good morning, morning!

  Can I tell you a secret? I love sleeping. This strange habit has been creeping up on me for years, whispering sweet words of refreshment. B.C. (before children) I would try with all my might to stay asleep, but my eyes would pop open when day broke. Now I drag my broken exhausted body from bed to make breakfast and (dun dun dun)  set up for our school day.
  This summer was hectic, busy, and fun.  I let go on the school day schedule. We went with the flow. The puppy has changed that up a bit along with school. Goodbye refreshed Mamagriffith and hello caffeine!
  Nukka, the puppy, is very smart. No, I'm not being the optimistic parent here...she really is. One night of moaning and she was done. She knows her name because the breeder used it and when she gets tired she goes back to her kennel.  I do hope that as she grows bigger she uses her smarts for good and not evil.  Hope hope hope hope. ;)

some pics of Nukka

We picked her up yesterday. I am astonished at how big a 6 1/2 week old puppy can be. She has taken to hiding under the porch in the cold sand.
  Funny how our pets have a tendency to hide from the kids. Charlotte use to sleep in the bathroom drawers. I assumed that she brought that habit with her from growing up in the barn...now I know its from growing up around kids.
  We purchased a malamute pup because we felt like no Great Dane out there would ever replace Nancy and we wanted a dog who could swim and hike without dieing. Now that she is here I have to keep reminding myself she LIKES the cold. Oh by the way Malamutes DO bark and yowl and howl and everything else normal dogs do.
  Tomorrow I will post a weekly growth pic.

Haiku Tuesday

puppy cries at night

heartless mommy goes to bed

oh the early morn

click for kristen

portland to coast again!

A walking race of this magnitude means challenge. Most people work out for months ahead of time to prepare for this momentous event. Last time I had been jogging and doing pilatis. This time I took it cold turkey. Who has time to exercise these days?! My muscles ached a little more and my body protested a little louder. Thanks to my age I can still pull it off. No toe nails lost this year. I was thinking how fun it would be to do it with people I knew, rather than going with the district. What are your thoughts? Well I am off to get the puppy. More to follow.

Five minute Friday- Older

 To me being older means I actually have a handle on life, the chance to try new things without the hesitation of youth. Perhaps for others its the opposite. Now that I have matured enough, I am seeking things that were previously dreams and cares.
  My writing class is one of those things. It took 10ish years to commit to doing it. To get over the fear of not being good enough, of wasting my time and resources. Its been a struggle to over come my feelings of inadequacy and doubt. The instructor is a great help in bringing out the best and pointing out what needs to work. In truth I agree with all that he has said, except I find it hard to hear the good about my writing.  
  My next assignment will include a letter about what I want for the class. My goals. After much thought I have found my main goal is to pursue this until I am great at it. To grow older in my ability's so the hesitancy is gone and I can honestly say that it IS my best work and believe it.




 
 

oh my

 first we found the fish body...not so bad right.

next we found the fully intact turkey foot.....we promptly left before we came across a disembodied head. Do I even need to say we scrubbed them until they were begging us to stop.
 "momma your scrubbing too hard. Why are you putting so much soap on me??"

Chaos and Cousins

  This week is just flying by. The cousins (and Kristen) have come for a visit before school starts up again. This being our first year of "normal" school, I am trying to adjust to the fact we are stuck in one place! Everyone has had a marvelous and exhausting time playing, screaming, picking berries and not going to bed on time. 
  Today is our bonfire on the beach day and it looks like the weather will afford some sunshine. I am not ready for the fall/winter/spring/early summer rains to start. I guess that's why I purchased one of those parks passes in the hopes of running around as much as I can before the deluge sets in.
  Pictures? Whoops, I guess that's been put on the back burner too. I will try to take care of it today...

Haiku Tuesday

Cosmos and Poppy

the summer comes to a close

Why was it so short!



click for Kristen

New

At times its hard to live in the now and be satisfied when everything is the same. I cant count how many times I have compared my life to the groundhogs day movie. 'Och, there is punksatonie Phil getting pulled out of the hole. Here I am catching the kid falling out of the tree'  Eventually you do the same thing over and over so much it becomes routine and you don't even have to engage your brain. You long for new things, new places and don't even take note of the small changes. I think that a small amount of longing is good. Without it no one would reach for higher goals and stretch beyond the tiny world that they live in. I know for a fact that I wouldn't have even considered a writing class without first feeling like I needed a change and a challenge. But there are other times when my desire for newness becomes toxic. It sucks the happiness form my day and replaces it with dissatisfaction. What will be you choice today? Mine is to embrace the new but cherish the mundane. 

