to throw out ever piece of clutter in my life, to deep clean and re-organize every shelf, closet, nook, and cranny in my home.

See you in November.....


P.S. On the way home, we stopped for gas and Chris fell over himself trying to get away from this dead bug. Then he fell all over himself trying to gross me out with it. Please , please, please, for the love of all things good and pure, tell me that this thing was a stow away from Florida and arrived in our state already dead or something. If we have bugs like this here in my pleasant mountain home......I may have to move.

My Life - Soundtrack by the Beatles.

Okay, I know with the volume of Beatles music, really, ANYONE could create a soundtrack to their life. But since my kids are so into it (that and freaking Rhinocerous Taps...and if I have to listen to that crappy cd one more time I'm going to drive off the overpass. Not really, but I hate that cd)....and we listen to the Beatles a lot........and I tend to be introspective while driving the car....there you have it. My life, by the Beatles.

So a few weeks ago it was Lady Madonna.....today was Help.

Which is kind of odd...because I had a pretty good day. Busy, but alright.

But we were out of the house all morning. Shopping (but not spending much money) and having an all around good time. I was really dreading coming home though.

The house is trashed. I just can't keep up with being a mom to my kids, driving Jordan to all his various things, shopping for the family, my new job, getting myself to the doctor, and keeping the house clean. So if something's got to go undone...it's the house.

Hey, I figure the laundry and toys will still be here tomorrow. And my kids don't seem to mind the clutter...

Anyway....Help is a very good song for that kind of thing. Because I remember (when I was younger so much younger than today) having one kid, who happened to be in school all day. Only having to vacuum once a week. To clean the kitchen once a day. To do laundry every week in a half.

It's not that the little one is so messy (well, I mean, she kind of is) but while I'm busy chasing her and cleaning up after her and trying to figure out where she put my glasses.....I can't...umm....gently remind....the boys to clean up their crap.

It's a mess around here...and I hate it.

So HELP, I need somebody, help, not just anybody. Help, you know I need someone....HELP!

Squatting in the Parking Lot

Something in your life really changes when you start carrying an extra pair of someone else's panties in your purse....just in case.

No, my toddler hasn't started taking Alli. But when you have a newly potty trained toddler, you don't leave home without an extra pair. Let me tell you why...

My little girl has an aiming problem. She can sit all ladylike on the potty and shoot pee straight out onto the floor... (oh, the google hits those words will bring....go away you nasty pervs. There's nothing here for you here).

So we're at a really awesome church function, and the girl's gotta go. So we go.

I take her to the ladies room. I cover the automatic flush sensor with paper before she goes near the potty, because no one likes it to flush while they're sitting there. Especially my anti-loud-flush toddler.

We cram ourselves into the teeny tiny stall and she gets settled and starts to go.

The pee immediately shoots straight out, right at me. I squeal and jump out of the way, she screams and falls in the toilet.

That's right, my little sweetie in the toilet.

So she's screaming because her butt is in the toilet, there pee on the floor, pee on her skirt (thankfully, no pee in the toilet where her butt it).

I'm trying to tell her it's okay, it's going to be okay, while trying to get her out of the toilet.

Which is when I realize I left my purse (along with that emergency change of clothing) in the sanctuary. In the front of the sanctuary.

So I pulled her little skirt back on (because I had nothing else to do) and she duck walked back to the front of the sanctuary to get the dry clothes, then back to the bathroom to put them on.

Then we had a discussion about how she needed to finish peeing. No WAY was she going near that toilet. She tried to convince me that she'd just hold it until we got home. Well, I knew that wasn't going to happen.

So we came to a compromise...

I took her out the in the parking lot and we hid between a Suburban and a mini-van so she could finish the job.

I've got to get a travel potty.

Going Green

The M household has become very (okay, slightly more) environmentally friendly as of late.

