without preparing for a trip!

Okay, I go away for for a few days... and now I owe myself eleven blog posts!  It would have been twelve, but in the middle of the getting back into the routine I was able to write one post.

Without further ado... The saga of the last day before my trip to Napa, California.  It started like any other day of the week.  I got the kids up and off to school, walked the dogs and fed them too... then I began to prepare for the arrival of my brother-n-law who was going to stay out our kids. 

In one of my many trips up and down the stairs to check on the status of the laundry, I began to smell dog food.  That's when I notice the small pile of dog food beside our girl Maeve.  She had thrown up.  I was not phased, I just went ahead and cleaned it up.  She seemed okay, she began to play with her sister Red.  So, I went back to running up and down the stairs doing what I needed to be done.

In about an hour though, I realized something was wrong.  On yet another trip through the kitchen, I was hit with that bad smell again.  She had tossed her cookies again, but it this time it was more like her entire breakfast.  It took me longer to clean up, but I persevered.  Maeve though, curled up and went to sleep under the kitchen table--I knew then she wasn't feeling good.  

Figuring she was wore out, I left her be.  It wasn't the end.   At the same moment I received a call from school nurse requesting I come pick up my youngest son because he was sick, Maeve threw up again.  This time she was so wore out, she laid still and didn't move.  I called the school back, asked them to keep my son comfortable while I had to handle the situation at home.  At this point, I was seriously feeling like fate wasn't going to let me go on my trip. 

Thanking Old Man Winter for giving me a 60 (yep, 60) degree day... I took Maeve outside and hosed her off.  Shampooing her and then rinsed her again.  Grabbing a towel, I dried her off; then I went back inside to tackle the mess again.  Once I was done, I hauled butt to the school to get my son.

Although, my day didn't end there.  Yes, Maeve was sick a fourth time.  But it was the text message telling me my brother-n-law's GPS had routed him through major city near us, that upset me.  I couldn't help him.  I began to feel truly at my wits-end.  But I plodded on, repeating a silent mantra... I am going on this trip!

The rest of that day is a blur... I survived and did make my flight the next day!  Have you ever gone through challenges similar to this, wondering why me?

Without a post topic!

Oh dear whatever will I write about tonight...?

Well, let's see I could write about attending my eighth Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet.  Or that I now have three in a Boy Scout Troop.  Or the wonderful friends I've made with so many scout families over the years. 

"Eek, a Hairy Jumping Spider!!!

Or I could write about the fact that I've seen two hairy black spiders already and it is not even March yet!  One of my son's said his favorite season was Winter because of the lack of critters.  I've not been a fan of spiders for as long as I can remember.  I know they are good for gardens and eat bugs that can do damage to many plants... it's just well, they are just creepy!

Red and Maeve relaxing last summer.

Or I could write about how my goldens are such amazing pups!  Maeve has stopped looking for me to get the balls out from under the microwave cart.  Now she moves the cart out of her own way!  And Red has too learned to move objects out of her way too.  She has learned she can use her snout to move gates away from the walls and go anywhere she wants.  I thought it was because she wanted to get to me, but apparently I am not what she wants to see.  Because sitting here with her inside the gates she tried harder to move the gate *LOL*! My girls are getting so smart!

Well back to the Sunday night chore... laundry!

Without dead batteries!

Isn't it grand to reach for something--like your cell phone, remote, or laptop--only to realize the batteries are dead. I realized more and more of the items we use daily either have a power source that must be charged on a regular basis or take AA batteries.

I guess my recommendation to any young couple who has children is to invest in batteries that you can charge when they run out of power. I know it's still not too late for us to do the same.

There is another battery I was thinking of when I started this entry tho. My battery. So that I can recharge my battery, and keep it charged... I'm going to make another life-changing-resolution. In bed by 10pm when evening activities permit. Of course I will be starting tomorrow night since it's almost 11 now.

To achieve that though, I'm going to have to succeed in finishing more laundry (yes, that dirty word again) during the quiet hours of the day. LOL! This would ensure I wouldn't have to stay up (like I am now) to dry all the clothes I'm washing or have washed; as well fold them. Because dry warm clothes laying in a basket only wrinkle. Then I would have to (gasp) IRON!

Perhaps I'll also try to take our girls (pups) outside more, since the weather seems to be in a warming pattern again. Our trouble-maker, aka Red, has taken to showing me how displeased she is that we haven't been playing outside daily.

Look for my mid-day posts starting tomorrow!

Without writer's block!

Normally I sit down and something during my long days has been the inspiration for my blog posts. Although, probably by the time I finish this post I would rename the title "Without rambling!"

Well let's see I could write about the vanilla cupcakes with vanilla and chocolate frosting I bought today at a church bake sale. They weren't plain vanilla cupcakes--they were lemon flavor and frosted with lemon frosting AND vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles in the batter frosted with chocolate frosting. How did I find out? One of the kids tried one of each and was sadly disappointed.

Or I could write about how I dislike finding a great movie and then having to suffer through the unusual-not-necessary-needed-item info-commercials and trailers for how-did-they-get-someone-to-buy-such-a-horrendous-idea-and-make-it-into-a-movie. So CHEESY some of them are--It's a wonder I can sit through them to watch the movies I love!

Or I could write about the fact that I am extremely but slowly making progress around the house... I did manage to clean out two cupboards. It's a start! And every time I open them to grab something--I stop, admire my hard work and SMILE!

Or I could write about laundry, yeah, I'm still knee-deep in dirty clothes! I want to know who boosted their reproductiveness--oh that's easy that would be my family and the pups. Perhaps the weather too!
Someday, I'll catch up.

Speaking of weather, oh my gosh... we received a cold blast of arctic freezing winds. So the snow we received--yeah we got yet another dusting--it's frozen and crunchy. But this too will pass, and melt again... the temperature is going up oh 40 or 50 degrees in a week's time.

So next Sunday, when I sit down to write I should have ample material... I mean there is always something the pups or the kids have done to supply me with a long list of topics, right? Right!

without Red

That is the name of one of our goldens.
She is a dark red Golden Retriever.

Every morning like clockwork
she starts barking before the sun rises.

Some days, like today, it is annoying...
I would love to sleep in until say 7.
Other days, I can handle it.

Today, though I did fold a load of wash,
pull the wet clothes from the washer,
and then start another load... all before 6 am.
By 630, I had half of the monthly bills paid.

Oh, and I've already finished a cup of joe
before it got cold because I lost track
of where I put it.

So, without Red...
I would be snuggled up in bed
dreaming of all the tasks left to do.