If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want. ~Oscar Wilde

Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious. ~Bill Meyer

Every Friday Krista participates in a five minute writing challenge. You write for five minutes and stop. No fussing over format or rearranging content. It was interesting, I might try it again.

some pics from camp that got lost

ice cold or luke warm

  No this isn't a post about spiritual issues, its about appliances. Our giant refrigerator died a good three weeks ago. How does one go for three weeks without a fridge? Thanks to our giant freezer in our garage, fairly easily. We have been using my parents ice chest with large frozen gallons of water. Its been interesting to say the least. In a way I have enjoyed the challenge of doing without...we moved back into our house, didn't own a microwave any more  and I found the extra counter space nice. So we still do without. The refrigerator challenge has been an experience, but now we are done! I have located one a few towns away. Now we just have to figure out a vehicle to borrow in order to get it home!

new baby pics!!!

The breeder sent me new pics of Nukka!! I have been checking our e-mail every day for weeks, waiting impatiently! Wow she is huge, only 4 1/2 weeks old too. We are all excited to get her on the 29th!

library in the digital age

  Would you have believed 10 years ago that you would be able to check out books from the library with a push of a button? I wouldn't have! Two days ago I finally downloaded the software I needed to do just that. It took some patience, but renting a book on my nook makes me love it all the more. I just cant get over how fast technology has moved. What am I reading now? Books on puppy training!

Haiku Tuesday

 grace and forgiveness

the beginning of friendship

cast down your sorrow

click for Kristen

two teeth

Thomas lost his first...and second tooth! His occasional hissing sound he makes when he says 'S' words is more pronounced and in this Mommy's opinion makes him all the cuter. I know, I'm a sucker.
  While we are on the subject of 'S' words lets talk school. The back half of last year I did traditional home school. No teacher but me. It was......well.....It made me admire those hardcore homeschooling families with schedules and consistency. I don't do as well without someone to check in with. Accountability is such a biggie with me and school. I loved loved loved being able to pick my own stuff to teach. Apologia science and Saxon math are amazing, as well as bob Jones English. The problem I ran into was that when the kids were whining and fussing about school I was more likely to bag it and do something easier for the day instead of pressing on and enduring. Thomas and Mr. Steel will be doing K12 again because its so much easier to coordinate. I have a teacher and a plan. All I have to do is stay on track and check in. Phew. My girl is going to give the public school a try. Its been such a big decision but I have taught her all I can. She needs new strategies and I need time to teach the boys without having to help her through her studies. It will be hard to have her gone. She is such a help and light to my day, but on the other hand I am excited for her to branch out and become the person she is going to be.
  Awanas is coming. Greg likes to call it the return of date night. Its the only activity that all three go to and enjoy as well as are safe We go have coffee and talk while they learn about Jesus and run around. Win, win. its hard to believe that soon they will all be independent not needing anything from me soon.
  Is that why I am buying a puppy?? heh. May be a little. Having just Frank around makes me appreciate what a great dog he is. I have been getting use to it just being one dog...except for the creepers. While we were gone the neighbors had to call the cops about someone trying to break into our garage. Also the other night Frank ran down the stairs and started barking up a storm (he doesn't do that unless its important) at something or someone on our porch. Oh sigh. Its just part of life any more. All that did remind me why I wanted a bigger dog...other than my need for a baby. (wink)
  I hope your day is going well! I am taking this week off from demolition, I found myself so exhausted at the end of the day that I was nearly in tears over nothing. (shhh don't tell Greg) I love outdoor work, but inside work? NO. This week I am hanging out with friends and relaxing before more painting, patching, and flooring. Whiew!

A change

  Some changes come along so quietly that at first you take no notice at all. That would be what happened to me. My youngest boy, the only one who would ever survive in the wilderness alone, has changed. It was so small at the start. He started hugging me and saying he loved me. For years he has been independent, fierce, fast and free. I say he could survive alone because he has never needed just me, until now.
  You don't know what your missing when its not there, but every declaration of love and appreciation feels extra special. It makes all the hard times a little easier.  He has even taken to making presents for his older siblings, giving things, sharing, and apologizing on his own. Life is full of many ups and downs. I suppose that is why I grasp so tightly to the best and let all else fall away, gone and forgotten forever.

role reversal

Today I moved all the boxes of flooring upstairs to my girls room so I could demo our fireplace area. In truth I have wanted it gone for a long time.......and lookeee here! Its gone!! Put big joe on ice and call it a celebration!

