A few days ago I posted about the floods in Iowa. Today I heard that in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, one out of every seven people are out of their homes due to flooding. Dear Lord, help those people.
Monthly Archives: June 2008
Today’s Agenda
Today’s agenda! Isn’t he cute. I just want to squeeze those cheeks. This is my nephew (Ok great nephew, but I’m really not that old.)
Ran around all day, but the best thing was the price of gas!
It was one of those marathon days. After getting up to walk at 4:45 am with two crazy delightful women, I decided to plan my meals for the week and go grocery shopping. Remembering that my oldest son leaves in two days for Boy Scout camp, I had to purchase this list of stuff from his slave driving, money munching wonderful scout leader (my sister). Including a cot that I drove clear to the other side of town for, but they were out.
Do you know though there are very few people at Wal-Mart at 7 am? So I sped through that part pretty quick. Came home put it all away, and took youngest child to get his allergy shot (poor sniffly kid).
Stopped at the Kum-n-Go and you won’t believe this! I got gas for $2.35 a gallon. Hate me yet? I love having a flex fuel vehicle. E85 is only $2.35. Love it!
By the way the army surplus store was out of cots, and I went back to Wal-Mart. Go figure.
We did take the afternoon and use a gift certificate that we won to take the boys to an inflatable park. We sat and read while they bounced for HOURS!! A little ADHD goes along way there. It was wonderful, and they had a great time. I couldn’t believe it, but there was only one other child there. This was great for my youngest! He did get to over-stimulated. We will go back.
Meanwhile back at home that poor little art cupboard is whispering, “Hey, remember me? You promised!!! Liar! Liar!”
Oh don’t worry I will clean you never tomorrow. 🙂
Um…Ok…not quite what I imagined, but my own fault
So I read all of these amazing women’s blogs. They homeschool, do art with their children, make their own clothes, can jelly, and are very hands on moms. Lots of them put pictures and recipes on their blogs. In fact they were who inspired me to blog my own little life adventure.
That being said, I made bread today. From scratch, not frozen from Hy-Vee’s frozen bread aisle. Really… I did. Want to see the picture?
Shut up Suzanne! 😦
Quit it.
Stop laughing at me.
Judy, Julie, you quit laughing too.
Hmmmpphhhfff
So many floods and tornadoes, Iowa is a mess
I have noted a few times in my blog about some of the serious weather related disasters that have been occurring in Iowa. Today though I want to talk a little bit more about it.
I’ve mentioned how we were up near Parkersburg when the worst tornado disaster in Iowa in years happened. The devastation that we viewed on the way home was jaw dropping, and we only saw a small area of the damage. Seven people died in that tornado. My husband’s aunt and uncle lost all their barns, and their house had to be condemned from the damage.
More recently the tornado hit Little Souix Boy Scout Ranch, and the deaths of the four young men are still on so many of our minds. I send my oldest son next week to Boy Scout camp, and am having a little trouble. I know that I am the lucky parent, because I am sending him with my sister. I can imagine the trust issues if you aren’t related to half the troop. It would be very difficult in light of the deaths and all of the recent weather.
Then there is the flooding. Having lived through the floods of ’93 (working in one of the hardest hit areas), those memories are still very fresh. So seeing it all happen again makes you wonder. The part of Des Moines that I used to work in actually is Ok this time around, but other parts of Des Moines are devastated. I can’t even begin to describe it, but looking at the pictures makes you realize how far reaching this disaster is for Iowa.
Last night on the news they were interviewing The Red Cross. They were discussing about how Red Cross was going to have to borrow millions of dollars to help the victims of the floods. Apparently people are eager to help tornado victims, because the damage is so visible. However floods get less donations. Having seen communities completely devastated by floods, I realized how true that was. On the Red Crosses website there is an article about the floods. If you feel moved to donate, there is information at the bottom of the article including different ways to do that. Apparently you need to specify where your donations should go.
One thing that I know that we could all do is keep these people and the organizations that are helping them in our prayers.
Yeah, I know, but it was such a beautiful day! I couldn’t help it!
Ok so the plan today was this.
But then outside it looked like this…
So instead we went and did this…
We took my cousin’s kids and played for hours like that and this…
And my sister is crazy and does cartwheels that end up looking like this…
Meanwhile back home, the art drawers are feeling neglected
and tomorrow will still look like that.
Oh well, can you blame me?
WOO HOO!! I did it! I did it! One small victory in this war on clutter!