It's not that I'm worried about global warming....I think that's a bunch of bunk. But I'm all for preserving the environment (and not paying Allegheny Power out the whazoo).

So we've started replacing all our light bulbs with those super trendy, low energy, twisty twirly ones. I'm really into not changing a light bulb for 8 years. (Don't lecture me on the whole mercury thing. I've done my research and weighted the options).

Then, I decided to use re-usable shopping bags when I shop. Actually, I just needed a reason to buy these at IKEA. Aren't they the coolest bags ever?!? So no more of those plastic bags for us!

Then today, the kids decided to take the comforters and everything off the beds (instead of just the sheets, but hey, they did take the sheets off too!). Since it was supposed to be blazing hot...we decided to wash it all! Just wash it all and hang everything outside to dry...so by mid-morning everything that doesn't move on the porch and backyard was draped in sheets, comforters, and towels. We were very country. Very down home. Very environmentally friendly.

I feel almost like a hippy now! I mean, I haven't really shaved my legs since these hives won't go away. I even took my bra off (well, okay....I usually don't wear one around the house....and since that stinking doctor didn't call my back with a new appointment to get these hives looked at ...again....so I figured, what's the point of wearing one). Now we're hanging laundry in the yard!

So anyway....we spent the morning out in the yard. The kids ran around, hiding in sheets and towels. They played in the baby pool, ran in the sprinkler. Jordan and I sat in the shade and read books. It was great.

Valley Falls and Frisbee Golf

The boys have a new hobby: Frisbee Golf. I don't know why George Costanza's "Frolf" didn't catch on as a name....but apparently, this is a real sport. We went to the sporting goods store and bought real discs to throw and everything. The .50 frisbees I found at Target just didn't cut it for this highly competitive game.

Anyway, between rounds of Frolf (as I will now be calling it), I drug the family to Valley Falls. It was a beautiful day on Saturday, but we didn't have time to go far. So I fed the troops some dinner and stuck them in the car.

After trekking back to the bathroom once, we finally crossed the train tracks (still active, one of my favorite parts of living in WV. I love the sound of the trains. Of course, we live across the river and up the hill....so the train sounds we get are pleasant.)



Then past the site of the old grist mill. Incidentally, that's just a fancy name for a place to grind grain into flour. Why couldn't they just call it that so I wouldn't have to google it?



Since we just got a considerable amount of rain, the falls were up a little. That means some fast, serious water. I gave the boy a good talk about how you don't even mess with water like that (swimming used to be allowed at the falls....but people died to often and now it's not. Still, every few years someone will fall in or slip on the rocks....and the outcome is never good).

Also....will someone please tell everyone to stop sending my husband shirts like this? It's bright yellow and says "ABC Affiliates are Great". Please, just send him a polo shirt please. The man will be a walking advertisement to anything....so let him do it in style.



Even Jordan sat still for a few minutes in awe of all that powerful water.



Man, that's some serious water.



Then we had to feed the geese. On the way out the door I discovered that the stale bread I'd been saving was looking a little....erm, green. In my panic (since I already told the kids we'd feed the geese) I grabbed a pack of stale tortillas and prayed that geese like tortillas.

They do. Even when a toddler lobs huge chunks in the water like some kind of edible frisbee.



Then we had to play on the swirly slide.




Then for my favorite (and my husband's least favorite) part of the evening: adventure and exploration!

When I was in college I used to picnic with a group of sorority sister (an academic one, FYI). Once, one of the girls promised she knew where a swimming hole (not in the dangerous falls river) was, and we hiked to it. I'm afraid that we hiked on the train tracks (umm, a bit of a no-no) so I wasn't about to break the law with kids in tow. We set off on the Rhododendron Trail which runs parallel to the tracks and the river. I figure we ought to at least be able to find it that way.....but I was pretty sure it was quite a hike.

