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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Sanford and "Wife"





That's what I feel like.  We've been cleaning out (or up) the place for the last two weeks.  There's nothing better than spending your afternoons in an attic with outside temps over 100.  My pores are clean and I paid no one. After this last move 3 years ago, I refused then to NEVER move stuff that we don't use.  Two years ago I got rid of box after box of 20 year old wedding gifts that had never seen the outside of the box it was packed in 20 years ago.  Every time I would go through the attic or move, I'd think, "Now I just know I will have a use for these 6 crystal pitchers." 

Nada.

So, two years ago we got rid of lots of stuff in our garage sale.  But this summer it was different.  Now it was Doug's turn to let go and let loose.  He's had a bit tighter grip on his stuff of 15+ years that he doesn't even know he has.  (Sad to say, but I've "helped" him purge at various times over the years.)  But this time, he finally ditched a box of college textbooks.  We collectively agreed that the 3 1/2" floppies and the notes on DOS were out of date, the old professors had probably died, and  it doesn't look like you're planning to attend medical school any time soon, so really, why are we hanging onto this stuff?  And yes, those I Can Learn Spanish in Easy 14 Lessons on VHS that we've been carting from house to house for the last 18 years must go.  And, let us not forget the 5 boxes of infomercial materials that my husband bought when he stayed up a little too late one night.  They have never been opened.  I personally cleaned out no less than 20 boxes of old stuff hanging around in the attic.  I even have plans of sending our hard copies of pictures in bulky albums to a place here in town to scan them and put them on CD. 

Let me must say it was liberating.  Let me repeat. LIBERATING! Thanks to our intense clean out efforts, we'll only require 2 giant U-Haul trucks next time we move instead of 5. 

 Doug and I have both decided to not let our stuff define us any more.  Fear of lack has kept us in bondage for years.  We are children of the Most High God.  We lack for NOTHING.  It's high time we start acting like it.  We took pictures of stuff and then just let it go. (Let me clarify...pictures of "sentimental" stuff.  I did not take a picture of Herman Cassidy's Becoming a Millionaire by Buying Dilapitated Homes infomercial package.)

And then we had the junk piles.  When you have acrerage, you are entitled to junk piles.  I'm not sure that is a good thing because that then turns into the "good" junk pile and the "real" junk pile.  To define the difference, the "good" junk pile is stuff that could be used for future projects.  (Which, by the way, never get used for said future projects...) The "real" junk pile has seen its day. For instance, rather than pay Sears $30 to haul off our old dishwasher, we just tossed it into the "real" junk pile. Two days ago we decided to haul off all things junk.  ALL THINGS. 

The scrap metal went to scrap metal recycling place here in town.  Yes, we recycled.  Amazing for those of you who know us.  This morning the girls and Doug took a field trip to the dump.  I'm not sure who was more excited--the children or their father. I've never been.  I don't really have an inkling to go either.  I understand it smells.  The dishwasher proudly sat at the front of the trailer.  Coupled with all the old stuff overflowing the trailer, all I could do was think about how we had almost become a real live Sanford and Son.  Never Again.  Never Ever.

(Now, what Sanford and Son have to do with "stuff" is beyond me.  It's just that whenever I hear that song, I think of junk piled everywhere.  I don't know...)

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Adios Softball!

Today marks the last day of Annsley's coach pitch softball games.  This has been our first go round of organized sports.  I am amazed at how busy it suddenly makes your already busy life.  I can't imagine what it will be like next year when Kennedi joins in on the fun.  How in the world do parents do it when their children are in several things at once? Just this one little thing has caused us to eat sandwiches in the car. 

Annsley is quite a little softball player, if I don't say so myself.  Her team is mostly boys--only 4 girls out of 18 on the team. (Don't get me started about the size.)  She can play with the boys, which makes her daddy puff up his chest.  She struck out her first time at bat, but she's gotten a hit every single time since then.  She's even made a few plays with some grounders at 2nd that have made the crowd go "Wow!", so I guess you could say she's got a proud Momma as well!

These kids are so funny to watch.  And the parents who are soooooo serious about this game! These little first graders are often more interested in the bug crossing first base than watching for the ball.  And then the circles these little guys can run when they don't know what to do with the ball!  And then the little girl who couldn't quite run quick enough to tag the runner and decided to just chunk the ball at the runner's back. My husband was umping by her and leaned over and whispered, "That may work on your brother at home but not here!" Or even my own daughter who did a most unsportmanlike "happy dance" when she tagged a runner out at 2nd just last week.  Where did that come from??? Or the child who loses his cap running to first and MUST stop to pick it up and place it back on his head before he can resume running....AND he still manages to get to first base safely.






Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The dog...

I am amazed at how much dog stuff costs.  This dog costs a lot.  And I haven't even bought a  collar yet. 
We've basically moved her outdoors.  Doug built a dog house for Tiger Lily to live in.  It's insulated.  It's huge.  The puppy, Andrei, Annsley, and Kennedi can all fit inside it.  I was going to opt for the $67 plastic model from Wal-Mart.  I was out voted. 

I was in Pets Mart the other day looking for heavy bowls.  Where we live, the wind turns plastic bowls into flying objects, so we were needing something heavy.  I was shocked at how much a darn dog bowl costs.  The cheap ones....$10.  And you can spend up to $30 on one bowl for Rufus.  I finally found a big ceramic one on clearance for $4.97--regularly $14.  It says "Thirsty" on it.  I bought one for her food bowl as well.  She can't read.  She won't know the difference.

Then, I went to Dollar Tree.  In their pet department, they had ceramic bowls for $1. Granted, they were slightly smaller than the Pets Mart one, but really?? How can you charge $10 for the same thing??  I snatched one for the food.  I'll return the second "Thirsty" bowl to Pets Mart.

She needs training.  Her owners need training.  Cats are so much simpler...

Dog Tired!


The Tiger Lily a la Chateau!  And in OSU orange too!  I think the paint lady at the store had a glitch in her mixing.  October Pumpkin was a dark reddish orange on the paint chip.  Go Cowboys!


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Happy Birthday, Annsley!

My baby girl turned 8.  GULP! Here are a few pictures from her family party.  A softball/baseball game was started.  It was pretty funny watching a bunch of 60 something grandparents trying not to kill themselves! Thank you all for participating and making it a fun afternoon!

 And in case you might be wondering what in the world the pink "object" is, well, it's a pinata want-to-be.  Annsley HAD to have a Pink Poodle Pinata.  I was not going to spend $20 dollars on something that would be whacked away in 5 minutes.  So, I went to You Tube and learned how to make our own.  Doug just rolled his eyes when I told him what Annsley and I were about to do.  (Remember, he was a part of the Mother's Day Pinata fun.) 

I wouldn't recommend it.  I know, it looks like a pig. We didn't have enough toilet paper cardboard rolls, so we had to make 4 legs out of just two.  We just call him Stubby, the fat poodle with mange.  I got hot wrapping the crepe paper around and around, so I made the executive decision to use highly visible duct tape to hold it all together. The $20 might have been worth it...


No rude comments, please!

She doesnt' know how bad it really looks.  Thank you for 8 year old bliss!





Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Picture Post!

I'm back from the dead.  Maybe. 

A quick picture post of some of my favorite people:
Yes, I stacked it all by myself!


Unfortunately for her, disco has had its day.

My little 'uns made themselves a train.  Notice the caboose is not as happy as the rest.  And such is a 2 year old's life...
It has been crazy, busy around here.  Softball, VBS, end of school...more about our comings and goings with that as soon as my tongue quits hanging out of my mouth.
 
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