Building a treefort!

For many years, I've wanted to build a treehouse or a treefort for my kiddos. I had collected plan after plan for seasons on end. When I moved four years ago, I tossed them because I figured I would never get around to eventually doing it. A couple of years ago, my younger brother put a piece of plywood on a couple of limbs of a tree (that I helped plant when I was a little girl.) He and my kiddos climbed up the swimming pool ladder and sat on top of the board and loved it. However, I was afraid that one of them would fall off backwards and get seriously injured or die. So, I needed to rectify that or take the board down. After some long indepth browsing on pinterest, I decided on what I wanted up in the tree (even though I wasn't really the carpenter type.)

So a couple weekends ago, we started the treefort project. First we had to cut down some limbs (which led to cutting down other limbs that were dead and needed to be taken down as well.) The piece of plyboard can be seen in this picture (I forgot to take a 'before' picture.)


Then we cut the limbs into smaller pieces and hauled them out to the road.


Making sure the plyboard was level.


We made the frames for each side. Since the plywood was a 4x8, I put the middle boards 2 foot across. Note to self, if you splurge on a nail gun, spend the extra money to get a really good one (ours kept jamming and took so much extra time between each nailing of each nail.) We learned our lesson.


Then we clamped each side down until we nailed them down (and made sure they all fit snugly.)


In addition to nailing down the frames, we also used these things to secore the frames to the bottom.


All four sides are now up. We left a gap on the side closest to the tree to allow room for the ladder (to get up and down) as well as the kiddos to climb out onto the limb (when they're older.)


We used a compressor to use for the nail gun. The only issue was the weather. It was cold and it took a long time to get the compressor going (and stay going.)


We bought picket fence boards to put along the sides. However, we needed them a certain length and had to cut each of the 48 boards. Of course, it was a labor of love.


Starting the sides. Luckily those Christmas hardware store giftcards came in handy! We got all the clamps and most of the boards with them (we had a stash of them!) It was definitely a family project.



Halfway done.


There were a couple of places where the boards didn't fit exactly. We also cut the length of the picket boards to fit in those places. We didn't know what to use between each board either and used a pencil to mark each space inbetween them.


View from one side of the finished project.


And from the other side. We let my son decide how big the space was going to be. He also determined the height of the picket boards themselves. He gave us a lot of input and was a great help the whole way through.

Valentine's Day

I love this holiday...especially getting my young kiddos ready for their class parties. Perhaps it's the chocolate I love! I am always reminded how special the day used to be when I was young and my dad would give me a candy valentine full of little chocolates. The night before my youngest son's party, he was signing his name (or initial) and picking which valentines go to which classmate. It was a nice calm happy evening.


Of course, the next morning, it's a different story. Apparently, he decided to color his arms (this is the second day in a row...I found his stash of markers and hid them!)


But later, he was his cute self again at his class party. Of course, it'd would have been better if he had smiled before the picture was taken instead of the moment after the flash went off, lol!


But I managed to get a decent picture after all.

The Miracle of Hearing Aids!

Background: My hubby has always had issues with his hearing. He blames it on his older brothers very loud music as a kid. In school, his teachers noticed he was a different kid when his seat was closest to their desks and had his hearing tested (yep, hearing loss.) Fastforward a couple decades, I noticed there were certain kinds of phones we couldn't use because he couldn't hear them ring (as his loss was in the high frequency range.) As we had kids, if he couldn't hear them, I'd repeat to him what they said. It's happened so smoothly that I didn't even notice I did it. The main place there were issues were when we were riding somewhere and he were driving (he coudn't see them or hear them) so I'd tell him what they said. We were always the 'loud family.' Even as I grew up, we were loud. After I married, it was the same. Hubby always says, 'turn it up' when watching tv. Even my older girls are loud, lol! Again, thought nothing of it. Hubby is one of those people who can hear a helicopter coming from miles away and always hears things I couldn't (or didn't really pay attention to.)