In any case, we set off. Chris was convinced the trail was covered with snakes or bears and soon had the boy convinced of the same. We had to stop for a toddler pee-pee break and Celia managed to pee all over MY pants (but not hers). Finally, I got worried that my little girl might get tired (we didn't have the jogger stroller, so she was hiking too) and I didn't' want to go farther than I could piggy back her back, if need be.

She did quite well, though I did piggy back her just to get us out of there faster since the boys were having a complaining contest and getting on my last nerve. I can't wait to get the bike trailer so we can ride farther up the trail and maybe find that swimming hole.

And if any of my long lost Sigma Alpha Iota sisters are out there.....can you clue me in on how far it was....and what to look for to find it?

The Emperor's New Clothes

Everyone who has ever been to my house knows that I love IKEA. And I've discovered that as far as IKEA goes, it's a love or hate relationship. There's no middle road.....

Well, last year for my birthday the Hubby and I borrowed a big ole truck and drove up to IKEA to purchase our first ever brand spankin' new couch. Since I had just painted my living room a beautiful (but impossible to match) shade of sage....I got a white couch and chairs.

I loved them. Everyone thought I was nuts for white furniture and kids...but such is the beauty of IKEA. You zip the covers off then throw them in the washing machine. They've been smeared with chocolate, colored on with pen, and had varies types of milk leak on to them.

I went through a very trendy monochromatic "everything but the sage walls must be black and white" thing.....and loved it.

But I'm kind of over it. Plus, I got new paint for the kitchen which is a slightly more grey shade of green. I've read that green shades are good for kitchens and you won't eat as much (must work only in the kitchen, because I've had no problem eating in the green living room)! Plus, the paint was only $5 a can.....and I'm getting frustrated trying to find accessories that match with sage.


Oh , and mom my was visiting...and we love to shop. Especially at IKEA. She mentioned last time she was up that she was driving this time so that she could be a few more things. So I started planning, and saving.

Because that's the other great thing about IKEA. For not very much money, I can buy all new couch and chair covers and it looks like I have brand new furniture. So that's exactly what I did.


Here's my new couch:


And the chairs:



And some fancy pillow covers to go with it:
Instant new look. Now if I can just get around to painting the living room that yellowy-gold that umm....it used to be before I painted it green, I'll be all set.

Oh, and my other big plan is to photoshop some pictures of the kids to look like comic book prints, blow them up, and put them on the wall. Very pop-art. I'm into pop-art now, having left monochromaticism behind.

You're Out of Touch

I am at least.

Since Jordan has started swim team this summer, and I need to entertain my toddler there for an hour every day, Celia and I have done some exploring at Fairmont State.

Fairmont State is my alma mater. I enjoyed the school, I'm happy with the degree I got there. But I'm not calling it a University. It's just too pretentious. I can't do it. So I simply call it just Fairmont State.

I knew we were in trouble the very first day....the road that I used to take to the Feaster Center (where swim team is held), well, it just doesn't go there anymore. In fact, NO roads will take you through the middle of campus.

They will take you right to the new parking garage. However, you must not park there. (Unless you're a student, with an ID). You can get in....but you can't get out. I discovered this little gem about two years ago when I needed to take a grad course for continuing education (a teacher requirement). I found a very nice online class to take, but needed a professor's signature once. So I loaded up my newborn in her infant seat and off we went. I was very happy to put my car in that brand new garage and not have to fight for parking spaces anywhere. It was great.

Since I only had to go quickly in once building, I didn't take a stroller or anything, just that infant carrier. Anyone who's had one knows they are heavy...so you don't lug them around far. In typical Fairmont State style I had to lug her in that carrier to 3 different buildings! Then back to the garage. Where I found I couldn't get my car out until I walked all the way back across campus to the security office and purchased tokens to get out.

Why not put a money thingy on the gate to get out so you could just feem money in there? It makes too much sense.



So back to the here and now...Celia and I have been exploring the new and improved campus.

