WOW ! We survived the winter!
Spring has sprung and the Nuthouse is gearing up for it !
Lyla, aka 'Giranha' ,(giraffe/piranha) has certainly settled into her place !
We had several chewing issues. Every time we left the house (sometimes even the room) someone lost a pair of shoes. Boots, snow boots, crocs, sneakers, slippers, workboots, all of them. She'd tear up egg cartons ( we save them for a friend) , trash, a few toys...( hence the 'piranha')
At one point I discovered she'd been jumping onto the kitchen table to see us leave.
So we went through the options.
Put her on the run tie out back- and she slipped her skinny lil giraffe head right out of it.
We tried to tie her in the house, locking te tie under the back door- much to my surprise, when I returned that day, the dog was standing in the driveway. Yes, she had opened the door,and slipped out of the collar.
Next, its decided she has to go with us. after several nasty scratches and seatbelt crisises, the children declared the dog was too big for the backseat. I also had a hell of a time holding onto her when the kids got in and out for school. so we ties the leash through the cargo tiedown in the back, this way she can't get into the backseat.
she ate the blasted leash.
Enough. Lyla now sports a spiffy choker chain. If we go somewhere too long to keep her in the car, we tie her out front- she can't slip out of the choker. This has been a much more pleasant arrangement.
Beyond that, she's doing well, turned a year old this month, and is following commands, stays in the yard, and protects the children fiercely.
She also has a fun way to demand playtime. I kid you not, this dog nips at my butt. When I turn, "HEY", she barks at me, as if I started it.
The children are ready for summer! We've got the play areas cleaned up. They've built a tee-pee on one end of the yard ,have the batteries for thier cars all charged up, and the boat cleaned out.
They've been doing homework outside, then off to play until dinner (I love it !)
As the warden, I'm trying to stay a step ahead of the good-weather madness I know is coming.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Happy New Year 2011 !!
Welcome to 2011!
So far, ours has been chock FULL of snow! The children's winter break began a week early. They had , in total, a month's time out of school.
Several days before Christmas, Husband had surgery on his shoulder. It was a bit rough for a week or two. The children were extremely helpful, and very cooperative. I think it also helped that we were snowed in for a good portion of this time!
A quiet Christmas for the Nuthouse~ Daughter woke at an earth-shattering 3:30am. I promise you, we were all napping by noon, while watching more snow fall.
New Years was a bit more. Husband felt better, the roads had finally cleared again.. We allowed the children to watch the New York ball drop.
Son wanted to know why it went SO slow, if it was "dropped". The mechanics were explained.
Son also wanted to know WHY in the world we celebrated the new year, and why it was done by watching a big ball of lights on a building. That one was a bit harder. "its just what we do." Its part of the celebration of a new year.
We also had some friends visit for a few days, its always great to see them ! They had planned a trip to see the snow, as we had gotten over 4 inches just before Christmas. Of course, when they arrived ,the snow was gone, and the temperatures were back to the 50's. (you know what happened the day they left , right?)
Finally, after the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays, Husband's surgery , the holidays themselves, and visits, this Mama was looking forward to the kids returning to school!
I saw their return to school, to schedules and consistency,as the beginning of MY break!
The night before the first day, son tells me he needs a toothpick. there's something stuck in his teeth, driving him crazy.
lemme see it.
Turns out, it was a tooth. His adult tooth grew in behind his baby tooth. The baby tooth was hardly loose!
So both kids got dropped off at school Tuesday morning, but one was picked up two hours later for a field trip to the dentist.
This was the first time son's mouth had been numbed. . . he didn't like it much. he kept saying his face was falling, and was worried he looked funny.( really, its hard to believe your face isn't really sagging the way it feels when they numb you like that!)
He made it through in one piece, thrilled to have his first tooth out. It is SO tiny, it dropped when they pulled it, and myself, the dentist, and the nurse were on the floor, feeling through the rug for it !
