Weather

Today it is to get to 51 degress. Wonderful!! I love weather like this. The only bad thing is that it is going to be muddy. At least until it freezes tonight. Our high for tomorrow is only 28. I love nothing more than a frozen mud puddle. O'well. It is days like today that give me cabin fever. I have a hundred things I want to do outside.

On a happy note Austin still has not been able to get rid of my pet squirrel, Earl.

Isn't he just cute.

It is warm enough out today that the snow has melted around the tree.

Hopefully one of these days soon I will be able to see green grass and a bean field out these windows. Washing dishes is really boring when your looking at never ending white.

Our Weekend

Is it a rule that the longer the week the shorter the weekend. I am really beginning to wonder.
My weekend went so fast. Saturday Austin's sister, Raquel, came out to visit and spent a couple of hours playing with Mason. That evening we went to Sterling and Julie's for supper and games. Six adults and six kids. It was loud to say the least. We always have fun there. We have more fun after all the kids fall asleep because then we aren't chasing them but fun anyways. We got home about midnight. Sunday we didn't do anything. Nothing it was wonderful. I love those kind of days. I would have liked to sleep in but Hyde was having none of that. He was up at 7:30 and woke Mason up so I let Austin sleep in. After all it is him that gets up every morning and goes to work. I did a couple loads of laundry and called it good for the day. Very productive.

F-R-I-D-A-Y!!

Finally its Friday. This week took so long!! Now I can do my happy happy dance.

One more day

Is it Friday yet.
Not that it should make a difference but it does. I worked for so many years that Friday became like a holiday all in itself. Now that I am home everyday all day it is still my favorite day. I know that on Saturday Mason is going to sleep in just a little longer because he won't be disturbed by Austin's alarm. I know that Austin is going to sleep in till at least 10. That is only because Mason takes a nap at 10 so I wake him at 10. It is probably the only time all weekend that we will have alone. I love Friday because it starts it all. Austin comes home in a good mood. Every other is payday which puts him in a really good mood. Even though it is already all spent. I will take a good mood when I can get it.
This Saturday Austin's sister, Raquel, is coming out to visit Mason. I know that by reading that you would think she lived hours away but she doesn't. It only takes 25 minutes to get to her house. That is it and she complains that she doesn't see us more. She knows that she is welcome anytime. Family, what do you do with them. His whole side, us included, are all homebodies. We all got so used to not having family close that we just like to do stuff alone, I guess. It has been an adjustment, of sorts, having family close. We aren't able to get together as much as we would like because his mom, Robin, is finishing up some college courses on an accelerated program and so she is studying a lot. She should be done with all that sometime this next year. I don't remember if it is spring 08 or fall 08 that she graduates. Either way she I am sure will be stealing Mason a lot more.
I have been trying to talk my sister into coming up for a weekend so that she can get all the baby stuff she loaned me. A lot of it Mason has outgrown. It is way over a carload of stuff. I could store it here but I don't want to. I don't want to be blamed when something comes up missing. Hopefully one of these weekends she will be able to get up here. I haven't seen any of my family since Christmas. That is a long time for me.

Total Accident

Somehow by accident I washed Austin's favorite khakis. Totally accidental. I was shocked to pull them out of the dryer. So now I have a dilema on my hands. Do I put them in his drawer and let him wear them or do I hide them for a week and be mean. I haven't decided yet. I think he snuck them in. I am sure of it.

Well Mason has decided he is afraid of my sewing machine. He can be afraid of the vacuum but not my sewing machine. I have no clue what sparked this fear. We are going to work through it though. I am sure it will be fun.

Oh What A Tuedsay It Was!

Well my Tuesday wasn't too good. Shortly after posting I became sick and had to have Austin come from work. Not good. I don't know how many times I had to bow down to the porcelain thrown but it was way too many. I don't know what hurt worse the hunger pains or the stomach cramps. Myself I would rather not dry heave so I ate. I don't think I've ever been that sick. I didn't even throw up while pregnant. Enough of that talk.