Mr. helper

My boy is a big fan of work. Most of the work he does has to have me 'helping' him just to make sure I don't get any calls from the neighbors about him falling their trees. Today he decided to break up the tiles near our fireplace. Boy was he ecstatic when Greg handed him a hammer and said 'Go for it.' That was on his way out the door and now my ears are ringing. Happy boy none the less.

oh my.

 Lately I have been going out to write. Its very hard for me to do any writing around my three. They need so much, especially when I am on the computer and I cant concentrate with all the noise. Usually I frequent Adelaide's. Not only do they have a great name but the atmosphere is quiet and comfy. Sadly on Wednesday they are closed. I drove around for 20 minutes trying do decide where to go. Finally, I ended up at the full circle cafe. Its my favorite yarn store here but the seating is really crowded and I don't like to set my computer up when there are people waiting for a table. Seems a bit hoggish to me. I pulled up and was thankful to find the place was quiet. I had 4 tea cakes and a cup of earl gray.
  My assignment has been frustrating me and I have been over thinking it. Urgh. I worked for near 45 min and then stood to leave. The girl near me said I had dropped something under the table so I stooped down. What did I find but a picture of Greg and......someones CRACK PIPE!!! I gingerly picked it up (I know, why I didn't just leave it there for them) and put it on their counter.
  "I found this under the table, its not mine." I said.
  "ooh" said one lady, "she found that under the table. Oh. Under that table, Robert was sitting there."
  They started talking amongst themselves over who could have left it.
  "Well is not mine." I said before leaving. I went home and told Greg while washing my hands. Bleck, even the thought of it. I cant say I'm not horrified, because I am. Its obvious that this area has a major drug problem, but if it would please stop making itself so apparent!!! The other hard thing is the drug house down the street has a little girl about my daughters age in it. I am trying my best to explain how even people who make bad decisions have kids too. Oh sigh. I guess this is just part of life. What are your thoughts?

surprise, not much

 we have enough sand for a volleyball party on the beach.

 Looks like we have one taker! Supervisor and volley ball player.

After pulling the wanes coating from the wall I came across random holes in odd places. Perhaps the previous owner was a treasure hunter? He was obviously not a contractor. I will keep my eyes open just in case there is a stash of money hidden in the walls. I did find the extra Subaru key as well as a dime, does that count?

a funny sign

Greg and I have been visiting dog stores lately. Around here people's pets are entitled to fancy treats, bottled water, liver flavored ice cream, and perfumes galore. Welcome to the beach. Although they had many fun and interesting things to buy, the best by far was this bumper sticker. Now if only I knew someone who owned a Newfoundland and a car...hmmmm think think think.

Haiku Tuesday

Potty stains and sand

four years of that funky smell

old carpet BE GONE!

click for Kristen

carting isn't just for horses

All this dog research I have been doing lately may seem obsessive. Okay so it is a little obsessive, but I'm one of those 'get ready to be ready' types anyway. I have never owned a Malamute yet and I want to be ready for all its breed specific quirks. One of the things they have said is important is that the dog have a job. Originally it was a working dog, pulling freight across Alaska. That got me thinking about sledding, pulling and gasp, carting. I may look silly walking a doggy who is pulling a cart full of kids but considering my reputation of looking silly walking with my kids nothing can beat when I had two in the stroller, one in a backpack and two dogs tethered to the stroller. I try no to imagine what people said about me over their morning coffee as they spied me out the window. (cough, cough) Oh back to the carting. Well, its actually something I thought about years ago when we got Nancy, but the whole breaking her femur put a damper on it. Plus if you ever met her, she didn't exactly strike you as a 'working dog' unless you count stealing large roasts off the counter and sleeping on all the furniture as working. This little seed stuck with me and I think it will finally come to something since I am breaking my own rule of never owning a high energy dog. Lets see if I can fine some images...here they are thanks to Google.

 

 Okay this is just wrong on so many levels. Defiantly not what I was thinking.

 hahahahahahaha...no wait, I mean..this is not the cart I was talking about either...

 to big.

Ah, here we are.  Basically you hook your dog up to a cart or wagon and teach them not to run off...generally before you put your kids in it. *chuckle* not that I would ever do that....

oh my aching flooring

 It took several days to get it to the point where it was ready for flooring...ps. I hate staples

 Do you like my supervisor? I do...such a hunk.

 The glue was so sticky, in fact I am covered in it tonight. Its worse than the deck stain by far!

 My girl took the pics for me. She was more than happy to leave us to work on her room.

