Get Your Motor Running...

I was babysitting 3 different kids today. (different from the ones I normally blog about)

Their house is located off a busy state highway.

I was a nervous wreck thinking the 2 year old would get away from me & head for the road. Thankfully, she did not!

After lunch, the littlest one was tired, she fell asleep before her head hit the pillow.

For the next hour and a half, I played with the other 2 kids. We played all sorts of games, read books and went fishing with magnetic fishes. With the little one being asleep & their backyard being in the hot sun, we stayed on their screened in porch.

note: (we spent the better part of the morning out in the backyard, mostly splashing in a wading pool)

That's when I felt it.

First, I felt vibrations coming from the floor (reminiscent of B's shaking leg syndrome).

Then, I felt low rumblings in my chest. The sounds came faintly at first, then louder.

Felt like someone had their Bass feature on, really high!

As the rumbling sounds got closer to the house, the kids ran for a good view.

Apparently, they knew what was coming up on this busy road!

This next part may sound exaggerated to you but I promise, it is not!

For the next 5 minutes, MOTORCYCLES, going 40 mph & sometimes 2-3 cycles deep,

came roaring by their house!

Hundreds of them!

Not A hundred, but HUNDREDS!

I have seen large groups of cyclists before, but nothing like this group! They went on & on & on!

Who has that many friends who like to do the same stuff?

Of course, this noisy event woke the baby up from her nap.

At least she woke up in a good mood!

Children Magnets

At the pool,

the life guards blow their whistles at the top of every hour signaling "Adult Swim Only" for the next 15 minutes. I bring small toys for the kids to play with on deck so this 15 minutes of every hour doesn't become torture for me.

NO EXPLANATION IS NEEDED!

Yesterday, I brought my Star Wars Galactic Heroes collection.

We spread out a big towel near our chairs and the boys began to play.

Even though we were in the corner of the deck that has little foot traffic, it didn't take long for a group of about 6-7 boys to descend upon the towel.

I KNOW little girls can make lots of noise when groups of them get together.

But these boys put the girl groups to shame!

Sooo loud!

I now know more about Star Wars than I ever did before!

Clone Wars, rebels, Empire, droids, light sabers and The Force were hotly debated in this

6-9 year old group of boys.

For the remainder of the day, these boys (who had never met until today) were best friends

IN the pool, OUT of the pool, @ the snack bar & in the playground.

Sadly, none of them had little sisters for Kaya to hang out with, so she was a bit out of sorts.

As we were leaving (under duress, because they were having so much fun)

I commented,

"Wow. You guys met friends today! You've been so shy all summer. Now you're leaving for a week in Maine tomorrow, you won't see them for a while."

" This was one of my best days this summer, Miss Jen."

"Mine too. Why didn't you bring your Star Wars toys on the first day? We could have so many friends now!"

I have brought Hot Wheels, Super Heroes figurines, games & more.

Every day it was something new.

The whole time, I should've been bringing Star Wars.

Who knew?

My Cats & a bit more

Video on the left is Gracie & Zee trying their best to get INTO their crates before the doctor comes back into the room for their exams.

Video on the right is what they did when I got them home AFTER their exam.

Gracie's blood work came back.

Her sugar count was slightly elevated which the vet attributed to stress. And Gracie was stressed! He said I shouldn't worry.

Her red blood cell count was also elevated. Again, I was told not to worry. It only means that she is slightly dehydrated & I need to be sure she has plenty of water.

Looks like we're going back to using a fountain (even though it is a BEAR to clean!)

Also, on an unrelated note... after 4 1/2 years, I'll cease to babysit the kids when public school begins in September.

The baby is being enrolled into a private Kindergarten, which meets 5 days a week.

Krista has quit her job @ XO Communications to begin running her own consulting firm,

from home.

I have become obsolete.

To ease my withdrawal symptoms & theirs, I have agreed to babysit the kids on Friday nights so the parents can have a "Date Night".

I have a few people expressing their interest in having me sit for their kids.

I just hope they still need me in September when I become available!

Zee & Gracie @ their Yearly Physical

Last year, Gracie weighed in @ 11.2 lbs. This year, she weighed in @ 11.8 lbs.

Vet recommends doing away with wet food. It's too high calorie for older, indoor cats.

Since I only gave it to them for the liquid in it, shouldn't be a big deal. He says they'll get their liquid in other places so I needn't worry.

Zee was 9.7 lbs in 2010 and today, she weighed 9.6 lbs.

She lost a little, but not enough to make the vet happy. She too, will be off the wet food once we use up what I have left.

It will also save us about $30-$35 a month in cat expenses.

Also, the treats will be reduced, by half, in the afternoon.

I had Gracies blood screened because she was so sick 2 weeks ago. She seems to be better, but I wanted to make sure. The results will be ready tomorrow.

No ear mites, fleas or ticks. Teeth are good as well as their heart rates & internal organs.

How did they behave?

