The Last Day

Today is the last day of summer vacation. We went to the beach. Lake Wallenpaupack has several beach areas. The beach was technically closed since there was no life guard. But yesterday when the lifeguard was "on duty," it couldn't possibly have been any safer, what with him at least 100 feet away from the water, hanging out with his buddy, instead of guarding my children's lives while they frolicked in the water.

We came here yesterday as well. For lunch and dinner.



Here's the expanse of the beach where the lifeguard was definitely not.






And the kids frolicking.

A new school, a green school

While looking at the school district's website (which, by the way, could be a bit more user friendly) for a breakfast and lunch menu (which claims to have healthy choices, though I wouldn't want to use their nutritionist,) I found this video of the new elementary school the district is building. I really like that it's green.

Finally here they are . . .

. . . beach photos!




Ellie
















Josh












Gary, Josh, Ellie, and me















Malachi












Aunt Jessie and her posse









Aunt Linda with Caleb














The Next Generation









Matt keeping Madzie and Ellie safe










Our little plot of sand








Simon and Josh having a toss









Aunt Linda, Bridget, Sophie, and Caleb

Garbage is another matter

There are exactly two garbage haulers we can sign up with. Both have restrictions on the weight of our garbage. 30lbs. The can can't weigh more than 30 pounds. If you ask me, that is just plan stupid. Not the weight restriction, but that it's only 30 lbs. Who's garbage can weighs under thirty pounds? Josh weighs more than that.

As you can tell, I am a bit put out about it. And if you miss a garbage pick up? What do you do? Two weeks of garbage definitely weighs more than 30lbs. We could just pay per bag, but then everything has to be in a bag. And I find that wasteful. I'd use more bags than necessary.

I think I am most upset, in that I don't really have any options. Both garbage haulers have the 30lb. limit. I personally think it should be 50lbs.

But no one thought to consult me on the matter.

Exciting recycling news

Today we ventured to the other nearby grocery store. [There are only two close by. Well technically three, but two are the same name.] It's the one with big recycling bins. And guess what! I am quite happy to report that I can put all but foam (foam is so environmentally UNFRIENDLY) items in these bins. I thought I wouldn't be able to recycle paperboard and #3-7 plastics. But I can! Glass, cardboard, paper, all plastics. And it is all co-mingled, I don't even need to sort.

I also joined the local, though local is relative up here, freecycle groups.

I am ready.

Deer . . . every day . . . very exciting?

The deer population here is quite bountiful. We have seen at least one everyday, usually 5 or more. We can usually always see them in a neighbor's yard. We think they put food out for them.

And you see in these photos one particular Bambi, that decided to take a break along the back wall of the screened in porch. I was minding my own business, when I walked in the porch and was startled. We both stared at each other, than I ran to get Ellie. He was still just laying there.


We disturbed him only enough for him to get up stretch, groom, and shift to the other side of the house, where he laid back down for a spell.

Ellie and Josh are beyond excited to see "Bambis." To me they are a dime a dozen, but to them they are like gold.




Author's husband's note: At the time of the last post, we had seen Rachael Ray more than twice.

Food Makers

Ellie has discovered the Food Network channel. She asks to watch it and gets upset when she can't. Her favorite is Rachael Ray. Here are two favorite recipes Rachael has cooked: Florentine Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken and Chicken Riggies and 'Scarole with Soul. Ellie wanted to start cooking when Rachael came on tonight, and she requested we look up the second recipe online. Rachael is a down to earth cook, and she actually goes searching for stuff in her own kitchen.

Ellie has her own cute name for the channel, but I can't remember it. I'll change the title of the post tomorrow after she is awake to tell me it.

Author's note: We have only seen Rachael cook twice.

Our second week here

This is our second week here. I am hardly missing Lansdale. I am enjoying the quite solitude of being in the woods. Except for when there is discontent between the siblings (Ellie and Josh have been at each other more with this move. After this weekend, we are staying up here for awhile) and at night.

Night time here is unsettling for me. While we are still up, I am usually fine. But when I am laying in bed, and not asleep yet or I wake in the middle of the night, I hear EVERY noise and creak and crack and who-knows-what outside. My heart starts beating a bit faster, as my mind starts it's illogical and/or irrational thinking. I plan to install motion sensor lights out back to go along with the one out front. I also looked up alarm systems.

Although we have two AC units in the windows, I don't like the idea of using AC up here. I can't hear the sounds of the woods with an AC humming and all the windows closed, and I want to hear those sounds. And with all the trees, it stays cooler in the cabin anyways. At least so far it has.

The sounds of the woods are quite pleasant to my ears in the day, but definitely not so much at night.

The first photo is the side yard and the second one is the back yard.

My blessing!

Ellie is six today. It's hard to believe it's been six years since my girl entered this world and colored my life in brilliant new colors.

She's creative, inquisitive, and could argue with a tree stump. I love her dearly. And I wouldn't have her any other way.

Merry Christmas - Adventure Aquarium

My parents gave us tickets to Adventure Aquarium for Christmas. We went on the 15th of July.



Really? Hippos at an aquarium?











Ellie and Josh in the jungle.











Eaten by a shark! Oh no!









Giving high-5s to a diver.











Feeding time in the big tank.