We got even more snow last night. Just half an inch or so but still more snow. I had to cancel Mason appointment for today. I can't go if I'm sick and running to the bathroom every 5 minutes. He is over the ear infection. He does have some diarrhea that they told me to feed him through and that if he spikes a fever to take him in. He is his happy self so I don't think that will be necessary as evidenced by this photo taken this morning.

Tuesday- It's only Tuesday!!

We got more snow last night. I am tired of snow. It looks pretty, but I've had to reschedule Mason ear checkup appointment 2 times. We are 40 minutes from town and there is no way I am taking my child out in below zero wind chills on horrible roads to have his ears rechecked. We went through all his ear medicine so the ear infection should be gone. Hopefully we will be able to make it to the one on Wednesday. It would be nice if we could that way I can pick up groceries while we are in town.
Yesterday was fairly unproductive. I got nothing done. I take that back. I did get a couple loads of laundry done. Austin was complaining about not having his favorite pair of khakis clean this morning. I had to then complain about my washer and dryer being in the basement. I have been asking for months for them to be upstairs in the bathroom. It really wouldn't be that hard. I might wash his khakis next week. That is if I feel like it.

Quiet Sunday

Usually on Sundays my house is rather loud. Between Hyde and Mason fighting for Austin's attention and the TV or radio it is rather noisy. Not today. Austin has the flu so he is in bed. Mason doesn't know he is home so he thinks it is a work day so we are on schedule and Mason is napping. Hyde knows that Austin is home and upstairs under the electric blanket. Hyde is not stupid so he is up there as well. Being the spoiled dog that he is he is also under the blanket. Only I am awake. I am not doing anything noisy like washing dishes because I don't want to disturb Austin. I know I am such a good wife. Really I am I don't even dry heave when I empty his bucket. Maybe that has more to do with a strong stomach over being a good wife, but we aren't going to split hairs. For today I am a good wife. I will get back to my normal self after he is feeling better. I refuse for this change to be anywhere near permanent. I would hate for him to expect me to be this complacent all the time.

Now on another note. My mother-in-law, Robin, Mason and I went to church today. My front windshield cracked from the cold. Mason had a pooplosion at church and again at Perkins afterwards. Two in one day. That is a record for him. Reading this it might sound like I had a bad day but that is not the case. I am having a good hair day so all this other stuff is trivial. If I had been having a bad or even just okay hair day it would be a different story.

As I was taking a photo of the said good hair to prove it I noticed that I am starting to look old. Well okay maybe not old but deffinatly tired.

I have bags under my eyes.

Where in the world did that zit come from?

My lips are chapped from the below zero temps.

This is why most photos are of the back of my head.

I don't care though because I am having a good hair day.

This is how my hair is usually worn. Mason is too quick on the grabbing.

Amazing what a couple of minutes with a curling iron will do.

Maybe one of these days I'll get my straight iron back from Cammie.

My Pet

It's Iowa, it's January, and it is cold. That fairly well sums up that. While I am waiting for warmer weather to come I am stuck inside watching a squirrel eat from my bird feeder. The same bird feeder that my husband didn't tell me he put up. He then laughed when he caught me ducking the birds flying at my window. He thought it was hilarious, the butt head. I would never do anything like that to him:) This isn't just any squirrel though, he is special. I have named him Earl. My pet squirrel Earl. Austin won't kill an animal if it is a pet and has a name. hehe:)

Cold Cold and more COLD

I can't wait until I can get outside in my flower gardens. I am afraid they are in pretty bad shape. Austin was in charge of them last year. Between being pregnant and gallbladder surgery I was in no shape to do anything with them. I love my husband but if he touches my gardens again I will have to do him some serious bodily injury.

I love to sew so that is what I do to keep my sanity in the winter. As of right now I am working on two aprons. I have a jean apron that I am doing free hand (no pattern) that I can't decide how I want to finish. I do have a couple more pockets that I could put on top but I just don't know. I don't want to mess this up because these are all second use fabrics so I can't go and buy more readily. The jeans I got from my brother and the flower fabric used to be a "door" in our old rental in Ames while Austin was going to college.

Front- I haven't decided how to connect the top and bottom.