Zee didn't like the exam or the distemper shot very much, but she "dealt with it" and didn't make a peep as she went back into her carrier.

Gracie however...

let me catch my breath here...

She growled, hissed, snapped, scratched, escaped, hid, yelped etc etc etc!

She was awful!

It took the vet, his assistant, a large beach towel & myself, several attempts to keep her in place for her exam, bloodwork & shot! I've never seen her this ticked off!

We're home now. Cats are ignoring me, except for the occasional GLARE from Gracie!

Rug or No Rug?

The title of my blog is a question I have pondered for a few days.

No!

B, nor I, are in the process of going bald & we do not need a "rug"!

What we do have is a 9x12 machine made oriental rug in our family room, still in good shape, but in desperate need of a deep cleaning.

I used to sell these things when I was a furniture salesperson & I know it costs more to clean than I'm willing to pay at this time.

So, we rolled the rug up, put it down into the basement for now and then put most of the furniture back onto the bare wooden floor. I am going for a minimalist look in this room.

Knick knacks, lots of books and end tables have found their way into the garbage or other rooms that are not yet minimalistic.

C thinks it makes our room look nicer.

"It makes it look like you and Dad are grown-ups now."

The cats are exploring the surface and found they have no traction when running or wrestling!

Very funny to watch this.

I have 1 more vacation coming up.

Maybe I'll continue to be motivated in reducing the amount of stuff in our other rooms and my whole house will become more grown-up!

We'll see.

Siblings

I've been bringing the kids to swim club as often as I can this summer.

It's located in Bradford & the 15 minute drive brings us past their elementary school.

The boys usually comment how they've had nightmares about leaving their backpacks @ home only to realize... IT'S SUMMER VACATION!

Today, I was expecting similar comments so I was surprised when I heard Kaya speak up.

"Miss Jen? I'm glad there is no school."

"Why is that, Kaya? You don't even go to school yet."

"Oh, I'm happy because... I get to hang with my boys!"

I love this kid!

Wild, Wet, Wind! WOW!!

Today's forecast... hot, humid with afternoon thunder boomer storms.

The A/C was still broken @ their house & the fans were NOT helping to keep me cool!

Just before lunch, we headed to the swim club.

Our plan: eat lunch in the picnic area (which is under a huge tent),

spend the remainder of the afternoon in the pool.

At least until the rain began.

We got there, found 3 lounge chairs, IN THE SHADE!! (Yay!) and set up our space.

I got sunblock on everyone, made the bathroom trip and began to prepare a lunch feast of peanut butter & honey sandwiches with yogurt, mandarin oranges, pita bread w/hummus, ice cold water & Oreos.

All of a sudden, it got very dark.

So much for afternoon showers! It wasn't even noon yet!

I managed to get our belongings under the tented picnic area before the huge raindrops fell,

but it really didn't matter!

We & our belongings got SOAKED because...

along with the rain, thunder & lightning...

there was a giant wind!

The very heavy raindrops were no match for this wind!

The rain came in sideways, ripping through the picnic area! Anything not secured went flying!

With Kaya crying in fear and the boys in awe of the wind strength,

we managed to get to my car only to remember that I had left ALL the windows open!

Just a crack, (so the car wouldn't be super hot), but enough to soak the interior!

UGH!

Back to their very hot house we went.

We finished lunch, played XBox for 30 minutes, then went outside.

It was still drizzling, but no lightning.

I set up the "Slip 'n' Slide with Splashdown Pool" in the front yard.

This is where we remained until the A/C repairman showed up!

Yay! He fixed the A/C!

We're gonna go back to the pool tomorrow & try our luck again!

And a Little Babe Was Born

My brothers oldest son is heading off to college in Iowa on a wrestling scholarship.

This afternoon C and I attended his "going away" BBQ.

Good luck Matt Jr!

I got to visit w/some siblings I don't get a chance to see too often.

There were a few friends too.

One of my brothers friends from high school, Pat, was there.

I am fond of Pat.

Why?

I'll try to keep a long story, short.

Not being able to afford transportation AND a hotel room in FL during their last spring break in high school, Pat & Matt were looking for a warm, cheap place to go.

I was lonely, B was on a 6 month cruise for the USN.

Oh yeah... I was 8 months pregnant.

So, I invited them to bunk w/me if they could make their way to our condo in Virginia Beach,

(which isn't as warm as FL that time of year, but much warmer than MA.)

I picked them up @ the airport, Monday evening.

Twenty- four hours later, the boys were in Babies R Us shopping for a carseat to bring me & T home from the hospital @ the Portsmouth Naval Base!

Pat was the driver of my beloved Jeep Wrangler and using his newly acquired stick shift driving skills, he got us to & from the hospital in great form!

The guys helped me with T all that week & flew w/us back to NE.

(where I would stay until B was able to come ashore, about 2 weeks later.)

Yes, I brought a week old infant on an airplane! She did just fine!