Present: Hubby's ear clogged up with earwax last week. He asked me to make an appointment to have it cleaned. I made an appt. with the same doctor I had used at the local Ear, Nose and Throat place. I filled out the paperwork for him (and checked those boxes he'd had issues with in the past such as hearing loss) and made a map of where to go but still, he really wanted me to go with him. Since it was more fun than cleaning at home, I went. Initially, his ear was cleaned and he could hear so much better. But before seeing the doctor, they wanted him to have a hearing test. He has a yearly test at his work (hearing prevention program or something like that) but figured, why not. Then we saw the doctor who explained what the test meant. He had a 75% loss in the high frequency area which means that he could hear a man's voice (and therefore had no issues at work) but couldn't hear the high frequencies such as a female voice or kid voices. Wow. Then the doctor said that he wasn't going to push for hearing aids but that he just wanted him to know that they'd make a huge difference. He had himself just got some the month beforehand. He took one out and showed us (after we showed interest) and I asked how much it cost etc. When the doctor mentioned how much more he can hear and that he can now hear the birds sing, my hubby really showed interest. It was something neither of us had ever considered. They checked out insurance and referred us to another place. The place happened to be the place where I took my mother-in-law to get her hearing aid about 10 years ago. We called and made an appointment for a few days later.

Yesterday: We had an appointment at 10 in the morning and went to the place to check out the hearing aids. We were interested in one similar to what the doctor had (even though it was at the top of the line, he said.) As it turned out, our insurance covered 90%!! Actually, hubby had mentioned that if it hadn't had covered it, he wanted to get them anyway (it would have taken up our savings) so we were thinking that we'd get an idea of how much they'd be and how long it'd take for them to be made. As it turned out....within an hour, he had them! It was incredible watching him. I had absolutely no idea that there was so much that he had been missing! Watching his eyes as they darted around as he heard the noises in the office and the car afterwards was priceless!! He kept saying, "Wow, I can hear!" I told him that it was like a miracle as he never remembers when he could hear that well and to all of a sudden be able to hear everything that other could all along. As opposed to my bloggy friend Rachel who could hear and then all of a sudden couldn't hear. When we got home, the first thing he said was that he could hear the wind blow. And that he could hear the rain hit the roof. I can't even explain how incredible it was listening and watching him as if he were in a brand new world. In the evening, he'd say, "I can hear him" when referring to our kiddo. Of course, the tv is now WAY too loud and all of us are REALLY noisy. It'll take us a long time to learn a new way to live...quieter.

I mentioned last night that I was sad that he was leaving for work this morning (he'll be gone 2 or 3 wks) and I'd be missing all his 'firsts' in his new hearing. He really loves his new hearing aids and said they're very comfortable. I can't believe how much he had been missing (or what exactly he hadn't been able to hear.) I'm so glad I went with him to his appointment and that we asked so many questions. I've haven't seen him this excited in a really long time, if ever.

This is hubby at lunch yesterday right after we left the appointment. You can vaguely see a thin wire from each ear but otherwise, you can't see them.

Rain and more rain...

'Lovin it! Last year, we were in a huge drought and it lasted months on end. This year, it's the opposite. For days it has rained on end! My kids love it! I have a huge pile of wet dirty clothes and shoes on my back porch (I have the kids take most of them off before coming into the house keeping my floors dry and clean!) The mosquitos are EVERYWHERE!!! In taking a few pictures, I was covered and had at least 20 bites before I got back in the house. It has been in the 70s all week until yesterday evening. Here are a few pics I took while feeding the mosquitos. It is getting cooler as they play.



By the time I took this pic, the water was cold and he was just sitting, not moving, lol! He had some mud in his eye too. Warm bubble baths followed.


My favorite.


Why they insist on getting their hair muddy is beyond me! Must be a little boy thing!!


Today, as I write this, they just both came to the back door soak and wet! I helped get their freezing clothes off (as I look at the thermometer on the porch which reads 46 degrees) and then made a warm bath. Their feet and ankles are red and cold. Let's hope this is the last 'outdoor bath' until it's warmer! I am needed in the bathroom (and don't want huge waves splashing out of the tub) so I am done with this.

