Pictures from the poop deck

Here they are! Pictures of the infamous Cap'n Macs Morgan's Pirate Party!

Here be the Cap'n his self showin' off his fiercest pirate face! AArrrrrgh, Matey!

This here be a samplin' of the fine tattoo art that the Wench Mad Ethel Cash did place on the chest of the Cap'n his self!

This be the very tattoo that Joshua Jones did have placed on his self.

Here be the place where the treasure was burried! See that the X marked the spot!

Here be a close up of the Black sand (black beans) and Gold (spraypainted poker chips) that we found at the site of the treasure!

Here be the fine ship that the Cap'n and his crew did sail.....

This is the cake that also horboured some buried treasure in it's sandy soil. This sand were eat able! (crushed 'Nilla Wafers and three kinds of decorating sugar. The "rocks" are chocolate, and the "grass" was cut up airheads. The gold here is foil covered chocolate)

Here be the crew and the Cap'n his self! Big brother was not here for pictures yet, and fer some reason, me thinks an ailment of the teenage kind, did not don his pirate gear for this occasion.

This....

This is what happens when you are left without a computer for one whole WEEK.
If you are faint of heart, I
Do
NOT
Recomend that you try it.
It's not pretty.
not
at
all.
I didn't realize just how often I use the computer.
Things pop into my head.....

What's on TV tonite?
I'll go check on the computer!

I wonder how you cook Bulgar?
I'll go check on the computer!

Ooooh! I want to blog about that!
Quick! onto the computer while the thoughts are fresh!

I wonder how the gals at eBay are doing....?
I'll go log in and say hi!

Did I pay that bill?
I'll go check on the computer!

I wonder how much Travis' paycheck was....?
I'll go check on the computer!

Yes...
lots
lots
lots
of times in the course of a day, I think these things.
Then one day, the computer decides that it doesn't want to
LET
ME.
Spooty

Spooooooooo Hooooooo Teeeeee

So totally absolutely stinking yucky blechy spooty.
in the worst way.

So now I'm back.
Thanks,
LEEANNE
(can't believe I've been spelling your name wrong this whole time)
I'd still be in spootyville without you!

So- posts to look forward to:
1. ARRRRRG! There's pictures of a pirate and his band of thieves that need sharin'!
2. I'm out of touch.
3. Potty training.
4. Halloween, baby!

&*%@#$!

So.....
My computer is SICK.
I am too,
with a cold, but my computer has seemingly lost it's graphic's card.
Can't see diddly SQUAT on the screen these days.
Thanks to Leann,
I can at least get on line to tell you that I won't be able to blog very regularly for a while.
I'll be able to get on every day or two.
But.
NO
PICTURES! Gasp!
Don't leave me! I'll Be Back!

The Pirate party was a hit, and I can fit 27 people in my house with relative ease.

Ian's pictures are on my computer... I may or may not be able to post them after all this is over.

I can't WAIT for this week, so that I can decorate for HALLOWEEN.

So more on all this later! Thanks every one for commenting on my posts! Keep it up! I LOVE to see who comes to read!

rachel

Arrrrg! It twas INTERNATIONAL TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY!

My pirate name is:

Mad Ethel Cash

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

So I took this quiz, mates, and this is wha the bloody test did tell me! Me thinks it's been looking into mine private quarters and spyin on the likes of me. I think it hit me square in tha eye with it's accuracy, mate. An thas no lie! Take the quiz yerself or walk the plank like the dirty dog that ye Arrrg! Ya Privey?

INTERNATIONAL Talk Like a Pirate Day was the 19th! (also Macs' Birthday) We are having a pirate party for him on Saturday! I'll be sure to post pictures. It's going to be FUN!

Mad Ethel Cash

Football Season.....

He's QB this year. Look at him. I can't BELIEVE that's my baby. Everytime I look at him, he's closer to being a MAN.
OH
M
A
N....

He made Quarterback this year! He's so excited, and doing such a great job. The whole team has been so neat. They played yesterday, and lost. 52/6 but never ONCE did they play like they had given up. NEVER. It was so totally cool to watch. The other team's coach even complimented our

coach on it. Have you ever tried to get good Football pictures? It's much harder than you might think! I picked out my favorites, but as you can see, the action shots are not really here! LOL I got some, but nothing to share with you.

Happy Football season!

If you're wondering how to get to Jake's house...