 Super duper supervisor. Good thing I had him around to tell me what to do,..I would have been lost!

 I get a room without the boys!!!

 Ever since I was a kid I have enjoyed power tools. Greg usually doesn't trust me after I nearly sawed my boot off with a chain saw...but that was years ago. I still have all my digits.

TADA!!!

Today after several days of prep work we put down the flooring. This is a task that has caused me much stress, you see I have never done flooring. The grunt work was me, although I had to scold Greg several times for trying to help. He taught me how to measure for the next row and everthing  It took from 1pm to 7:30pm. It was hard to keep going with my muscles shaking, but I did it! One room down and a HUGE downstairs to go. Hope you enjoy the pics. 

Saturday

Most Saturdays I escape to the local coffee house for some writing time. Its a chance for me to just sit and write without meeting needs. At home in the wee hours of the morning I can pull it off too, but it seems like I keep thinking, "Was that a noise? Is one of them awake? Will they wake everyone else up?"
  Today, while drinking my tea and critiquing my assignment, I overheard a disturbing conversation. The content in itself wasn't bothersome, its who I am now that changed my view.
  The man was on the phone talking to a friend convincing him to move out of his moms house, stop taking care of her, and get on with his own life. See normal stuff. This started a conversation with the surrounding people about kids and when parents just need to stop...well parenting. When I was not a mom I felt the same way. "Get on with your life, they are just suffocating you." Now its just so different. I can't comment on the advise he gave, weather it was bad or good, it just got me to thinking. What if this was my kid he was talking to? What will it be like when an adult steps in and tries to influence my kid one way or another, tells them how to think, how to see, and what to feel.
  Worries for another day? Yah. Today I am trying to raise independent kids who are allowed to be critical thinkers. Hopefully by the time they are older they will weigh advise given to them with the truth and see if they balance. More to pray about,...always more to pray about. 
  Oh my writing class is going very well! Its helping me a lot. As for my blogging getting better.....lets just say that online journals are beauty in the eye of the beholder. (*wink*)

  For three days we have been painting the deck. Greg has had his hand in it for as long as he could stand (notice I said hand..all one of them) The fog rolled in last night right before I finished up on the last coat and I put everything away for the night. It was so disappointing to see clouds and rain this AM! Alas perhaps its good to rest a bit before starting up at it again. It is very sticky work and with all the showers I have been taking afterwords my skin squeaks when you touch it.
  My daughters room is nearly done. Its very yellow, but she likes it and that's what counts. I am excited for her to have space for all the great toys that Jamie gave to us. She takes such good care of her things and is looking forward to having space that the boys wont have access to mess it all up. I am looking forward to quieter bed times.
  All this work and running around of late has made me appreciate this last month of rest so much more. It has been fun to spend time with family and relax as well as think over what the future holds.
  My class is going well and I feel that it is teaching me to write every day. I like the instructor as well as the challenges. I don't however like my writing, but hey that will come with time right?

mistakes I have made

     When it comes to dogs and animals I use to think I had everything figured out. Really, if you read enough books on it anyone can be an expert right? Seven(nearly eight) doggies later I stand corrected. Here in all its glory is my personal doggy ownership trials and errors.

