August 31st, 2008 by Heidi

I was never really quite happy with this generic blog theme. Tonight I’m in the mood to stay up late and find just the right one to replace it. If I get tired because I didn’t put enough Pepsi into my system today, then things might not get done, and things might look like a disaster. But never fear – I will get it done soon. I look forward to a new look!

August 31st, 2008 by Heidi

My sweet boy. He really got the smallest brains in the family. The other night he had slipped outside [he's making a habit of this and I just don't like it] and while i was working at the computer at the table, he came up to the patio door. I had left the light off out there so I couldn’t see very well – only the outline of a very proud cat, mouth full of prey. He was a bit postured, being very careful with what was in his mouth. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with that so I asked James to come scope out the situation. He turned on the light and we started cracking up. Silly Thomas, very excellent job hunting down that large, dry LEAF. I’m sure he must have felt like a real stud hauling that bad boy around!

Friday I noticed him licking his rear foot – not the normal grooming way. I inspected it and saw his very swollen toe. I have no idea what he did. He poked it on something or got bit, and an obvious infection is brewing.

As with all pet issues – it’s a holiday weekend. Only the ER clinic was open Saturday and tomorrow. Our regular vet not until Tuesday. After spending $800 on Hazel last summer in the ER, I’m not going that route again for a swollen toe. Hazel was a bit of a life or death situation, we chose life. But a toe – I think he can manage a few days, even if not so comfy. Hannah and I have been soaking it in epsom salt and putting on triple antibiotic. Good thing I have vet tech skillz. And extra good thing – he likes water! Pictures at the end of this for anyone interested.

After soaking he’s been going to sleep on a bed somewhere. Today he chose to lay in the sun in the living room. Millie and Ruby were nearby so I layed down with them. Oh that summer sun sure feels good. Then Thomas did his Ruby copying and rolled over to his back. I grabbed the camera to do some closeups. Here’s my kitty fix of Thomas. Isn’t he just so handsome? Even if he deosn’t have much for brains.

And his poor owie toe… [and yes, he does have big feet.]

August 28th, 2008 by Heidi

The day is here – I sent all my babies off to school. They all jumped out of bed and got themselves ready – though that didn’t go flawlessly since each child forgot something at home after leaving for school today. Boy it sure is rough getting us all going so fast! I expect that we’ll fall into routine soon though. All the kids dressed in their new duds and humored me by posing for a picture. I mean seriously – don’t these kids look so thrilled for the first day of school?

And what is up with the funky faces? I introduce you to Cheesed, Bored, and Stunned.

We biked to school, got everyone settled, adn I rode my bike home all alone in the rain. [It poured just long enough for me to bike home, that's it, really.]

I went back to school at lunchtime to help the little ones make their way through the lunch lines and out to recess. They were all so cute. I’ll be back tomorrow too.

After school, Dillan admitted to crying just a little because he wanted to go home. Fortunately, he said he wants to go back tomorrow. Connor caught up with some friends from last year and had a good day as well. Hannah was bummed to find out she had homework already tonight. Welcome to 8th grade my dear!

I’m so proud of all of them. They make their mama smile even though I felt a bit lonely and maternal all day.  I missed them.

Here’s to a wonderfully successful year for each of them!

August 28th, 2008 by Heidi

Yesterday, as part of our last day of summer fun, the kids and I went to the library. Not the typical sort of sending summer out with a blast but it’s something we like to do. And finally, the kids all got their own library cards. This is something they have wanted fro awhile but I’ve put off. I realized there is no reason to hold off, so here they are.

August 27th, 2008 by Heidi

Tomorrow, school starts. My babies will be in 8th grade, 1st grade, and all day Kindergarten. I will have my days to myself to work and grow my business. My days of being a stay at home mom to care for my children are done. Of course I will be here to get them going in the morning and get them to school. I’ll be waiting for them when they’re done with school and care for them the rest of the evening. But that is so different from how I have spent the last 6 years of my life.

