Check it out....

Surely I'm not the only one who sometimes feels that they could do a little bit better job in the housekeeping department. Okay, please say I'm not the only one. Anyone, anyone?

If you want a little boost, catch an episode of
"How Clean Is Your House?" on BBC America. These two funny ladies visit various homes in England and give them a total wash-down. They don't mince words....giving it to the homeowner's about their dirty habits. You'll feel like June Cleaver after you see some of these episodes, I promise! One of my favorites was the lady who had about 30 birds, UNCAGED, in her home because, you know, birds need to fly. I laughed out loud when they cut to the hosts standing in her living room with those plastic rain bonnets on to avoid the poop. Too funny!

And lest you think this show is just an ego-booster or entertainment, they actually give cleaning tips as well. For instance, next time you need to polish some brass, you get some of that goat's milk that you let go sour and apply it to the brass till it sparkles! Who'da thought?

Well, that's it for now....I'm off to rub some toothpaste on my switchplates. :-)

He's funny.

The conversation went like this:

Papa: Rowan, you have hair just like your uncle.

Rowan: Which uncle?

Papa: Uncle Jeff. You have hair just like Uncle Jeff.

Rowan: Why, because Uncle Jeff doesn't brush his hair either?

:-)

Our Morning Commute....

Two days a week, we make the morning trek to Rowan's preschool. It's about 25 minutes away, which I do admit is a bit far, but when you get to take-in scenery like this, it's hard to complain. :-)



The kids have fun seeing which farm animals are outside eating breakfast when we pass in the morning and who's lying down to take their nap later on.



We only have a few more weeks of school, but I'm sure we'll probably take a drive during the summer to enjoy the view.

Happy, Happy Birthday!!!

This is my friend, Jean. To her cropping buddies, she's Jean-Jean-The-Scrappin'-Machine. :-) We haven't been able to get Jean to admit it, but we believe Jean lives in a parallel universe which has more than 24 hours in a day....say, 52 hours perhaps. This is how Jean is able to get so much done, we believe. She knits, she scraps, she alters, she reads....she's a photographer, a business owner, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a friend...but most importantly, she's the only female in a house of men, so you know she's also doing some serious CLEANING. ;-)

Jean, you know we marvel at your ability to get it all done, and even with a big dose of humor. I hope your day is wonderful and wish you many, many, MANY more happy, healthy years ahead filled with excitement and creativity!

Here's to ya, old girl. :-)

Love,
Steph

“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.”
—Louis L'Amour (1908–1988) author


I received this quote of the day this morning and loved it. It just so happens I finished my last court reporting class last night and will soon be out in the field in my new profession. It's hard to believe, actually, as I've been working at home for SO long! I'll still be keeping up with my medical transcription during the transition into court reporting, but I'm so excited to start something new...even at my old age. ;-)

Here's to new beginnings! :-)

Long time, no blog....

Wow...where does the time go? I can't believe I last posted on Rowan's birthday. March is a busy month around here...and Easter coming early this year didn't help! :-) One day after Rowan's birthday, Trevor turned 16.....SIXTEEN! When did that happen? I can't believe how fast time flies. He's still playing with his band and they have quite a few gigs lined up over the next few months. They are actually playing at an Earth Day event in a few weeks, so I'll post pictures. I'm makng some t-shirts for his smaller "groupies" (i.e. Olivia, Rowan, and Rhys). I'm sure he'll be SO impressed....not. LOL.



Easter also came and went. It was pretty chilly so our Easter egg hunt was fast and furious. Rowan woke up and saw the baskets and asked where the eggs were that the Easter Bunny brought. I told him they were hidden outside and he'd have to go out and find them. He responded, "Why don't you just go out and collect them for me and bring them in". LOL. Funny kid. :-) We bundled up in hats and coats and made fast work of finding the eggs. Rhys even collected two eggs himself. He was so cute toddling around trying to pick up the eggs and put them in his basket. :-)

We are ALL really ready for Spring....or at least some warmer weather! Well, maybe not the older boy who will have to once again begin the lawn-mowing chores, but the rest of us are! I'm ready to open the windows and turn off the heat for crying out loud! This ridiculously chilly weather is making me question my entire stance on global warming...hee hee. Just kidding.

On the cooking front, I've tried some great new recipes. I'll post some pictures over the next few days. ;-)

It's good to be back!

Happy Fourth Birthday, Rowan....sort of.

This is what you look like when you turn four years old....and you love your cake and your presents.

As of yesterday at 7:29 a.m., Rowan has been on the planet for four years. In some ways, it is hard to believe but in other ways, it seems like we've always known him.

He's happy in this picture, because he just saw his cake that had railroad tracks made of licorice and a train he wanted on top, riding the rails.

Prior to this picture, he wasn't so happy though. He really doesn't want to be four. Four is "too much". He's been telling me for weeks he wants to be two. He liked being two, he said. He doesn't want to keep getting older, he said. Four means he is close to being five, which Rowan says means he will have to go to school ALL day, like Trevor and Olivia, and all day is long. He says his preschool is long, even on the short days when he is there a total of two hours.

So, for now, if four is too much, I'm letting him be two. I really don't mind....because tomorrow I have another boy who will be 16....and that's really too much. :-(