Words with Friends

I have a friend who kept requesting I play a game with her on Facebook. Since I was already doing an ongoing game, I ignored her requests over and over. Finally, I thought, why not? So, I tried the game, Words with Friends, with her. It was so much fun! It was like Scrabble and you could play as slowly or as quickly as you wanted. When my boyfriend (now husband) and I were young and I was still living at home, he'd come and hang out at the house. We'd often play Scrabble so I have great memories of the game. Of course, I was 16 at the time too! It was many years later when I gave him the game as a gift (Christmas or birthday?) that he finally admitted that he really didn't like the game and that he was just being nice. It might have also been that he disliked it so much because of the fact that I won most of the time too. Nevertheless, even though I don't play well and don't know many of those cool words you need to use to get the most points, I love playing. As soon as I started the game with her, a former high school classmate started a game with me. I think that when you start a game, there's something put on your wall so that it shows up on the news feed so others can see it too. Then, a distant cousin I've never met started one as well. Suddenly, I was getting lots of invitations to play. Within a week, I had finished three games and was in the middle of five. There are those who do a word or two a day and others who have time to do several. I had one game in which a former neighbor and I played back and forth until we finished. It's all so fun and I'm learning a lot of new words! Who knew that there was such a word as 'qi?' I do now!

Waiting in line -

I have to drive my kiddos back and forth to school every day (and they get out at different times.) so I do a lot of waiting in the car pool line. One part I look forward to is the quietness, that is, if I'm alone. I have read more books in this last year than I have ever before. And so I sit. I have my book, my drink, and my reading glasses. Nowadays, I can't go anywhere (or read anything) without them! As I allow a little breeze blow through my car door windows and hear little voices in the foreground, I am reminded that time passes in a blink of an eye. These kids (like my older ones who have already grown up) will be growing up way too fast.

Finally...a contract!!

It has been the plan for over a year to move my mother-in-law from her assisted living facility to a nursing home (and applying for medicaid.) She makes $2K a month but half of that comes from the VA and would not continue if she were in a nursing home therefore her income would be around $1000. Without a break, the cost of her housing and care (for her level) would be about $4500 a month. We had paid around $3500 a month for 2010 (with most of her adult children picking up the tab of the balance each month.) We really couldn't afford it anymore.

But as the year was ending, I was becoming more sad about the move. I procrastinated in finding a suitable place to move her. I did finally make some calls but was dreading the upcoming decisions. The place where she lives is wonderful and the staff that care for her each day are awesome! One even teared up as I discussed the possible move. That's not easy to find...people who are so caring.

Finally, in mid-November, my sister-in-law (one of my MIL's daughters) called and said she felt the same way I did. She suggested I call one more time to see if we could negotiate a deal to allow her to stay a little longer. Yes, we could have moved her and not paid anything but she's happy there, knows where her dining room chair is and seems peaceful. Moving someone with Alzheimers is stressful on them. The less stress, the better.

We communicated back and forth, between local offices and headquarters, through my initial staffmember to the final supervisor who today (after 2 months but better late than never)...gave us the number we could afford. It'll cost us about $2700 month. What a blessing! We can keep her there one more year!!! I feel SO good about this and know that I will be able to sleep better at night now. It's incredible that we can put off this inevitable move at least 11 more months!



A couple weeks ago, my MIL celebrated her 89th birthday. We brought over a little cake for her to eat! She'll smile at the camera if I take the picture because I smile at her and she smiles back. I tried to get my son to take a picture of she and I but she wouldn't look at him or the camera but looked at me next to her instead. I did get one of her and the boys though with her birthday cake which she loved. It was so cute hearing my 'lil ones singing Happy Birthday to her. I fixed her a spot and left a few minutes to check about her looming contract. When I returned, I realized that she wasn't able to eat very well by herself (the table was kinda low) so I fed her the rest. She just loves desserts and particularly, birthday cake. It's another blessing that she lived another year and could celebrate another birthday.

