John said the TV came on...

Just a quick post today.. but John told me this morning as he was leaving at 5:30 that the tv came on. He said, the tv came on, so I'll move it tonight. Of course at 5:30 this was very confusing and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what I was supposed to do. I sat up in the bed, and said "What? What's wrong with the tv?" He explained again, that the 36 inch water logged tv seemed to come on this morning, after having dried out over night, and that he will put it back on the entertainment center this evening when he gets home. Oh, okay. Now I understand.

It's good news for all of us, but especially Daniel. It would be quite the tale to carry for life, that he fried the living room tv at the young age of four, costing our family many hours of entertainment. Just kidding! I'm relieved, because as we watched the season finale of Deadliest Catch, it was really hard to see the captions on the 19 inch screen from all the way across the living room. When it was over, and I had gained control of the remote, I moved to the larger sofa that is much closer to the television so I could actually see the screen!

Daniel strikes again!

My beautiful 4 year old son, decided this morning while I was still in bed that the television in the living room needed to be cleaned. It had dust on the front of it. So, he went into the bathroom, soaked a wash cloth, then wiped the front of the tv off. It is clean, I'll give him that. But, it was the phrase "Mommy, the tv just turned off by itself" that got me out of bed this morning. Yes, it did turn off by itself, but it had a little help. The water dripping from the front speaker holes was a pretty good clue what the problem was. I've tried several times to turn it back on, but it's just not working at all. I have lots of laundry to do today, and the only way I can fold it is by sitting in front of the television. Otherwise, it's hopelessly boring! Time for "musical tv's". The 19 inch television from our bedroom is now sitting in the hole where the 36 inch tv that no longer works was. The 19 inch television that was sitting on a table in Daniel's room (for movies only, it was not hooked up to cable) is now sitting on the armoir in our bedroom where our television was. The space that was once occupied by a television in Daniel's room is now empty, and shall remain that way indefinitely!

I guess I should add, he's grounded for the day!

John had hopes in the near future of purchasing a flat screen television for the living room, and once I obtain a steady job with income flowing in, we will make that purchase! Until that time, it's not as critical to have a big tv in the living room, as the necessity for my getting my tooth crowned a few weeks back! That was critical, a big television is really a modern convenience that we have convinced ourselves is a necessity! Some may argue that crowning a tooth is a luxury, but to me it is a necessity!

I made the mistake of staying in bed this morning, because I woke up at 2:30 with the sinus headache that I went to bed with getting much worse. By this time, my sinuses were getting stuffed up, and my head and teeth were throbbing! Lots of nasal saline spray, a Zyrtec-D, 3 ibuprofen and a steamy washcloth did the trick finally around 4:30, just in time to hear John's alarm clock go off! Next time, I guess I should just get up!

Pranksters.. so true!

I'm diverting you over to Jenny's blog today, because she pretty much says it all! This is the story of the pampas grass bordering Jenny's yard, and our "in between neighbor". I'm so glad she took pictures!

http://flutterbyechronicles.blogspot.com/2009/07/pranksters.html

Taking Jenny's photo challenge...

This is Daniel on our friends' Hughey and Leanne's horse. We went to see the pigs, but as always the kids had to ride the horses.




Here are the rules:
1) Go to your photo files…Select the 6th photo folder
2) Select the 6th photo in that folder
3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.
4) Then challenge 5 blog friends to do the same!

***Anyone up for a challenge***

Scooby Doo has come to play!

His name isn't really Scooby Doo, his name is Junior. He's a black lab that lives two doors down. Nope, not in Jenny's direction, but Hanna and Daniel's friend Shea's dog. Well, her step-dad's dog. They've gone on vacation and asked us to take care of the big dope. He's every bit as big as Callie, but much more goofy. I equate him to Scooby Doo. I couldn't help but think how lonely he must get down there, by himself all day, so I've started going to get him in the evenings and bringing him down to my house to play with my dogs. They get along well, as long as we don't let him inside. First he's just too crazy to come in my house, and second, Annie gets very aggressive with him in the house. She apparently doesn't like him inside. Callie only expressed her opinion when he jumped up on my arm, when we were outside. She gave him a big bark, which seemed to communicate to him, "Get off my mom!" I never really truly appreciated how well my dogs are trained, until trying to walk a dog as big as Callie that isn't well trained. I do not like a large dog jerking me down the sidewalk. If I had more time, and it wasn't quite so hot, Junior and I would have some one on one time, and I'd educate the big dope on the appropriate way to behave on a leash!