One thing about me, is that I am a huge procrastinator. So today when I called over to my friend’s house, her husband answered the phone with, “So have you gotten it clean yet?” Obviously he has been visiting my blog. 🙂
I had to admit that I hadn’t even started. (Sheepish grin here.) This is where that accountability thing kicked in. I knew when I got off the phone that I HAD to clean the disaster in my kitchen. So this is for you Chris!
Let me tell you I am more than a little mortified at what I found! I found two graduation invitations–that we MISSED! I found a thank you–that never got mailed. I found so much! EEK!!! But it is all organized for now. I think I am going to make some curtains to go around our makeshift microwave stand. Hmmm…maybe this weekend.
But there is something that I really want to share with all of you! When I tackle a big project I like to work in time blocks. I have found that for me, listening to a podcast while I work makes that much easier as well as more enjoyable.
There are many that I listen to, but today I listened to one that had me laughing as I was working! I have been enjoying Craftsanity (yes, it is available on Itunes). However today I chose an episode that I think everyone would love! It was actually from February 28, 2006. It was an interview with Deirdre Flint. She is a comedic musician. Instantly she reminded me of Christine Lavin. Deirdre at the time (and maybe still is) was performing with The Four B*tchin Babes, a fun group to listen to! I am going to have to download some, if not all, of her songs. They were really that good. I really liked the Cheerleader song, but The Boob Fairy song was definitely a classic!!! Check her out.
Tomorrow is a new day! I have a new project, equally scary and still in my kitchen. I am going to tackle the art cupboards! It will be a bit more challenging as I will be eating breakfast with my mom and sister, and then having my cousins over to play with my kids. Yet I will turn on my podcasts and enjoy my hour (or so) of organizing.
Declaring war on my house with a new attack strategy
So if you were keeping track (and I know all of you are, because that is part of my accountability 🙂 ), last weeks goals fell apart pretty fast. This week though, it will be a total different story! For a few reasons, the first being we don’t have swimming lessons or umpteen different appointments. The second being my new plan of attack.
As the general of this war on clutter and chaos, I have decided that I will make sneak attacks in the “red zones” or the “hot spots” in my house. Beginning today with this:
(A kitchen counter with a pile of books, papers, and truthfully I’m just a little afraid to find out! BTW the bottles in the back are very yummy sugar-free coffee flavors. I’m really liking the coconut.)
Trust me it is a very large pile! That is definitely the tactics of the enemy. Just keep putting everything in a pile and then it will become so overwhelming everyone is afraid to touch it lest it fall over.
So that, my friends, is today’s new goal! Check back later and see if I conquered or once again was defeated.
Youngest child doesn’t want to go to camp
Yesterday my youngest son declared he doesn’t want to go to Cub Scout camp. He is supposed to leave in two days with his dad.
He has always loved camp. He’s been going to church camp for 5 years, and Cub Scout camps for the last two. He is serious though about not going this year and very determined.
Last year at Cub Scout camp the boys and their dad were in a terrible storm. Todd said it seemed like a tornado. Their tent was pulled out of the ground. The kids were all put in a shelter. So far this year, we barely missed driving through the Parkersburg tornado that flattened an entire town. I made Todd wait a 1/2 hour longer at his Grandma’s. We just drove through the horrible after effects on our way home. Combine that with last week 4 Boy Scouts dying in a tornado, it is just too much for my boy right now.
One of his austistic behaviors (he is PDD) is that he sometimes hyperfocuses on things. Usually it is a video game or Pokemon. Right now it is not going to camp. I’m not going to make him go. It is a short three day camp, but I don’t think it is worth the stress.
I am certain that he will want to go next year when he is an actual “Boy Scout”. These days Boy Scout camp is looking more and more like a family vacation. His aunt, two uncles, 3 cousins, and his brother will be there. I’m not sure if his dad will go or not.
I think I’m doing the right thing, but wouldn’t it be nice if sometimes God was just a little clearer about how he wants us to raise these beautiful little people?
Happy Father’s Day!
I remember when I first started dating my husband. It seemed like all I said the first 6 months was, “He is so nice.” He is nice. 🙂 Recently my teaching partner and our spouses went out for dinner. The next day she was telling me how “nice” Todd is.
There is a lot more to Todd. Tonight he is off to play drums at an elegant affair with a local jazz great. He loves playing old standards, but also loves playing Christian music with his band. He’s the kind of guy that will stay up all night when our furnace goes out keeping our wood stove burning. Or lately it seems like he is having to put in sump pumps all over the place. 🙂
He is a good Christian man. He values me and the kids more than any “earthly” thing. He enjoys playing with his boys, just hanging out, and if there is a reason for a fire (in the fire pit or the wood stove) that makes it even better. Happy Father’s Day Todd!
Just a glimpse 