Where have I been looking?

I thought I was someone who noticed details. Obviously, I don't notice as much as I thought I did. I'm much better at noticing other's expressions or moods than I am at observing the environment. Why am I even mentioning this? Because lately, as my preschooler's vocabulary explodes, he points out many things in which I have never paid attention. As I went to get my allergy shot the other day, I took him with me. He got so excited when he saw the breaker box outside mounted on the side of the building. He proudly and excitedly announces, Look, it's a breaker box!! Who is this kid anyway, lol! I mentioned to my hubby a few weeks ago that he starts asking questions as soon as he wakes up and finally stops as he goes to sleep late at night.

One segment of time today...
I pick him up from (pre-k) school and as soon as he gets into the car, he starts asking about the vent in the dashboard in the car. Is that a vent? Each time he gets in the car, he asks about the vent, the buttons, the light, and the radio button. By the time we get down the driveway to the road, I've reinterated what he already knew. He asked whether something was (it's name) and I said that it was (whatever it was.) As we turn onto the road, today's focus of attention were drains. While driving down the curb and guttered road, he pointed out the first drain (those cut out spots covered by a manhole on the edge of the road.) I have never really paid attention to them. He asked, Is that a drain? Yes, it is, I answer, over and over. There were so many... I started pointing them out to him before he began asking and he'd giggle. As we drive, he also points out his favorite things to me: cellphone towers and cameras on traffic lights. Between those, he also asks, What does that sign say? STOP. What does that sign say? Speed Limit 45 What does that sign say? Target What does that sign say? No Parking What does that sign say? Dunkin Donuts. Wait, go back, go back! Apparently, he saw something he wanted to show me but I passed it up. Nope...not going back! I distract him by showing him a concrete truck (although it doesn't last long.)

I love his little voice asking questions. I know this phase won't last so I soak it in until it passes. Sometimes it's frustrating when he stops mid stride and won't budge until I answer his questions. He looks up in the entrance of a restaurant, for example, and it starts...he points out every fire or smoke alarm, every fire pull station (whatever it's called where you pull if there's a fire,) each security moniter, every fire extinguisher, each vent in the wall or ceiling and each speaker where sound comes out! And that's what he sees before we're seated. It's almost as if he sees the things I miss. I just have never noticed the things he loves.

Moments of Christmas

Uploaded my pictures from the days before, during and after Christmas and just loved looking at them. Before Christmas, we made lots of sweet treats to eat (and give away.) Here is my youngest helping me made some cookies. He was great company to me while I made them, a wonderful helper and taster and fun entertainment. I took several pictures of him and after each time, he wanted to see what he looked like on the display on the other side of the camera. It seemed that each picture got sillier and sillier! We ended up making about five containers of cookies etc. for our friends and family. I'm thinking that next year, if we eat fewer (lol!) I could probably make at least seven for others! I wouldn't have to lose at least five to ten pounds if I had done that as well.


Going to visit my mother-in-law and spending their celebration with families at the assisted living facility. She loved the different desserts and gobbled them all up! Santa made an appearance there too and my kids were able to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. The event and the many people around were really nice but at one point was overwhelming for her and she started to cry (she's used to routine even though she really isn't aware of what's happening around her.) She opened up a couple presents while we were there as well.



Putting out reindeer food for the reindeer on Christmas Eve. It was cold and raining outside but we managed to get their food out nevertheless!


Opening presents! You don't often see this...my teenager (ok, she's 20, I should probably say 'young adult?!?') smiling! Not just smiling, but smiling for a picture!


My first grader putting together a crane! He opened the box and was putting the pieces together! It's been probably the toy that has kept him occupied the longest thus far!



My brother surprised me with a cedar chest he (and his son) had refinished for me. He had mentioned the need for a coffee table and this was a perfect solution (plus it can hide our multiple blankets we keep around the living room!)



Here he is opening a present I got him (an book he had been wanting to read that had been autographed by the author.)