When we got home, and he had regained some of the sensation in his face, he asked me if his "cheek had grown back" ! ! It was hard to explain with a straight face that he hadn't swelled, his cheek hadn't fallen off, he looked just like he always did, minus a tooth in his smile.
Wednesday both children again went to school, stayed all day. Mama was happy. She got many many items checked off of the evil to-do list.
It was short lived.
By noon, it was snowing again. (much to my friend's delight, as they had concluded their travels, and were on the way home.)
We were tortured by a rain / snow mix all night.
Naturally in the morning, though there wasn't much snow to speak of, the roads were too icy, and schools closed for Thursday... (today)
The children didn't take this well. they had two days back with friends and routines. what a teaser to be shut out again so soon!
They were also frustrated, because by noon, the sun was out ,and the roads had cleared.
Daughter was very upset when she was informed that tomorrow, and probably Monday and Tuesday would bring more closings.
"but LOOK mama!! the snow's gone and the sun is out!!"
yes, but tonight its going to snow again. wear your jammies inside out !! (this supposedly encourages the snow. something the teachers told them)
Daughter did not agree with the Jammy theory today.
"NO!! if we wear Jammies inside out there REALLY won't be school! "
well, silly, look at it this way, its GOING to snow. schools will probably close anyway. won't you like to have enough to PLAY IN ?
"no. i wanna go to school."
only kid I know that defies a snow day for this reason.
certainly has been an interesting start here at the Nuthouse.
So far, ours has been chock FULL of snow! The children's winter break began a week early. They had , in total, a month's time out of school.
Several days before Christmas, Husband had surgery on his shoulder. It was a bit rough for a week or two. The children were extremely helpful, and very cooperative. I think it also helped that we were snowed in for a good portion of this time!
A quiet Christmas for the Nuthouse~ Daughter woke at an earth-shattering 3:30am. I promise you, we were all napping by noon, while watching more snow fall.
New Years was a bit more. Husband felt better, the roads had finally cleared again.. We allowed the children to watch the New York ball drop.
Son wanted to know why it went SO slow, if it was "dropped". The mechanics were explained.
Son also wanted to know WHY in the world we celebrated the new year, and why it was done by watching a big ball of lights on a building. That one was a bit harder. "its just what we do." Its part of the celebration of a new year.
We also had some friends visit for a few days, its always great to see them ! They had planned a trip to see the snow, as we had gotten over 4 inches just before Christmas. Of course, when they arrived ,the snow was gone, and the temperatures were back to the 50's. (you know what happened the day they left , right?)
Finally, after the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays, Husband's surgery , the holidays themselves, and visits, this Mama was looking forward to the kids returning to school!
I saw their return to school, to schedules and consistency,as the beginning of MY break!
The night before the first day, son tells me he needs a toothpick. there's something stuck in his teeth, driving him crazy.
lemme see it.
Turns out, it was a tooth. His adult tooth grew in behind his baby tooth. The baby tooth was hardly loose!
So both kids got dropped off at school Tuesday morning, but one was picked up two hours later for a field trip to the dentist.
This was the first time son's mouth had been numbed. . . he didn't like it much. he kept saying his face was falling, and was worried he looked funny.( really, its hard to believe your face isn't really sagging the way it feels when they numb you like that!)
He made it through in one piece, thrilled to have his first tooth out. It is SO tiny, it dropped when they pulled it, and myself, the dentist, and the nurse were on the floor, feeling through the rug for it !
When we got home, and he had regained some of the sensation in his face, he asked me if his "cheek had grown back" ! ! It was hard to explain with a straight face that he hadn't swelled, his cheek hadn't fallen off, he looked just like he always did, minus a tooth in his smile.
Wednesday both children again went to school, stayed all day. Mama was happy. She got many many items checked off of the evil to-do list.
It was short lived.
By noon, it was snowing again. (much to my friend's delight, as they had concluded their travels, and were on the way home.)
We were tortured by a rain / snow mix all night.
