Monday, April 27, 2009

Great day for Towpath ride!






Beautiful day! B more than ready to get back to the trails. No more training wheels for Monster Man, and a minor starting off accident didn't deter him too much. Thankful for the elbow and knee pads...a little flip over the handlebars, banged shoulder with road rash builds character. Let's ride!





Friday, April 24, 2009

Whirlwind week-
B testing 3 mornings, MonsterMan testing my strength, rainy cold days to start the week, BUT
I am feeling much better now!! WOW!! (more later)

Monday, April 20, 2009

Testing, testing....
Checking out mobile blogging and how it posts.
Can you read me now?? :-D
Ang

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Friday Fun

Friday Fill-In from Janet

1. Join me in _enjoying the warmer weather, even if it is only for a few days!

2. Put a little _kid in your day!

3. Happiness is _the kids playing nicely while enjoying my morning coffee on the swing on a warm summer morning.

4. _Trying to overcome being overwhelmed, negative_ and confused.

5. I'm waiting for _warm days in the sun at the lake!

6. _Temptation_ is hard to resist. (hehe, sorry couldn't help it)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Mr. Fixit getting back home, tomorrow my plans include _cleaning out the garage ___ and Sunday, I want to _work on uploading new pics from spring break!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Whew!

Whirlwind weekend turned into whirlwind WEEK! I'm home. I'm beat. I have 287 loads of laundry to do and week-old dishes on the counter...thankfully rinsed at least. I still have bags in my truck and 150+ pics to download. I'm going to pull a Scarlet on all that stuff...I'll think about those tomorrow.
Right now, I'm going to crash in my comfy bed with Mr. FixIt snoring the shingles off the roof and two very-happy-we're-home kitty cats snuggled under my arm. Ahhhh. Good to be home.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

When? Why??

I can't win. Try to be educated and inform, I'm a bitch. Try to be compassionate and give heads up, I'm 'making things up.' Try to give advice I'm a horrible parent and not worthy of passing on my experience.
I am NOT PERFECT AND WILL NEVER BE, I am my own WORST CRITIC AND know my faults.
When is it my turn to be right or worth a shit? I don't get it.

When does my opinion get to be "better"? I never give advice without being asked. I always try to be positive. I am not a hurtful person.

According to one, one that really does count, I make things up, think I am perfect, and am a horrible mother. I'm far from being a role model mother- the genes to yell and scream are deep within and I fight that everyday and don't always win that battle. My kids know this. They've never heard me yell without shortly after hearing apology or explanation. They also know they will NOT be raised as spoiled brats and they are NOT in charge. In fact in being upset over this very matter one just said to me, "but momma you don't want us to grow up bad and mean. You do that for us to be good."

I have been accused of not standing up for what I feel. I have been told to 'grow a backbone' Well my backbone has been starting to emerge, and I've been repeatedly criticized and called on for trying to show it. I'm wrong, no matter the issue. My opinion can be voiced, but cannot be believed. There is only one opinion that matters.

Damned if I do and damned if I don't. I won't ever be right or worthy. Why do those we love the most throw the sharpest daggers??

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Wiiiiiiiiiii!!

What a hysterical evening!
Just played the Wi with my mom for about two hours. We cracked up and laughed ourselves into tears and pounding headaches- what a blast! Even the silly games on Wii Play, laser hockey and shooting had us into giggling, snorting fits of laughter at our mistakes and screw ups. Playing with the kids is one thing, but playing the Wii with your parents?? Priceless!! If you have the chance or ability, I suggest you try it PRONTO!!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

I needed that!

What a glorious sunny day! Started out a bit chilly for Palm Sunday Mass, but by the time we were back home to change clothes and head back out, it was very comfy in the upper 60s. Yes!!

The afternoon started out shopping with mom while dad bonded with his newest four-legged grandchild. She only barked at him initially then realized Grandpa=food nearby. :-D He put Lucy in his truck and ran errands, cut and loaded some wood, stopped at work, then brought her up to the barn. Mom of course was not thrilled he brought Lucy with him, though I was secretly happy to introduce her to the barn. She needs as much people and animal socialization as a puppy that we can give her. Dad did keep her on the leash and out of the barn to start off; she did growl slightly to Mr. E and a couple others though didn't pay much attention to either horses or cats. An older dog also visiting was greeted eagerly as I think she was missing Ben. After some adjustment time to sounds and smells, Dad walked her through the barn, and Lucy seemed kind of interested in those mammoth new 'friends' behind the wooden doors, but not bothered or afraid. She'd never been around horses before so I didn't want her barking up a storm and causing fuss and stress. No barking. So far, so good. After another hour or so we let her off the leash and with training collar on, she played with the other dog and the kids outside the barn, lazed in the warm sun, chewed on some hoof trimmings at the barn door and didn't seem to be bothered by horses and people walking by, even a few of the NEW-to-her people. Which shocked me as she is very non-trusting of anyone, growling and sometimes barking at any new face until she's been around them a few times. She will gradually work her way to you, eventually wagging tail and not growling, to finally getting close and letting you pet her after a few visits, but the first time?? Don't dare reach to pet her. Going after her and trying to make friends only makes her more uneasy and she will bark. I attribute that to boxer and mastiff temperament combined with the horror of neighbor kids running full tilt, screaming at her, arms flailing the first two or three times we had her outside- completely freaked her out at 12 weeks old. Needless to say when at the barn I was shocked when a new-to-her person walked up to the barn, she sat up from her sunny lounge spot and licked the guy's hand with her tail wagging as he passed her. WHAT?? Dad even hollered, "Did you see that??" Um, yeah and I don't believe it! Wow- maybe she's growing out of some of that fear. Not that I want her to trust EVERY new person of course, but was pleasantly surprised she was accepting of a person who obviously belonged "with us."