I have the straps almost done. I didn't want to finish them until I had completely decided on the rest.

I put a front and a back to all of my aprons. That way I have another layer of protection. I tend to spill stuff easily. Not to mention the splatter that comes after the spill. Hence the reasons I need so many aprons. More than one is usually dirty at a time.

Better view of the back fabric. This is also what I used on the straps.

I've toyed with the idea of putting the old belt loops on it and not having the waist straps even attached to the apron. Knowing me though I will most likely lose the waist strap then.

The other apron I'm working on is a little out there for me. The rest of my aprons are solid colors. Nothing too bizarre. I thought it was time for a change. That and this fabric was on sale for $1 a yard. So this whole apron cost me less than $10.

This is an idea of what the shape will be like. I use the pattern as more of a rough guideline. I have never had something come out looking anything like the pattern.

I just couldn't resist the orange back fabric. I then decided to go with orange rickrack and green thread. It should really pop.

The little old lady at the fabric counter looked at me strangely and said "This is new for you. Are you sure you're okay with this much color? This must going to be a gift. Right?" She couldn't believe it was going to be for me. Neither could Austin. That is saying something. After 7 1/2 years it is hard to surprise each other.

I think he was just happy I wasn't using this for a quilt. Not that the thought didn't cross my mind. I have thought about going and buying the rest of the bolt. Just imagine what I could do with 9 yards of this fabric. Wouldn't he just have a heart attack if he came home and found that I had made curtains, bed sham, and pillowcases for our bed out of this fabric. It would be worth it just to see his face.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Mason had a busy day Wednesday.

He was caught red handed getting into Dad's movies and playing with Hyde's toy (old dog sweater). I didn't say a word to him he just started to cry.

Still crying!

Trying to get out of trouble. Just look at that innocent smile.

Getting ready for bed.

He loves, loves, loves the camera. I can't believe I got a good pic without his arms up in the air or his mouth wide open.

My Mason

I think most of these pictures are self explanatory.

"This is my tongue"

"Who? Me!"

I'm sure in a couple of months the dog will know better than to spend so much time so close to Mason.

Almost crawling!!

This year our tax return is getting spent on a camera. We bought our camera 7 years ago when the digital cameras first came out. My SD card can only hold 20 photos. It is a crap shoot as to what kind of quality we are going to get. Not to mention that it is slow. A lot of these photos would be really good if Mason wasn't so fuzzy in them. Hopefully in the next couple of months we will be able to remedy that. Screw the credit card. I am spending the tax return on me.

What a weekend

We did absolutely nothing. Mason was good and surprisingly quiet. I couldn't believe how well he stuck to his schedule. Some weekends he won't just because Austin is home. Unfortunately this showed Austin just how much free time I do have during the day. What he doesn't know is that this is what I do during that free time sometimes, that or it gets eaten up by me showering. I know of all the things.

He forgets that I don't have someone to watch the baby while I do things like that. Sometimes I wish he would just step up and help more with the baby. It is almost impossible to get him to give baby a bath or feed him baby food. I have to use my powers of negotiation sometimes to get him to put baby down for bed. Then he gets mad when I "disappear" to wash dishes. Which brings me to my next point.

My son is making me a social pariah. When we go to the grandparents they are like normal grandparents and like to make Mason smile. Well he won't smile at them while I am in the room. He will twist and turn until he can see me and then he will smile. So I go to the next room or stand behind them while they are holding him that way he will at least smile in their direction. He only does this to Austin's side of the family. He doesn't do it to my side. Maybe my side is just more intertaining. I don't know.

Green Carpet

I am so lucky I already have green carpet. Mason just spewed peas all over my living room floor. Thankfully they blend in. I can't imagine how bad it would have been if we had light colored carpet.