Pat hadn't seen me in a while so when I showed up @ my brothers, he assumed C was T.

After setting him straight, he was amazed that T was now married & a mother herself!

He wishes her all the best & has fond memories of his time with us at the beginning of her life.

Good night now!

Farmers Market

I was excited to see a "local" Farmers Market setting up in a parking lot off Rte 125.

I stopped to see if they had some veggies, picked fresh today, so I cook them for supper w/a couple of pork chops.

There were about 10 or 12 tents set up & was not very crowded w/people. I thought it was due to the market being open from 3-6 and it was only 3:30pm.

As I strolled by the tents, I looked for fresh veggies & fruit. Disappointment set in.

Only 2 of the booths had veggies & the produce they displayed... wilted.

The other booths were products or services from nearby businesses.

Hmm.

How can they call it a Farmers Market if there isn't any farmers there, selling their crops?

One of the tents had a guitarist, quietly singing, with his case open, accepting donations. Another tent sold waffles on a stick & called them waffle pops.

I guess a maple syrup business is technically something that could be in a Farmers Market. Walgreens had a tent with a table and a pile of green re-usable bags.

That was it, green bags.

There were also tents for pre-bagged flavored popcorn, custom-flavored cups of iced tea/coffee and a 1 minute massage for $1. (with a homemade sign advertising other services)

So, I went home, w/o fresh veggies.

B has gone to the seafood restaurant & we're having a seafood platter w/coleslaw instead!

Early Bird

I watched the kids today after enjoying some extended time off

due to their trip to Kentucky to visit family.

The A/C in their home was out & the part they needed to fix it is on back-order!

I wasn't mentally ready to spend the entire day @ the pool w/them

so I knew I was in for a HOT day!

Since there really wasn't any food in the house (they got back last night)

and I wasn't cooking anything in a house that had no A/C, we went out for lunch.

They all wanted to have "BREAKFAST for LUNCH", so off we go, to the nearby Denny's.

As we were discussing the menu & they were relating tales of their trip to me, they suddenly got very quiet. They were looking @ the other patrons with puzzlement in their eyes.

Finally, Colin says to me (in a very quiet voice),

"Miss Jen? Where did all these old people come from?"

Kaya & Connor also chimed in,

"There's a lot of old people in here today!"

I missed them!

They now know about the early bird specials, fixed income and AARP.

But The One Little Duck...

On my way home from dropping B off @ the car repair shop, I had to pull my car over to allow a family of ducks to cross the road.

They were adorable!

Mallards, I believe they were.

Forgive me as I blog about things I thought of while watching them.

How did the duck get across the road?

Well, I don't know about THAT duck, but these ones waddled,

S L O W L Y.

The childrens book, "Make Way for Ducklings" came to mind.

However, I don't know why, I've never actually READ the book.

Do you have all YOUR ducks in a row?

Me neither.

A live-action shooting gallery!

If only I had a rifle.

Why do the ducks follow the leader?

She's the one with the MAP!

T!

Yes, I thought of T, with her phobia of fowls, such as these ducks!

"DUCK!" Where? Ouch. Oh, that kind of duck!

Dug, the dog from the movie, "UP!"... great movie.

DUCK! or was it BIRD!

I'm a little hungry. Let's see, that's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 meals for the next month.

Just kidding! I haven't the slightest idea on how to cook a duck!

Remember Ralphy in "The Christmas Story" ?

"Jingle aw da ray", sang the waiters as the owner of the Chinese food restaurant chopped the head off the...

OH! Ooops, that wasn't a duck! That was a GOOSE!

OK, I guess I'm done now.

At least I'm not dead!

Dead as a dead duck.

1/4 Done

My vacation is 1/4 over today.

And to answer the question everyone asks someone on vacation...

No, I haven't gone anywhere or done anything. Just relaxing at home.

Well, mostly relaxing.

I'm cleaning the house this morning like a mad woman! Why?

C told me last night that the date she was going on today (climbing a nearby mountain) also involved returning to the house to cool down & watch a movie.

Argh!

I can't have visitors see my dirt! Or my dust!

I hope my vacuum doesn't break down!

Of course, I'm excited & nervous for her. First dates can have lots of expectations and disappointments. She's been on a few dates since her breakup, but no chemistry has happened. Or so she tells me.

So, the dryer has stopped. I must go back to work & put the slipcover back on the sofa.

Have a great day...

and C, please remember to bring and drink LOTS of water on your hike!

My Summer, thus far...

So, as you can see, the pool, with its cool water has been our destination all week.

Their parents paid for a summer membership @ a local swim club & I intend to get them their money's worth!

Kaya & Colin began the week just holding onto the side of the pool, for dear life.

Connor is doggy paddling every where, with a bit of a beginners freestyle stroke mixed in as he tries to swim like the guys on the swim team.

Today, they are ALL in the pool and having a great time! They head to Kentucky for a family reunion tomorrow so no more swim practice w/me for 2 weeks!

Have fun kids!