Random Thoughts

I finished my dad's blanket, and I delivered it to him, but I forgot to take a picture. Oh well. I was so excited to get it to him. He was happy.

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The kids are still a bit sick. They have stuffy noses and one is particularly whiny today....

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Ralphie got his last round of shots yesterday, and he had an allergic reation. It looked like he had botox done on his lips. I am not kidding. It was sad. He puffed up in the face, and he cried whenever you touched him. Poor dog. It is strange how well he has infilitrated this family and become one of our pack. He is my third child.

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I am kind of in between craft projects. I really want to start a quilt, but I have some nervousness about it since I've never made one. I don't know why I find quilt making intimidating.

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It is official: Fall is here. It is cool at night and in the morning.

The kids bundle up to go out to swing. I think I appreciate the swing set as much as the kids. It really frees me up to surf the internet, read, and craft. I am still outdoors with them, and we do chat, but it is not my responisbility to entertain them. As a child I spent countless hours on a swingset. I love listening to them chit chat while they swing or do the teeter totter. It is so nice, and it was the way I had envisioned it. I am not gonna say they NEVER fight out there....Believe me; they do. But the physical activity keeps them occupied and happy. I think they go down for naps and bedtime more easily.

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Okay. Enough said. I should start laundry, load the dishwasher, and pick up!

~Karen

Crochet Project & Eye Ball Removers

Here's the blanket I'm making for my Dad. Hope he likes it....I have some crazy colors in it....Hopefully it will all work out in the end!

Granny squares are everywhere in my house....I actually like making different types and then connecting them later. It is much harder for me to take a big project from room to room or outside.

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We don't have cable television or satellite. We use a simple cheap-o antenna. And we have a digital box so we can pick up the free channels. The only way we can get the free channels is with the antenna poking out into the center of the room. Kevin and I call them eye-ball removers.

This morning I woke up to this:
See what Kevin stuck on the end?
Too funny!

Have a great week!
Oh, and in case you wondered, the kids wanted to go out at 8am this morning. The swing set is getting some use!
~Karen

Super Sunday!

Rain didn't stop Kevin from putting this thing together. It was completed last night at 11pm. :)

They are getting better at learning to swing on their own.

Well done, Kevin. The kids love it.
~Karen

I'm sick....

I'm sick. The kids have entertained themselves. On a trip to the sink for more water, I noticed they were playing separately in their rooms, and Mimi had a sign on her door:

I asked Moe what he thought of the sign and he said "She's being grumpy, so I am leaving her alone."

Too funny! I am glad they are working it out. I hope I am better soon.
~Karen

Ralphie takes a nap when the kids do! Isn't that funny? He gets up when they get up!

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Here is Moe's first drawing of a face:

It's his Papaw. And, yes, he does have a mustache. I love it!
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We've been jamming to a new CD.

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This momma is still nursing. These two kittens are old enough to be weened, but she isn't stopping them from nursing. It is so sweet. She seemed to lack motherly instincts at first, but I think she's learned!

Have a great day!
~Karen

Protect the Health Insurance Executives!

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Things Change

A weekend full of changes has left me tired. We worked all weekend on the tree. Then we decided to take the apple down as well. Thanks to Derek, the job was made easier. He came over and took it down in seconds. We hauled all the wood to the side yard to clear the backyard. It really opened the yard up. The kids will enjoy this.

We now have room to expand the garden.

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Then I had a conversation with Mimi that shocked me:

Mimi: Can Babaw (Grandma) babysit us while you go get your license renewed?
Me: Why? It doesn't expire for a couple more months.
Mimi: You'll need it to drive me to Kindergarten at public school.
Me: You wanna go?
Mimi: Yes.

Well, okay. I guess another change of plans!

Have a great week!
~Karen

The Tree

Here is what is left of the tree. I worked while the kids slept.... I am so tired now.

I had good company. He is a little stressed out by all of this. He is pretty cat-like.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
~Karen

What We've Been Doing

I made my parents a throw, and they said they need another one. I guess they both like it so much and they don't want to share! :)
My dad's throw:

I really like this yarn. It was still in plastic sealed up. It has Sears tags on it! I don't remember Sears ever selling yarn, so I bet it is pretty darn old!
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Mimi is all about her American dolls. She loves playing with them. I prefer them over Barbies or Bratz dolls any day!

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Maybe Ralphie will grow into these ears some day?

Fly away !
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The swing set is here! It is on the back porch waiting to be put together!

Here's the tree we've been working on cutting down. It has been a lot of work. I keep telling myself how much I love the kids and how much fun they will have....They better!!! I will be saying "You will smile! You will laugh!!!"