Later, my other daughter came over and I took a picture of my two daughter together (before they left doing their own thing again.)


In the evening, one of my younger brothers came over with his family. Unfortunatley, my camera was set on a weird setting so if you moved the slightest, the picture became blurry. This pic is the best I could get by cropping everyone else out.


I am very blessed to have a nice family. I hear about others and their dysfunctional families whose chaotic mountains made out of tiny molehills, so to speak. I don't have a large family but I'm happy for the one I do have. I hope everyone else had a nice holiday season as well!

December - friends, tree, etc.

Although December isn't my favorite month of the year, it seems to be my brightest. I just love the music, smells (especially, wassail and Christmas trees,) and the colors everywhere (red, green, white!) I try to remember those who are feeling a little lonely as well, as when I'm not doing anything, I often reminisce about my late parents and how much I miss them!

This past week, I enjoyed lunch and visiting with my friend Betty (who introduced me to a couple groups that I attend regularly now as well as the arts as I also go to community plays as well.) Her husband passed away almost five years ago and she has recently met a man with whom she has been spending a lot of time lately. I think she was just trying to be active and involved so that she wouldn't be feeling down...and after inviting me a few times, I started accepting. This is us at a luncheon this past week. She is usually a kind of extraverted socialite (opposite of me.) Yes, I'm the youngest of the group, lol! Betty's on the left and I'm in the middle. An acquaintance Bessie is on the right.


I also contacted an older former collegue (who used to be a boss where I worked seven years ago.) We weren't particularly close but I know that her mom died last April and she is now in the same boat I'm in regarding taking care of a loved one with Alzheimers (and those kinds of circumstances.) We had lunch yesterday and even though her dad is younger than my mother-in-law, we had many similar stories. Luckily, we could use laughter when discussing those trying times when we were forced to take on a situation with our loved one. Like she mentioned, otherwise, we'd be crying. I found it interesting that we actually had a lot in common. I'm learning how to reach out, or rather, practicing, so expand my small circle of friends.

My 'lil one had a Christmas pageant this past week. He was precious and did his cute hand gestures at just the right times. He (and his classmates) were doves (which explains the white feathers on his shirt!)


We put up our Christmas tree this week. Well, actually, we put up my daughter's boyfriend's Christmas tree this week. He let us borrow it again this year (we borrowed it last year when my allergies went through the roof the first day we brought our live one in the house.) The kids loved putting on the decorations. I hadn't bought any new one is years. My mom always used to say not to buy any you didn't love because you'd be looking at them for twenty years. I now know what she means... So, even though we don't have a whole lot of ornaments, we have ones we really love! On the front of this one, I noticed a few in the picture that are noteworthy: a green stocking I made when was about 11, a Santa made out of red pipe cleaners and cotton that my brother made, and those lovely ones brought home from my kiddos from school that they made in class! I had some beautiful breakable ornaments that were destroyed by a little kid who was unsupervised in my house many years ago and, even though I was angry at the time, I still don't really remember what those particular ones looked like. It's the more ordinary ones that seem to be the ones I love...those made with love!

Doubletake ---

I was walking through the house the other day and noticed this! My preschooler had placed them on the piano! I had to run grab my camera and take a picture of them before he returned!

Thanksgiving Tradition

One of our favorite things to do at Thanksgiving (and Christmas) is to make teacakes via cookie cutters. It's something that takes hours (probably because we make a mega-recipe!) I have enjoyed doing this since I was a child and have passed on our holiday tradition to my kiddos. BTW, I totally forgot to invite my brother to our cookie-making evening (and am again apologizing in case he's reading this!) I have accumulated many cookie cutters throughout my life and we probably have several for every occasion possible (including many Texas ones!)


Notice the 'diaper' still taped to the edge of the cabinet that's been there for a few years. My relatives try to take it down sometimes but it prevents accidents with my kiddos bonking their heads! My kids and hubby are making their favorites. As they use up the dough, the left-overs go in a bowl to use after the first batch is used up. With this recipe, the more you use the dough, the better the images are from the cookie cutters. So, we use simple ones at the beginning and ones with more ornate detailing near the end.