Just a little bit ago, the kids and I rode our bikes down to the school to give ourselves a final time run for the morning. We stopped to play on the playground for a little break. As I swung on the swing I remembered back to the first time that I brought my kids there. Hannah had soccer practice and Dillan was just a baby. A baby. And now my baby is starting Kindergarten and playing soccer himself.

And while I’m so excited for them to spread their wings and soak in all they can learn and make new friends and have so much fun – I can’t help but be sad at the idea of missing all of the things that have made up my days for the past several years. Our mornings will now be busy and rushed to get everyone showered, dressed, fed and out the door on time. We’ll miss the morning snuggles with cocoa and cartoons.

I’m thinking the dogs will be a bit sad to only have me for the comign days. They’ll be so excited at the end of the school day to have their kids back home. I’ll be so excited to have my kids back home.

While I’ll be quite busy being a work from home mom, I’m not quite sure I’ll know what to do with myself. It will certainly be quiet [which I admit, some days I will just love] but it will also be lonely. The noises that make up the day and even becaome a bit frustrating and annoying are going to soon be missed. Hearing “I love you mama” 1000 times a day will soon be cut down to 500, just because they won’t be here all day to say it. And just when I need a middle of the day hug, I’ll have to hug a Corgi. It just won’t be the same around here.

I’m sure the year will be full of so many great accomplishments and so much joy. But today, I feel a bit sad. And tomorrow, it will be hard. And even though I didn’t cry when Hannah and Connor went off to Kindergarten, I just miight be a sobbing mess while I ride my bike home tomorrow, alone.

August 24th, 2008 by Heidi

I’m sick. And I hate being sick. I can’t for the life of me remember the last time that I had a cold this bad in the summer. I actually drug myself to the doctor on Friday to be told I have a sinus infection. Great. But so far the meds aren’t helping so much and I feel so blah and I just want to curl up on the couch and veg. But I can’t. There is just too much to do. And James is sick right along with me. And the kids have the snots or the coughs too. We’re no fun.

My computer and my camera are giving me issues. I had a virus in the laptop last week and did a dozen things to try to rectify it. I bought Trend Micro and they charged my account but they only gave me a trial download. And I’m having a heck of a time geting that fixed. They tell me to uninstall and reinstall and I have. But yeah, still the trial. And that’s fine, it’s helped, but then I want my money back. And trying to get that – yeah right. I hate companies that don’t give you telephone customer service. Their number just tells you to go to the website – which of course is a PITA to navigate and find someone to talk to. I’m crabby about that.

So I got the immediate threats to go away but then my computer wouldn’t recognize my printer – my brand new fancy printer that I just love – and had to uninstall and reinstall that. Twice. Then I had to unplug the modem and router and reset that. Finally it worked. Of course these things happen when I printed just fine 2 hours before and came back to my project to finish it because I had a deadline, and the thing was all messed up. So my picture order went out 3 days later than intended. And I hate that. I feel like I’m letting people down. And they still didn’t even get all of their items – why? Because now my online studio management software is fritzing.

I need to print their receipts. I got my printer working but now, out of the blue, I can’t log into my account to get to them. Says my name and password down’t match. Well YES THEY DO since it’s saved in the little magic wand and that’s all I ever use to log in. I’ve emailed the guy THREE Times in the past three days and have gotten nothing. I just want it reset so I can get logged back in. I’m paying money for that service you nimrod! If I don’t hear by tomorrow, then I’m going to call and cancel. Which would suck because I’ve not printed my reports or recently backed up the system and there is a lot of info in there that I don’t have elsewhere. And I’m sure that if I cancel and can’t log in, I won’t be able to log in to get that info and I’ll really be screwed. So I’m having a hard lesson in things right now but I don’t know how to rectify it.

And my camera – well I just don’t know if it’s the camera or user error or what. But I’m getting a lot of grain/noise and having to process images like crazy. I wonder if I need to send in my lens or my camera or both. But that leaves me with nothing and not sure if either is the issue. I think I might just need an upgrade. And to move closer to the equator wehre the light is so much better and brighter.