So, the remainder of the evening we cleaned up Reefie and Golaith, were able to pet the new foal (week old !), groom his mamma a bit and visit with Mr. E and Ms. A at the same time. You can tell spring is upon us by looking at the barn floor- piles of winter hair from using the shedding tools and curry brushes. Like a mulit-color fluffy snow in and around the barn. Long hair strings from detangling and pulling manes and tails were played with by the barn cats and carried away by birds eager to finish spring nests. After the equine beasts were groomed, watered and put away, we sat our filthly selves outside the barn in the fading sunlight while the kids ran in the fields 'being horses' to expunge the last of their energy.

Aaahhhhh. A couple hours of tiring barn therapy and warm sun were JUST what I needed.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Whirlwind weekend!

West by God Virginia is where I'm headed!!

Draggin my kids, dog, and a truck load of crap to my parents house for a few days...hehehe!!

Looking forward to some warmer temps, a week-old foal at the barn, grooming some very fuzzy horses shedding out their winter coats, eating some awesome seafood at Back Bay- oh yeah, visiting my parents :-D

Wish me luck!

Friday, April 3, 2009

Ugh

I was going to write a post on ER and how much I'll miss it after being my favorite show, the only "thing" consistent for 15 years, but something isn't right. I had about two paragraphs of total boringness...DELETE, DELETE, DELETE. I'm not in a very good mood so far today possibly due to the morning has just sucked- already.

-I didn't tell Mr. FixIt good-bye this morning. He kissed me and said he was headed downstairs but I couldn't wake up enough to actually say anything. That bugs me.

-I slept later than normal and when my sister called, and woke me up, I could not get to a phone in time since phone by my bed was toast. Grumble.

-I meant to blog about ER last night and didn't. When I did wake up after the phone call I realized this and also because I didn't blog, I blew NaBloPoMo on the second day. Crap.
(but I did clean the kitchen at 11:30, does that count for anything?? )

- Auntie Flo who dropped in late last night- she makes me flippin' bonkers.

-It's raining. Again. Can I skip the April showers part and move straight to May flowers??

-

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Growing Up Bloggy

Before my April NaBloPoMo status goes down in flames before it even gets started, I better get something hashed out here. As I opened up the editor, I had two thoughts clashed in my pea brain, growing up and blogs. Hmmm, our kids are growing up amidst a world of people venting frustrations, explaining concepts, displaying news, illustrating craft ideas and keeping in touch among a bazillion other topics in easy to find blogs. Wow- should that be scary or just plain cool!? What would we have done with blogs as kids?? Who the heck knows- we didn't even have computers, much less internet access. What about other nifty gadgets we take for granted- bluetooth?? Wireless?? Cool phones and fun apps to go with them?? Texting?? Facebook?! My kids are growing up seeing MY childhood friends' kids in pictures and stories with genuine interest and care, thinking of these people as extension of their own family and friend circle- even if they have never met in person and may never see them in real life. Just a few more branches of extended family. As a child, I never knew any of my mom's school friends' families. How much more would I have learned about my mom if I'd known and really understood the "kids" she worked, played and hung out with?? I just think it's awesome I can keep in touch with friends I've known for 20 or 30 years, sharing similar life joys and difficulties!! I am shocked by my kids' true interest in my past buddies and their families, saying things like, "who's that? I have a shirt like that! oh I played soccer too! She likes horses like me!" and on and on. Wow- positive ideas. Not a bit of negativity, hate or jealousy present.
We often hear buzz that all this modern need to be "connected" and instant contact with texting and social web sites could be negative as impersonal socialization and feeding the monster of instant gratification and may one day be out of control. Maybe it is bad...but maybe, just maybe all this connection can help foster some compassion and sharing in our kids that will stick with them far into adulthood.