This is how. Very simple, as you can see. Our house is the first dot, and his house is the other one. Jacob and Josh have totally hit it off in first grade. Josh asked Jacob how to get to his house, and Jake drew him a map. So... if you want to get to Jake's house, it's all here. Just follow the directions!

2 posts in a day.....

Here's a teaser for you......
a picture of Josh at the punkin patch last year. Can't wait for that day this year!

Goodbye Summer.....

Some snipetts from my garden this year... I can smell FALL. It's coming faster than I can believe! Pumkins, graveyards, bats.... mmmmm. More than I can bear! I'll be putting pictures up of our decorating endeavors!

Facts

Wow. I really hadn't realized how much I am affected by Travis being a Police Officer.
Somehow, with this last anniversary of 9~11 I really realized how much it weighs on the back of my heart.
The thought that he could be gone ANY DAY.
I mean, somehow, him being in such a high risk job makes it more glaringly REAL than just living everyday.

The fact is, when he worked at a Lumber Mill before he became a police officer, there were more deaths in that mill in one year than there have been in Law enforcement here in the last four or five.

The fact is, that the last deputy to die in our county died in a traffic accident while he was driving his own car on his own time.

The fact is, death still stares me in the face.
I can't BEAR it when Travis leaves the house and I have not hugged and kissed him.

The fact is, I sometimes tear up when he holds me, just because I start to think about how much he means to me.

The fact is, everytime he leaves for work, I tell him how much I love him because I don't want something ELSE to be the last thing I said.

The fact is, I make sure that our kids have the chance to say goodbye too. I DON'T tell them WHY...

The fact is, I WANT my husband to shoot to kill. Anything less might mean that HE is the one who never comes home.

The fact is, these things live in my stomach all the time. They make me notice the little things, and remember to hold my tongue.

The fact is, I think about this way more than I let on.

The fact is, that even though I didn't personally KNOW any of the victims of 9-11, I know that the REAL victims are the families. The parents, sons, daughters, grandchildren, wives. The ones that are still here. Still facing day to day.

The fact is, THEY could've been ME. MY family. My sons.

The fact is, it scares me.

I will not forget Sept. 11th, 2001. I will not forget Jerry DeVito.

Jerry DeVito. He was 67. That's what THE LIST says. It says that he was 67 and that he was a Driver. That's it. A name, and an age, and what he did. I looked. I looked. I looked so HARD....
I
couldn't find
A N Y T H I N G.
Is that what 9~11 has become?
THE LIST
It has over 2996 names on it. Name after name, after name.They are all there, in neat little letters. All tidy. So precise.
But I
REMEMBER
m o r e......
heart wrenching red eyed puffy faced snotty nosed dripping chin
M
O
R
E
Jerry. He was 67. He was a Father. He was an Uncle. He was a Friend. He was a Husband. He was a Son. He was There. He was alive.
was.
Now, he's part of it.
Part of
THE LIST.
I want him to be
MORE.
Because he's been lost in all those letters, and ages, and places, and jobs. Lost in that horrible cloud of grey suffocation. Lost in the roar of plane engines. Lost even in the flags that flew for months after.
I did find a few things about Jerry.
Things written over three years ago by people who knew him. loved him.
miss
HIM.
I don't know why there wasn't
MORE.
Maybe those people have moved on, and don't need to rethink and revisit that day. I don't think that I would want to if I were them. I don't think that they have forgotten. I don't think that their pain has lessened. I know that for them,
Jerry IS more.
He was always making others laugh.
He was always taking care of friends.
He was a Baseball fan.
He was giving.
He brought donuts EVERY TUESDAY.
He was a hard worker.
He loved life.
He cherished.
He savored.
He told really good stories.
He worked in Hollywood once upon a time, and owned a cigar store once.
Everyone came to his retirement party even though he really never did REALLY retire.

I know Jerry. I have Grampas like him. Always there with a smile, a laugh.
Hardworking, and full of integrity.
You know Jerry.
He's the man next door. The guy who you can count on to follow through.
I know that you have heard it before.
Live everyday like it is your last.
I didn't know Jerry,
but I can tell you that from what I was able to learn about him,
I am pretty sure he did.
I have lived by this rule for quite some time now.
I think though, that I will be adding Donut Tuesday to my list. It's not much, but it's a sweet way to remember. To keep Jerry from being swallowed up.
by
THE LIST.
It's easy to say that you will remember, but it's easy to let the names and the ages and the places and the planes and the news and the interviews push the
i n d i v i d u a l
back into
THE LIST.
To the Friends, and Family, and Nieces, and Nephews, and Daughter, and Son, and Grandchildren, and Wife, and Co-Workers..... I have not forgotten.
I have flown the flag since that day. It never comes down. I have added Jerry's name to the edge of that flag. And we have Donut Tuesday at our house now. The second Tuesday of every month. May his memory bring you smiles and good thoughts.

rachel

Karen Says....