1. first dog-Rodger C. Peabody, the 'C' was for crazy. Breed- Chawawa mix. Temperament-When we went to pick him up he was 6 months old. He was NOT my pick. A fact I held over my parents head every time he was naughty. The good about him- he was a walking partner for my mom and security for me...I wasn't to keen on strangers. The bad- WAY too much to list. Lets just say he barked too much, ran away, occasionally humped random people and lived far too long. I do remember shaving a large smiley face into his butt though. Good times.
2. second dog-Cutie. Breed-terrier mix. Temperament- he was a 6 month old pound puppy who had been a street dog. He sadly was my fault. My brother needed a friend and I wanted another dog so ifso facto voila! Poof! poor judgment call #1 (remember the first one wasn't my choice) I should have seen the signs of aggression in him..i.e. charging the door when people came in, barking while approaching, putting his ears forward and advancing other dogs. It started with warning nips and ended up into full blown, send someone to the doc's for stitches, bad. We said goodbye to him and I worked through the nightmares. Oh wait, the good about him was he helped my brother through some hard times.
3. third dog-Romer. Breed-dwarf lab. Those are the kind with the stumpy legs. He was also deaf to top it off. Temperament- easy as pie. Seriously I think all labs are clones, no joke. We found him on the side of the road. Frost covered his body and I thought he was dead. When I called he didn't move. He was probably 4 at the time. I convinced my dad he was going to die soon anyway...he lived to be 11. My dad does have a funny story about him, so ask if you have the chance. There really was no bad about him. He was a sweet heart till the day he died.
4. fourth dog-Jewel. Breed-Catahaula (Louisiana leopard dog) Temperament-amiable, but spastic. She was a pound dog who "needed room to run" Those are tell tale doggy words for, uncontrollably energetic. No amount of exercise could control her. After working with her (to no avail)and praying about it...I took her back. This was actually a very good lesson for me to go back and say it wouldn't work.
5. fifth dog-Heidy. Breed-Springer spaniel. Temperament-Good natured. She was a very sweet dog but high energy. ( I know dad your surprised I am saying nice things about her) I didn't think I had the time for her but my dad fell in love...plus returning her to the puppy mill I got her from was not really an option. The good about her- she was friendly to all people and dogs. By then I had learned enough about socialization being a HUGE part of creating a nice, well adjusted dog. She walked with my dad every AM, drove in the car nicely(no not drove the car nicely) And was a great companion. The bad- she was inbreed...her daddy was really her mothers bro...you get the point. She would wet on your shoes if you talked sternly to her and she was really into chasing the laser pointer light. My parents had her till she passed.
6. sixth dog-Nancy. Breed-Great Dane. Temperament-Great with people and kids, but loved to swear at other dogs at inappropriate moments. Looking back I see where we failed to socialize her with friendly dogs. She was bitten several times by small dogs and instead of working her through we just figured, hey we live up at camp, what other dogs are there besides Shamu. Urgh how wrong I was. When we moved back to the beach all I did was work work work on leaving other dogs alone. Great Dane's tend to be dog aggressive anyway so my negligence when she was a puppy didn't help at all. The good about her-She was well rounded, excellent with kids and people, was an imposing presence and a great friend. *sniff* The bad- she liked the garbage can and could be sneaky naughty. Her breed tended to be one of those that looked for weaknesses and then took advantage of it.
7. seventh dog-Frank. Breed-Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Temperament-Great with kids, people,chickens,wildlife,and pretty much bomb proof. I have never met a bad one..even though I am sure they are out there. The good-To top being intelligent and good natured they are couch potatoes. He could do nothing all day and be happy about it. The bad-nothing really. He is a bit boring to me because he never pushes the rules. He is an all around good dog.
8. eighth dog-Nukka. Breed- Alaskan Malamute.Everything else about her I will soon find out. We are getting her from a breeder and got to meet her mom and dad. The good-as a breed they are fantastic people dogs who are active and friendly. The bad-they don't like other dogs unless socialized at a young age. That means LOTS of work for me, oh and avoiding those nippy little dogs when she is young.

   What have I learned over time? Socialization and training. Asking other people for advice. Knowing when to say NO to a dog. Seeing signs of aggression and taking appropriate action. Researching online about the breed and finding a reputable breeder who has puppies with nice parents. Lastly puppies are cute but can cause a lifetime of trouble if you don't train them well. Do I know it all now? No way. You wouldn't believe how much brushing up I have been doing to get ready! In fact I am really nervous about being a parent again. But in my experience its better to know where the dog is coming from and what its been exposed to. Phiew. Did you make it through that post?

pics for Kristen

Haiku Tuesday

sweeping the dust out.

why wont this place stay tidy?

six feet march on by

click for kristen

oh day.

Oh the hurrahs of mondays. Today marked the second full day we had spent on the Peninsula in more than a month and a half. Mind boggling, I know.
 Back when we lived here the first time I couldn't stand to stay more than a week before jetting off to the zoo or my folks or visiting camp. Now I find myself enjoying much needed rest as well as finishing projects that have been hanging over my head for several years. Today it was the deck. Tomorrow will probubly be more deck. Hopefully I will spontaniously learn how to install hardwood this month also. (wink)
  Some things need to get done before the puppy comes, such as rip up all the carpet and paint killz on the floor. Having a puppy is a lot of work. Believe me I didnt forget! It seems the older I get the less tollerant of ill behaved animals I am. (cough *foxy*) This one is going to be big dog too so any small irritations are going to turn into LARGE BLARING MISBEHAVIOR ISSUES. Hmm, now that I think of this you probubly want to see a pic of just how large a Mal gets...I think that weekly pictures are in order since she is going to be my new baby....that and I neglected to do it with my own kids.
  Did I tell you that I am finally taking a writing class? Yup, thats why I killed facebook. Too much going on in my life and facebook was the limb to hack off.