Let’s see, what else can I complain about…

Yes, swimming. Hannah loves wimming on the team and I love it so much for her. What I hate is the first two weeks of practice when they practice 2 times a day. The highschool is too far and too many busy roads for Hannah to ride her bike. So we all pile in, drive her there, run and errand or two, come home, can’t get started on much because there isn’t a lot of time before picking her up, pick her up, feed her, do a few afternoon things, take her back, mess around for an hour, and take her home again. But this week has been especially bad because we’re getting ready for school, purchasing supplies and clothes, and shoes and trying to do these things in between everything else. I feel like my days are running together and getting nothing done.

I need to do some photography just for me. But I feel like the more I take, the more it will just pile up. I have pictures from back in July that I haven’t processed yet and I’m not sure when I’ll get to them. That lingers in my brain all the time. I just want to do things with my pictures for a change. I’m tired of working on sessions. And business. And maybe I just need a break. [Time to schedule some tiem off for myself - yay business owner!]

And the state of my house, oh my is it gross. I really haven’t cleaned anything but the dishes all week. I have just felt cruddy and who wants to clean when you’re feeling cruddy? Especially when you’re hacking and coughing up lungs and spreading germs everywhere. I’d much rather contain my germ spreading to just the couch.

I’ve missed all of the equestrian on the Olympics. They aren’t being televised in my area. At least they aren’t written in the schedule so I can’t DVR them. I wish I had 8 hours a day to watch Olympic coverage nonstop, but I don’t. And I’m angry about missing the horses. They are what I love the most about the summer Olympics.

But really, it doesn’t matter that I DVR-d hours and hours of coverage anyway – my DVR isn’t playing recorded items right now. Push play on any of them and we see the big black screen of death. And it’s the weekend, hello no customer service. Anyone know what to do with this?

I’ve burned my tongue 3 different times this week. But that meatball sub was amazing – both times it burned me – and the homemade soup I made – so yummy! I guess some things are woth it.

I shouldn’t talk about how bad money sucks right now. I should be thankful for the things I have, but money sucks right now. August has to be the worst month for me – even more than December. There is so much to do in prep for school and activity fees and money going out every other minute. It always comes out ok in the end but I hate no wiggle room.

The trampoline broke. A welding come apart. I think the kids have jumped the hell out of it this summer. That’s good, at least until it broke. Now it seems they are ’soooooo bored.’ As if that is the only thing to do in the summer. But we have loved it. And we will love it again once we get the weld fixed. Hopefully soon.

Anyone want to scrub out the pool? We emptied it earlier this week because it was goign green, the last filter was full and gross, and it’s getting a bit fall like out there. Now the bottom is gross and I need to get it clean before we can pack it up for the summer. So it’s sitting ontop of the broken trampoline for now. The yard is an eyesore this week.

But today – the weather is gorgeous. And while I still feel like crud, I am going to turn my frown upside down and move on to a new week, hopefully a much better week. I still have so much to do but only a few days left before the kids go back to school and I want to enjoy the time with them.

August 15th, 2008 by Heidi

I’m really quite behind in my updating of events and photographs. Things have just been crazy around here! But real quick I thought I’d throw up a picture from last weekend. Dad came to visit with girlfriend Laurie. He always enjoys camping out in Lindenwood Park and the grandkids sure love that adventure too! Dad’s friend Dawn snapped a picture of us all to commemorate the event.

It’s not easy to get the whole gang to be happy and pay attention at one time. Dillan had just burned his finger, Justin has smucked his head earlier in the day and didn’t feel like being held for a picture, and Connor just felt like being a little wiggly. As a photgrapher, you’d think I’d have had enough sense to put my knees down so they don’t look as big as my head with mongo legs sticking out. Better luck next time!

We had a wonderful time, the weather was perfect, and we all sure wish Dad would come more often! I have many more images to upload when things settle down around here.

Pictured are – front row: Dillan, Caitlin, Ashley, Justin, and Connor. 2nd row: me, Lily, Hannah, Jacob. 3rd row: James, Julaine, Dad. back row: Laurie, Adam, Leslie. Missing is Les who was teaching a photography workshop in South Dakota.