Shots and Ear infections

We had a Well Baby Checkup yesterday. Mason was 22.9 lbs and 28.5 inches. He also got some wonderful shots and we found out he has an ear infection. Poor little guy I had no clue. He is always so happy and hasn't been running a fever. He is also taking some medicine for a cough that he picked up from somewhere. Somewhere as in the doctor's office last time we had to go in. The Well Child seating area was under construction right at the beginning of the cold and flu season. Like they didn't have ALL summer to do that.
I felt horrible, one of those "I'm a bad mom" moments. Really what kind of mom doesn't know when her kid is sick. I guess I am lucky he doesn't take after his dad in that aspect. Austin becomes a pain in the butt and expects the world to stop turning just because he has a headache.
The stuff Mason is on for the cough makes him wired. We were off by an hour on our schedule today. To top it all off Austin is out of town until Thursday night.
Somehow he knows just when he needs to leave. Of course I didn't find out that he was going to be leaving town until Sunday night. He was probably afraid that I would plan to go to mom and dad's until he got home. He was right but still he should have told me. There is nothing wrong with me wanting to go visit my family when he is going to be out of town. He just wanted me to be here to pick him up from the airport. Mind you that there was a shuttle taking a whole group down and picking them up. The only reason is that he wants to stop at the pet shop and get some starfish and live rock for the salt tank. I had to tell him that we could go on Saturday. I don't want to have to take Mason out and mess up our schedule. His flight doesn't get in until 6.
Hopefully Mason gets over this ear infection quickly. I am horrible about remembering times to give medicine. Now I have it programmed in my phone to remind me.
Until next time...

Oh what a year.

We had a pretty good year, last year. Mason was born. The first 6 months not so fast. The last 6 months went really fast. Really, really fast. I think the last half went fast from lack of sleep. Those first 3 months were really rough. Between having a newborn and the gallbladder problems I don't think I ever really got any quality sleep. Amazingly after the gallbladder was gone Mason started to sleep through the night. What a blessing that was. Mason now goes to bed at 8 and gets up about 7:30. I should be getting enough sleep. Now.
We are now on an awesome schedule. Mason naps from 10:30 to 12:30, 3:00 to 5:00, and then goes to bed at 8. You won't hear me complaining about that wonderful schedule. I shouldn't be complaining. I will though.
Austin is finally over whatever was plaguing him. Thankfully.
We had a good new year. We ended up playing cards until 1:30 in the morning. Let me tell you we are way to old for that crap. I felt like crap the whole day. Like someone had run me over with an 18-wheeler. Good thing we don't drink.
I decided not to make a new years resolution this year. I did keep last years. I have not had a cig. at my house in over a year. Why ruin a perfectly good streak. Maybe next year I'll make one. Maybe. Maybe not.

What a Wonderful Week

I don't remember why I complained about Austin being home for the week. That's right. I remember it is because he is a pain in the butt. Even more so when he is sick. Austin is very rarely sick. I think he has only been sick maybe twice in the seven years we have been married. Last night his temp got to 103.5. Way too high. I had to threaten him with the emergency room to get him to take some Tylenol. I will take healthy Austin over sick Austin any time.
We are still planning on having people over for new years eve. I just told him that if he didn't feel better he could hide out upstairs. That is when he gave in for me today and took some Tylenol. In the middle of the night I can get Austin to do about anything that I want so getting him to take Tylenol at night isn't hard. I know I'm so mean. I prefer the term resourceful.
Between him and Mason I didn't get anything done today. Before I go to bed I have to tidy my kitchen and wash all (ALL) the bottles. Last night I shampooed the living room carpet. I had to wait for Mason to go to sleep. I did get my bathroom cleaned today. It took me 8 tries but I did get it done.
Mason has been a crabby butt the last couple of days. I think it is because he wants to go places but doesn't know how. I really can't wait until he can crawl.
4 days until Caucasus. Well 3 if you really want to get technical. I can't wait until those stupid political commercials get off of my TV. I don't care if it is just for a little while.