My friend Karen is a blogger too. She took a challenge from aonther fellow blogger to inbed a Video into her blog. So I thought I'd try it too. I really like this video from Pink. I first saw it on Shape of a Mother. Hope you like it! If you have children, you might want to be sure that they are busy playing. The words are not bad, and the content is with good intention. However, there is a bit of flesh in this video...........Ladies and Gentlemen, for your viewing fun! Stupid Girl.....

New Do and Teachers too

Ahhhhhh. New hair cuts. They are such fun. So refreshing. Boy's haircuts. They are even better. They are like time markers. Buzzed down to the skin or close to it? Should be close to summer time. Long and shaggy? It's still winter, and too cold to do anything rash. Not too short but very freshly cut? Well, school should be starting VERY soon....

In Josh's case, the next day. Mmmmm. Fresh and Coooooooool the gel signifies the Cooooool guy with the Cooooool cut. In this case, a faded, bleach tipped, Mohawk. Not one that has a LINE up the side of your head, but one that has a fade. One that doesn't show unless you GEL it, and spike it just right. I love it. Love it Love it Love it.
So does Josh. He's even remembered the GEL every day so far..... Mind you it's only been THREE days, but he remembers.
All
On
His
Own.
He's ready, dude. And BTW, his first day of school?
"It was the best day."
Pretty Coooool too. His teacher has never taught a first grade class. She's only taught the "big" kids in fourth grade..... I'd have NEVER guessed.
She's a pro. and I think I'm in teacher heaven.

Will all the toys come to ORDER!

Now, I know my kids have a lot of toys. But a lot of them are toys that I WANT them to have. I also like the toys to have order. I worked in a preschool/daycare center for two years. I ran my own classroom for 1 and 1/2 of those years. I can keep VERY good order in my classrooms!
However.
Order,
in MY house, or the kids rooms.....
a
W
H
O
L
E
nuther story.
That being said, I will also say this: I have always had the thought that the kids would do really well if I had their room organized in the same way I had my classroom. With bins that were clear and easy to see into, and with organization, but not MICRO organization. (which means I may have to let go of the dress up HAT bin, and the dress up CLOTHES bin, and the dress up PROP bin, for four or five JUST DRESS UP bins... but only time will tell on that one.



So I took pictures. Pictures of all the toy groupings that the kids have. I also took pictures of the contents of their dresser drawers, and their faces. (more on that in another picture) There are a few toys that I want them to remember to ASK MOM to use. See that picture in the middle of the pile? It has my picture on it. And the words ASK MOM with the picture of the toys. To remind them and other kids who don't know which of our wonderful collection is for everyday, and which you have to ask for.



Here is the finished deal! These are the ASK MOM bins at the top of the closet.
Which, BTW
Have been gotten into on more than one occasion,
and
no one will cop to getting them down.......
Vveeeeeerrrrry MYSTERIOUS.
Don'tcha think?

Here are the dresser drawers. I put a picture of the owner of each drawer's contents on the front along with the picture of the clothes inside. Josh likes that he doesn't have to open the drawers everytime to see what's in them. (because even though nothing's been moved, he never seems to know where to find his clothes that are so very well hidden from him!) Macs likes to see that HIS face is on the drawer."That's Macs' underwear!"

These are the everyday toys. They are down where everyone can get into them easily and put them away as easily. The beauty of it now, is that when a bin is empty, there is no more mystery about what toys USED to be in it! (something that seemed to baffle us EVERY time cleaning came around) And now josh can help macs to "read" the labels for reminders that the "guys" don't go in the "cars"

So, there is order in the toys, and I think that things will be as easy as they can be for two boys under 7 to figure out.

All posts need pictures

I don't actually think that ALL posts need a picture, but they do make the entry more interesting! Here is a picture of one of my squash plants. I took it with the camera we bought for Ian's trip to Guatemala. I sold the camera at our garage sale. I like it because you can see the ants even! So, this was just a post to post. I've been so busy with company, and I just wanted to say HI!

rachel