Today, after our usual church outing, John and I and the kids went to our sister church's service in Keystone Heights. Our Pastor and my brother in law Mike are serving there as their Pastor and Staff Minister. They needed someone to look at the lights in their fellowship hall, and somehow John's name came up. Since I played during our church service this morning, and we didn't have time to drop off my viola before going to Keystone, I asked Pastor if he thought they would mind if I also played down there. They were very welcoming to the idea. I'm not sure if the gentleman that John was working with knew his mother from past, or if he's just a friendly guy, but when we walked in, he threw his arms around her and greeted her. "Hey Judy, it's so great to see you!" I thought, okay, he's a Lutheran from the area, she most likely knows him. Then he came in my direction, "Hi, it's so great to have you join us, and play for us!" He also wrapped his arms around me, and gave me a big hug. I introduced myself, since he was so welcoming, and he explained that Pastor had told them I'd intended to play. After the church service, my children were carrying a ziplock bag filled with blueberries. There was an elderly, german lady giving blueberries to everyone. Daniel was soon out on the playground, and was yelling at a little boy on the swingset with him, "Don't eat my blueberries!!!" I explained to him, those were the boy's, ours were with my purse. This boy's grandfather then joined us, and thanked me again for playing, once he and John were done in the fellowship hall discussing what needs to happen with the lights in there. Roger Buz, began telling me how he's been playing violin, and learning to fiddle. It is his lifetime dream to one day be able to repair violins. He then started telling me proudly about his daughter, who "fiddles" and plays in a country band, often touring with none other than Allison Kraus. He told me how his daughter writes all her songs, and his favorite being, "Dancing on Daddy's feet", and a few others, and that she writes the music, and plays the fiddle, and sings the songs. Of course, he then told me to walk with him to his truck, where he pulled out a new copy of her latest cd. She is currently living in Nashville, TN, and hosting a show on RFD TV. We got into conversation about fiddling, and the dances at O'leno, which he was quite familiar with, then he told me about the Fiddlin Association gatherings, and then said, we should get together and fiddle. I explained that I believe fiddling is completely different, but something I'd love to learn to do. To which he suggested, we should set a date, and get together, and the kids could come out to his property and swim in the lake, and we could make a "play date" out of it! I'm looking forward to future visits out to Keystone Heights, and getting to know Roger Buz, and our other Lutheran brothers and sisters not so far away!

Restriction is just that!

My precious, innocent boy is on restriction! He has taken up the bad habit of biting his sister, and the great offense took place again this morning. I think Hanna has cornered him so many times, his only defense is to bite. In any case, it's not acceptable! John told him earlier in the week, the next time he bites, he will spend the rest of the day in his room. Of course, he had to do it early this morning, so it's going to be a LONG day in his room. I was just outside cleaning the pool, and checking it's chemical balance, and Hanna came out to chat with me. During that time, Daniel came out to ask if he could come outside. I replied, "Nope, you're on restriction in your room. Go back to your room." He stood there, and pleaded, "But I don't want to be in my room all day." I explained again, "Daddy said, next time you bite, you spend the whole rest of the day in your room, and that's where you'll be!" It's really not fair, that I had to lay down the law, and John is off visiting with his mother this afternoon, and I have to be the sheriff! Feels like I'm restricted too! No fair!

I'm beginning to think I should just put him in a padded room, or make him wear one of those blow up sumo wrestler costumes. He's still wearing a bandage on his leg from the ice cream dish, but I think that might be about ready to come off this weekend. Yesterday, they were goofing around, and Hanna picked him up and dropped him on his head. When she dropped him, he bit his tongue in two places. The day before, she picked him up, lost her balance, and plowed his head into the only corner on my kitchen cabinets. I told her, the next time you pick up your brother, you're restricted to your room!

Both of them seem to think you can do whatever you want, as long as you plead apologies after the offense. Not so, my children! I hear both of the coming towards me screaming, one in pain, the other, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

I'm sorry, but you're on restriction! Now go! Oh, it's a long, hot summer...

The big test is over!

I'm happy to say, I took the state's exam yesterday for my insurance license, and passed. So glad that's over with. My personal goal was to receive a score of 85%, and my score was 86.7%. The next step is to view several training modules much like those I used to send to my clients in the broadcast industry, and take quizzes at the end. Oh boy! I just LOVE training modules. Not! I have to go through those, learning all about insurance, then there's an orientation next Friday at the Banker's office at 7:15am. That's a really weird time to set an orientation, but whatever! It will be over by 10:30, so that won't be so bad. The following week, we begin 6 straight days of 10-hour training days. After that, we'll be "field agents", off to survey the needs of the elderly, and offer solutions for life insurance and Medicare supplements, as well as possible solutions to retirement "vehicles", meaning annuities. That's "Plan A".

"Plan B" is still evolving. More on that after "evolution".