Naturally in the morning, though there wasn't much snow to speak of, the roads were too icy, and schools closed for Thursday... (today)
The children didn't take this well. they had two days back with friends and routines. what a teaser to be shut out again so soon!
They were also frustrated, because by noon, the sun was out ,and the roads had cleared.
Daughter was very upset when she was informed that tomorrow, and probably Monday and Tuesday would bring more closings.
"but LOOK mama!! the snow's gone and the sun is out!!"
yes, but tonight its going to snow again. wear your jammies inside out !! (this supposedly encourages the snow. something the teachers told them)
Daughter did not agree with the Jammy theory today.
"NO!! if we wear Jammies inside out there REALLY won't be school! "
well, silly, look at it this way, its GOING to snow. schools will probably close anyway. won't you like to have enough to PLAY IN ?
"no. i wanna go to school."
only kid I know that defies a snow day for this reason.
certainly has been an interesting start here at the Nuthouse.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Fun Travels !
Husband and I have loaded up the residents of the NutHouse for a Thanksgiving trip. We're visiting his family in his Indianna hometown.
the trip itself was smoother than we thought it would be- the kids were incredibly well behaved, and even the dog was very mellow, hoarding half the storage area of the truck with her bedding and bones.
We discovered very quickly how much colder it was north, than at home.
it was 56 degrees at home when we left.
it was 32 degrees when we arrived in Indianna.
and dropping quickly, preceeding the sleet/ rain / wind .
the wind chill took it down to about 19 degrees. yea. COLD.
Husband got up very early our first full day in, and decided to find a store for some supplies. Son went with him. They wisely, found Son a set of gloves.
Later the children and husband went for a stroll in the woods, with my brother in law- showing the kids thier old stomping grounds on the farm.
I could hear the frozen ground crunching as they walked away from the house. ( i do mean GROUND, not grass, as the MUD freezes here, and crunches just like frozen grass would)
They returned about 30 minutes later.
Son made a beeline for the house.
he came in, took off his new gloves, threw them down on a chair, and said ,
"MAMA ! these gloves DON'T WORK!"
what??
"my gloves don't work, we should take them back to the store! "
why don't they work hon?
"they must be broken or sumpthin"
baffled ,I ask again " whats wrong with them?"
his reply " they don't WORK! my fingers are frozen !! "
it was impossible not to giggle.
of COURSE your fingers are cold. it doesn't mean theres anything wrong with your gloves, it means its REALLY REALLY COLD out there !!!
the child regarded me as if I was clueless, and was just "talking crazy".
i suppose it wouldn't be the first time.
the trip itself was smoother than we thought it would be- the kids were incredibly well behaved, and even the dog was very mellow, hoarding half the storage area of the truck with her bedding and bones.
We discovered very quickly how much colder it was north, than at home.
it was 56 degrees at home when we left.
it was 32 degrees when we arrived in Indianna.
and dropping quickly, preceeding the sleet/ rain / wind .
the wind chill took it down to about 19 degrees. yea. COLD.
Husband got up very early our first full day in, and decided to find a store for some supplies. Son went with him. They wisely, found Son a set of gloves.
Later the children and husband went for a stroll in the woods, with my brother in law- showing the kids thier old stomping grounds on the farm.
I could hear the frozen ground crunching as they walked away from the house. ( i do mean GROUND, not grass, as the MUD freezes here, and crunches just like frozen grass would)
They returned about 30 minutes later.
Son made a beeline for the house.
he came in, took off his new gloves, threw them down on a chair, and said ,
"MAMA ! these gloves DON'T WORK!"
what??
"my gloves don't work, we should take them back to the store! "
why don't they work hon?
"they must be broken or sumpthin"
baffled ,I ask again " whats wrong with them?"
his reply " they don't WORK! my fingers are frozen !! "
it was impossible not to giggle.
of COURSE your fingers are cold. it doesn't mean theres anything wrong with your gloves, it means its REALLY REALLY COLD out there !!!
the child regarded me as if I was clueless, and was just "talking crazy".
i suppose it wouldn't be the first time.
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