My preschooler got out some raisins to add to the 'gingerbread men.' He kept saying he needed to put the buttons on (and I didn't understand him) until I just said 'ok.' Then, I realized he meant he wanted to put the raisins on those kind of cookies and also added eyes. He did many like that!


Some of our cookies!


We celebrated our Thanksgiving early. My hubby would be at work the week of it so we enjoyed it the weekend before. All my kids and both my brothers were there with their families (my other brother is overseas in Navy.) We even had friends there this year! It was a wonderful stress-free day with lots of great food and wonderful company! I'm blessed to have such loving people around me!!

Demon bug?!? Really!!?!

So, at my kiddos's school, you have to behave well to come home with a 'green' color, meaning everything went well. If something happens, you act up or not mind, you get 'yellow.' If you've been told something and continue to not listen (or do something unkind), you get 'red.' Finally, for those really bad actions, there's the ultimate bad, 'purple.' Of course, I love hearing (and seeing the color on the daily sheet) of 'green!'

Recently, my kiddo (and some others) learned how to make loud burp noises. Of course, one burp means that several kids will giggle afterwards, making huge disruptions in class. Not good. He's been warned not to do it (again.)

However, last week, an incident happened. He came home with a 'red' color! I asked him what happened. He replies, "There's a demon bug that flies around and chews on your sock that leaves out a poison that makes you burp." I am stunned. I grab a paper and pen and ask him to repeat that!! He repeats the exact same thing. Then he shows me his sock, where the upper part has been torn (chewed!) a little. I thought to myself, this excuse took lots of time and creativity! I smile to myself and go along with it. Of course, he then proceeded to tell me that he helped destroy this bug and it won't ever be returning. When we get home, I have to naturally take a picture of the evidence, of this amazing rare occurance.

A little later, we go to dinner (hubby returns from work after being gone two weeks and we usually go to our nearby Mexican restaurant.) The subject gets brought up about his behavior that day and I take out my camera to show him the chewed up sock. I stare at my kiddo to see his reaction as he has that embarrassing smile you get when you're trying not to laugh and be serious as he's lowering his head, almost looking away. Hubby goes along with the story too.

Of course, before dinner (and afterwards,) he is cleaning whatever it is I ask him to clean because that's his consequence for getting a 'red,' bug or not. But as we return from dinner, I mention to him that if his sock ever gets ruined by any other demon bug, he'll be buying new socks with his own money! Just as he starts to try to continue the story, I give him the look in which he 'knows' I'm serious and that I clearly know the truth. He nods his head in compliance.

The evidence!


A couple days ago, he turned 7. He requested a cake with zombies on it. Second choice were to have vehicles on it. And if that wasn't possible, tractors. I bought a plain cake and then provided all the vehicles and 'dirt.' He helped me crunch up oreos for dirt and we put little m&ms in the buckets! He loved it!

First Cub Scout Campout

Last weekend, my new Cub Scout went on his first campout. While we love camping, especially when it's cold, it was out first with other people around (who are not family.) In addition, while most participants were dads and sons (with the exception of one kiddo who had both mom and dad,) my kiddo was had just me (hubby was at work.) I had been kinda feeling anxious about it but knew that it'd work out ok. Our first cold front of the season had come in that weekend and it got into the lower 40s. For some, it was just too cold! We were seasoned veterans in that department and loved it! I overpacked with practically everything...but forgot my camera! Luckily, thanks to my older brother, I had my camera from my phone for a few pictures and grabbed another picture from a friend's FB page. We saw armadillo and deer all over the place. The tent neighbor's food box had a raccoon breakin and lost their hot dog buns. We were so tired (from all that fresh air) that we didn't hear a thing! All in all, we had an excellent time and my kiddo can't wait to go again!

My 'lil Tiger Cub.


Sunset at the State Park.


Fishing of the pier was a big hit! Nothing was ever caught but they enjoyed trying. My kiddo with his two friends.