The cabin has internet

I have been trying to get the internet here since Friday. It was all messed up when Verizon decided to set up our internet with my grandmother's name. It was a mistake made because the phone is still in her name. Well, it isn't now, but it was last week. When she died, my dad asked to have it changed to his name, but Verizon wanted to charge my dad a fee to do so. He said no thank you and left it. We had a week mess up with internet, but it is now changed to our name with no fee.

So check back later for vacation photos.

Quick update

Not at the cabin this week.

Did download most of the photos. I will get to posting next week, when we are at the cabin.

But here are two photos.

Salad - straight from the garden

For dinner tonight I decided upon spaghetti, which turned into Wacky Mac, when opening the cupboard door did not reveal pasta of the long straight variety.

I also decided we should have a green vegetable, and thought I would venture into our jungle of a garden. Having been gone for a week and a half, it's gotten a little out of hand.

I left the house with my basket and Ellie scrambled to follow, with Josh not too far behind. They like going in the garden. Except right now the green beans I thought were bush green beans are growing up my gate, so I haven't tried wrestling it open. And the cucumbers are growing wildly all over the path right inside the gate. So I first just leaned over the fence and cut some lettuce. The kids wanted in, so I looked around for a good stop to enter and climbed over the fence. I helped direct Ellie in pulling some carrots. Out she went and in came Josh. He pulled a carrot. We pulled a few more. Then discovered two large cucumbers on all that vine and pulled them. Snipped a little basil, which I forgot to put in my sauce.

Here are our lovely finished salads. Josh and Ellie like theirs individualized. I make exceptions for that.

I wasn't as impressed with the salad as I hoped I'd be. I haven't met a homegrown carrot sweet enough for me. And the lettuce tasted a bit bitter too. The cucumbers tasted just fine, i just don't care that much for cucumbers, but since we grew them, I put them in the salad. I did however, mostly grow them for Gary to pickle. He much prefers cucumbers pickled.

Vacation

We had a blast. I love my family. Next week, I will be downloading all the photos. So check back for those posts.

Merry Christmas - Adventure Aquarium

My parents gave us tickets to Adventure Aquarium, and we finally went. Check back next week for photos. Some are on our new cell phone and I haven't, nor will I right now, figure out how to get them off before we get to the cabin.

Entrepreneurs

Ellie asked if she could go cut lavender from our front walk. Then she asked me to make a sign for her to sell it. Then she requested two more signs that said "Stop." These were needed because people weren't stopping.

Currently, both Josh and Ellie are sitting out front, shaking a cow bell, asking if people want to buy flowers.




They are quite ecstatic when they have a sale. People are being generous and paying more than 10 cents a bunch.

Being a good mother, I did move them into the shade and provided them with water.

A day without kids is not

My friend was going to watch my cherubs while I got much accomplished today. But since her own little cherub has not been sleeping that well, she has not either. And since she is 7 months pregnant, it's wearing her down. So she requested no more little ones about. Completely I understand. Two wear me out, and I'm not pregnant nor sleep deprived. My new plan is to have Myrtle "babysit" from Indian with Skype, and maybe she or a sibling of hers will read to my children. I just need to ask her first. Hint, hint Myrtle.

So the tasks before me this day: first and foremost take the dog to the kennel. He was suppose to go to a friend's house, but Hunter wasn't playing nicely with his dog, so Hunter goes to a kennel.

Then I have to clean out the car so I can pack it, vacuum up all the dog hair, mop the kitchen, straighten the whole house, go to the library for audio material for the car ride, drop off some bills, and any other last minute stuff I forgot right now.

It should only take me a few hours.

I've filled out the change of address form. I've called to set up trash service. Which by the way is seriously lacking in recycling services, as is there is none. We have to cart it all somewhere. I plan to get a whole bin system going when we get to the cabin.

And the biggest small change is we got a cell phone. It came today. And Gary is a happy camper, because we got to keep our home phone number. So you all don't need to memorize a new number, unless you want the cabin number. We are going from FiOS to DSL, but we will still have internet.

And even more tremendous about the phone is that the charger it came with a plug that has a USB port, so it can be charged using an outlet or a computer. Which means I can now charge my iPod using an outlet too! The little things that float my boat.

An open house?

It's been seven days since it was suggested to have an open house while we were on vacation. Our realtor (who's name is also Gary, so will be referred to as Gary C.) thought that it would be a splended idea. I have been going crazy thinking my house will never be Martha Stewart ready for an open house before we leave for vacation. I doubt it would ever be Martha Stewart ready any time.

Well, I came to my senses and I said enough. No way am I going to break my back scrubbing this house anymore, while trying to pack for vacation. If I have time to do an extra thorough cleaning, and hide all the extra stuff lying around in the attic, and the garage, and the basement, than fine, if not, then people will just see our dust and dirt and our stuff. And I am okay with that.

Today I did a little extra while vacuuming upstairs. I decided I would rid the ceilings of the stray spiderwebs and dust. I don't often look up at the ceilings since I mostly give 3 foot people my attention. Do people really look up at open houses, anyway? Martha Stewart probably would.

Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad shopping time

As I told Gary just a bit ago, if I say I'm going on errands in the next few weeks with both of my children please shoot me. Or less harmful, tie me up.

However stressful the morning may have been, I did get most things accomplished.

I also managed to get all my laundry washed and hung to dry before we left for our errands.