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My butternut squash are coming along. They look more like adolescents now...Soon they will turn tan and there will be no more green stripes on them. I cannot wait.

We are going to double our garden size next year. We are already planning it! I am going to plant okra! I got a fresh batch from a friend and it reminded me how much I love it.

Adding Insult to Injury....and Other Randomness

You may not hear from me in the next couple years or so. Why? I'll be busy. I've got money to blow.

I won the U.K. National Lottery.

Of course, I never entered, but apparently I've won. And it is a lot of money. Thankfully they had my email address so they were able to notify me. I need to email them the following: my full name, date of birth, social security number, address, and phone number....really not very much considering I've won 4 million.

The sad thing is the poor executor of the Lotto has the unfortunate name of Mrs. Wilson Stacy. Maybe I will share some of my millions with her. That may help her cope with having a first name like "Wilson."

Yay! It's Friday!

This little boy got a new home last night. We still have 1 boy, and 2 girls, and the the momma cat. It was hard on the kids and Kevin to see the kitty go, but it was for the best. I hope the rest will be adopted soon.
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No big plans for the weekend. I hope to sleep in! I really do want sleep. This morning Miles turned his radio on full blast, and it was horrible. I never could get back to sleep.
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We are debating on whether to buy a swing set or not. I always figured we would go to a park, but it never works out that way. We may go ahead and get one. I know the kids would love it.
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I am in between craft projects. I am crocheting up some dishrags while I try to figure out what I want to start. :)
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Have a good weekend!
~Karen

ALL Humans Deserve Health Care!

Holidays!

Our new toy: A Dell Mini 10:

I love it! We bought it at Sam's Wholesale.
And what I love even more about it is that it in its' instructions it offers Linux Ubuntu setup instructions. You can get it with Windows XP....Why? I have no idea. We are a Microsoft -free family!

I love having internet access. Both kids hog the other two computers in this house. Moe likes playing the Wiggles games and PBS kid's games, while Mimi loves Starfall.
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Finally! I finished Auntie Mei's and Uncle Keith's blanket! I am quite proud of it. All the yarn came from yard sales or Goodwill. It was rather inexpensive to make, but it was time consuming.

My next project is a wool rug. I cut the strips last night. I got a cutting board and an Olfa rotary cutter. It has made things so much easier. My back couldn't handle cutting by hand on the floor!
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We are enjoying having Kevin home today. Looove holidays. The kids were up at the crack of dawn. We left some zucchini bread on the table in ziploc bags! They let us sleep in until 9 am. It was nice. :) Thanks kiddos!

Hope everyone is having a great week!
~Karen

President Wants to Challenge Youth While Parents Object

I can hardly believe the firestorm surrounding President Obama and his soon-to-be speech to America's schoolchildren. God forbid he ask students to take their education seriously or to consider college. I voted for Obama. If he had lost, and McCain wanted to give such a speech, I would never have opposed it. Glenn Beck, who I personally view as dangerous, says "the republic is under attack." Seriously? Really??

Adopt Me!

The cats are weaned. Momma still has some milk, but not much. For the most part, the cats eat kitten food. We are ready to give them out. They are cute and friendly. We will miss them. If we were country dwellers, we would keep them. The kids have enjoyed having them around, and I do think they will be sad to see them go, but the time has come!

So, here is what I will do. Anyone who has ever commented will be entered into a contest! The first 4 drawn will receive a kitten. Cats are tough. They can survive being Fed Exed. I'm joking, of course. ;)

~Karen

Added: (don't let your kids watch!)

Crafting, Books, and TV

I nabbed this at Goodwill today for $2. It has everything in the box to make a crocheted Bert! Oh my! It is from 1979, and it is still has plastic around the box. I am too excited to make this. Even if the kids don't like it, I will! :)
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I just finished Kent Haruf's Plainsong, and it was great! I highly recommend it. Next on my plate is the 4th book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series The Kalahari Typing School For Men.
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I can't imagine a world without books. I can imagine a world without TV though. I think people would be happier if they watched less TV and read more. Sometimes friends will ask me how I managed to get something done, and I usually don't tell them this...But, people who watch little TV have a lot more time to do productive things. I can craft, read, etc....

I don't mind documentaries. Yesterday we watched one on Woody Guthrie...It was a PBS masters program, and it was great. I am not talking about good TV programs. We don't get cable TV, so our TV viewing is limited to free channels. Thankfully PBS is free.

Alright, I am done rambling. Go to the library. Get a membership. Check out a book. You'll be happier!
~Karen