First stop was the new student activities center. She saw a shiny new building and begged to go in, so in we went. The song playing on the building -wide muzak system wall "You're Out of Touch". Was I ever!

Huge expanses of basketball courts, as fas as the eye can see. A student version of Barnes and Noble, trendy couches and chairs. A new Nickel....that looked just wrong. I wonder what they've done with the old one? A state of the art fitness center. A brand new pool (not for competition swimming). I felt very out of touch....and out of place. Especially since all this was just built on to the back of Colebank Hall.

For some reason, they really like doing that. The new building they are working on it being buit right on top of the tech wing of Wallman Hall. On top? And we always joked that the whole building was sliding down the hill. But I guess they know what they are doing.

Regardless, a few new buildings does not a University make. So if it's alright with you, I'll just continue calling it Fairmont State and leave the University off (since it's no longer acceptable to call it a college).

This is how we have a party!

First, get yourself some cheap slave labor to create some party decorations...



These kids (and their friends) work quite well!



Put the decorations on the porch.



Make yourself some party food. This is the cake I make every year. Cliche? Yes. But I like it. I also made Rachel Ray's BBQ Sammies.....but I put way to much salt in....they were salty. I still ate one. But not many other people did. Look, I'm still a nice person, even if I can't cook!


Here's the point in the party when the rain came. Everyone retreated in the house to play (the grownups played Wii, the kids just played). I stole someone's baby and took it to my favorite place and rocked until said baby was asleep. Ahhhh, sleeping baby bliss.....

About dark the rain went away and my husband had to try and set the house on fire, like he does every hear (try, not succeed!). I was actually kind of hoping he would burn the playset down. I've been wanting a new one but just can't seem to justify getting one. A fire would fix that. Darn rain.



Then daddy had to apologise to his little girl. She's no fan of fireworks and dad scared the crap out of her. She was more than a little unhappy about dad playing with fire.



Finally I broke out my large collection of glowing jewelry for the kid to run around the yard with while waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the city fireworks (we've got a primo view). Yes, there are children in this photo.....somewhere....


Finally, after all the guests had their cars loaded up, the fireworks started. Very sporadically.

Little hint for next year to the boys at the City of Fairmont....keep the fireworks dry. They light better that way.

Rollin' on the River

Some friends invited us to join them for the day on their boat (on the Tygart Valley River)...well, who can say no to that!?!

We were a little worried at first when Celia strongly protested getting in the boat, but once we started moving, she really enjoyed herself.

So did Jordan. He and his little buddy spent a bunch of time in the tube (please excuse my sad job at making other people's kids look anonymous). There was many an attempt made to knock them out of the tube (they were a little too full of themselves for their own good) but those little buggers managed to hold on through even the twistiest turns and bumpiest bumps.



Once we found a little beachy area to park (dock, whatever) Celia got out of the boat to have fun. First, she has a swim with dad. She's Mrs. Independent, "I can do it myself"!



Then she had to take a little break and sit in the tube to eat a cookie. That's right, she's eating a cookie in the river.


After awhile she talked mommy into coming out to swim and sit in the tube with her. I discovered that chilly river water works wonders for itchy hives. In fact, it made me feel so much better I told Chris I'd hike back down to the river later if I got desperate. Then I figured out that a cold bathtub would do the same thing....without the river smell!


Some other boat people stopped by, with their dogs. Both dogs had their own little doggy life jackets. Celia was in toddler heaven watching those dogs swim around and chase sticks. how long do you think it takes to dry all this fur out?


Celia also discovered how much she loves cherries....once dad showed her how to eat them.


Jordan spent much of his time playing with the campfire. He toasted cheese puffs and pepperoni rolls. It was gross. Then they doused the fire with 72 buckets of water (Smokey the Bear says "Only YOU can help prevent forest fires!") so that no one will be able to light a fire in that pit again for at least two weeks.


We had a ton of fun and now Chris really wants a boat. Play the lottery, hon!