Christmas Vacation

Only 4 more days and Austin goes back to work. I don't have enough projects to keep him busy. That means for a couple of those days he will be annoying me.
Today I got lucky and he is helping a friend cut down some trees. He should be bringing back a good truck load or two. That would be nice. Otherwise I will find myself out in the grove making sure that he doesn't kill himself cutting down some of our trees. I know that this spring we will have to cut some down but it will about 50 degrees not 10.
I know that you get two guy friends together with chain saws and some bad stuff can happen but Austin and Sterling don't drink. They should be relatively safe. Sterling is experienced at cutting down trees. I am too but I don't count for advise because I am a girl and therefore don't know anything useful about stuff like that. Yeah, Right. Maybe I can use my power of persuasion and get them to come to my house tomorrow to cut down some. Anyways. Today he is occupied. Tomorrow he is probably going to be my headache, no, no I meant handful. I swear. . . Anyone want to trade for the day.
I am sure we will spend half the day arguing. I love to argue. I call it my hobby. It is just that I am sure he will want to do something that I think is dangerous and will try to talk me into letting him. Like working on the corn crib. I won this argument last weekend because of the ice.
What does he think I am? Stupid. There is no way I am going to let him work on the corn crib. The thing is leaning and creaks and pops really bad when the wind blows and he wants to get in it and take out a beam. No way. His life insurance policy doesn't cover stupidity.
I don't know why he can't be the type of husband who moves a recliner and a TV to the garage to avoid his wife. Sometimes that would be great. To know that he is just in the garage watching TV instead of doing something idiotic. I have even suggested it and he said. "Why, I like to keep busy."

Christmas

Christmas was good.The weather cooperated beautifully. We left home Christmas Eve to go to my parents for my dad's side of the family. Last head count we had 33. We ended up staying at my parents house this year which was new. Nice but new. Christmas day we went to my grandmas house. At last head count there was 32. Christmas evening we went to Austin's Grandma's where there was a much smaller crowd. I think there was 12. A much smaller group.

We had a good time everywhere we went. Mason was passed around quite a bit but that is good for him.

Mason got a lot of annoying toys. I know it isn't going to get any better. Not after all the horribly annoying toys we gave for gifts over the years. As my siblings put it "Pay back is a bitch." I highly doubt that Marianne and Jesse are going to find something to surpass the annoyingness of the "Stink Blaster". If they ever do I have some refills for the Stink Blaster.

Mason opening gifts at his Great-Grandma Fishers

I caught them all unaware with this photo.

7 little boys ages 7 to 7 months. Left to right. Jamison, Isaac, Hunter, Daniel holding Mason, Major and Jacob. Jacob is just a grandson not a great grandson but anyways. Darin's little boy Qwentyn isn't pictured because he had to leave early. Next year we will have 9 little boys 8 and under. We really need some more little girls. We only have 3. Morgan, Emily and Breanna.

Anyway I think everyone can just imagine how noisy it was with that many little boys running around. Who knows what we are going to do when they get to be around 16 and get cars.

Mason opening gifts at Great-Grandma Shirley's.
One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Mason got a monkey that you can record something on his left hand and play it back on the right. Austin put on there Mimi Aucky. Marianne's boys call Cameron Mimi and Cameron's boys call Marianne Mimi. Well Jesse taught Hunter to say Mimi Aucky whenever someone said Mimi. We all have had great fun with that over the last couple of years. We are going to run into problems with Mason though because both Cammie and Marianne are Mimi. Should be fun.

Mason and Morgan on Christmas Eve. They look more like brother and sister than cousins.

My brother-in-law Jesse.

Hunter being naughty.

Austin is rather quick with that middle finger.

Marianne holding Mason. Mason really wanted her glasses.

Hunter was jealous of his mom holding Mason. Amazing he didn't get jealous of his dad holding him. He just didn't want to share his mom.


Cameron holding Mason sitting beside Ricky. Mason was just fascinated with the ceiling fan.

Finally

Well we finally finished the kitchen. Now I don't have to worry about Mason crawling in there. Not to mention we got rid of the horrible green color. We chose a dark reddish brown for the trim and a slightly lighter color for the wainscoting. The new color combination makes the kitchen feel warm and inviting.

I am pleased with the results. Austin, I am afraid is still getting used to it. He did ask what room was next for paint and I told him the living room. He thinks that next time we should buy a little can and do a test spot. I have already decided though that the living room and office are going to be country white. He wants the trim in the office to be a dark navy blue. I have a feeling I will have to do some fast talking to get my way. Should be fun.

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