6:38 AM and My Awesome Day Begins!

I finally make it out of the house after forgetting my camera, then the extra camera batteries. Back in the house and the dog needs to pee. The dog is out. Then the dog's leash run gets stuck on a deck chair. Problem solved and the dog is back in the house and I can finally leave.

I back out of the drive, turn on good tunes, and experience a 1/4 mile whiff of skunk funk balanced by the sweet smell of corn fields. I headed towards the hot air balloons in Chillicothe, Illinois, or so I thought. I had a few happy accident stops along my way and really didn't end up at Three Sisters Park until 8 AM, which apparently was too late to see any hot air balloons. While I was bummed about that, prior to arriving at the Balloon Fest entrance, I stopped at St. Mary's (the older church in the cemetery) in Kickapoo and took some photos of reflections of the cemetery in the windows, while focusing on a crucifix and stained glass inside the church.

I decided to follow Trigger Road and then saw a sign for another cemetery that I hadn't been to yet. Dickison Cemetery is in Radnor Township and was established in 1834 by Griffith Dickison. A small cemetery, but it had several uniquenesses that were photo worthy. I found a monkey and an unopened Budweiser toast to a gentleman who would have been a year older than I, but he passed in '07. I also found a lot of grass clippings all over my feet when I got back to my vehicle. They had just mowed and it was thick. The wildlife was also running crazy through that cemetery and it sort of startled me at first. I saw 2 deer, one being a buck that I mistook for someone spying on me until I investigated further and it moved. I also saw 2 frolicking bunnies and a squirrel.



Along 'this?' road, which I have yet to look up on a map, I also found Leslie Rutherford Park. I would highly suggest it for a family outing or a hike. Large fields and lots of trees and wildlife. I will definitely be back this fall. If you'd like to visit it, I'd suggest a map.

After basically doing a u-turn at Three Sister's Park, I decided to hit up the Farmer's Market on the Peoria Riverfront. It was starting to warm up and since I'm not one for temps above 75, I decided to make it a quick trip through there. I picked up some garlic and purple carrots, a bag of peaches and a loaf of French bread. With my purchases in hand, I tried darting back to my vehicle, but saw a few more photo opportunities and took advantage. I've always been attracted to what I refer to as the the fire escape building. I believe it is known by residents and businesses at 401 Water Street. I could walk around that building several times and see so many different camera angles or approaches that would make for a great photo. I limited myself to about 15 minutes of snapping shots and then booked it back to my van.





I had about another hour's worth of time before I knew I should be home because the kids would be done with breakfast and ready to swim and then I should be making the family some lunch. I took the backroads home, as I usually try to do when I'm alone and stopped at the most beautiful field I've seen this summer. I've passed it twice and I couldn't pass it up this morning. The colors speak volumes and just scream SUMMER! Despite the sweat starting to accumulate under my ball cap, I stood out there for a half hour and took in the view through my camera lens, but was eager and ready for some AC. The warmed up dash was now registering 85, ten degrees more than I can handle!





And because I've shared this field location with another blogger, who I consider a more accomplished photographer and still have yet to meet, I'm only posting two of my sunflower photos because she puts me to shame and I look forward to seeing more of her talent with this subject matter.

You Could Fry an Egg on Our Driveway

It's hot. My mind is fried. Involuntary abstinence does indeed suck. And the new Hy-Vee is sadly, just another grocer.

And no, my mind is not fried from the temperatures this week. Although, climbing in our mini-van earlier today, quite possibly, could have done some slight damage. My brain is actually a bit mushy from all the business of caring for 6 children under the age of 7.

For the past couple of weeks, my family and I have been hosting my sister's children for an extended summer vacation. Our kids are all of the same age range, and between the normal kid fights and lack of much needed naps, they have truly been enjoying this summer. It will be one they won't forget. They've been riding bikes, playing squirt guns, taking swim lessons, swimming in our pool at home, playing on our playground and swings, enjoying local parks, seeing movies, visiting relatives and taking in a lot of Vitamin D from summer's abundance of sunshine.

One recent observance of mine is Trojan® has nothing on this new found form of birth control, involuntary abstinence (extra kid care). By the end of my days over the past few weeks, with 3 of our own children and my sister's three on vacation here, I have not one ounce of physical energy left, much less any enthusiasm to jump on my husband. But mentally after hours of constant movement and child entertainment, it's like clocking off 2ND shift of a service job and needing to relax or wind down for a few hours before heading to bed. This part is awful, because I find myself showered, in bed or on the couch, wide awake, while my husband's mind had been working in overdrive all day at the office and is now turned off and the snoring has begun. Thank goodness, it's only 4 days and 3 nights a week.

----Insert review of new Hy-Vee here...
I do believe I am a glutton for punishment. Perhaps this is my wild side eagerly and somewhat sneaky-like trying to reel me to some dark side? My mom and I ventured out with all 6 kids yesterday to visit the new Hy-Vee at Sheridan Village. I was determined to park by a cart corral, as it is a force of habit with me. So, I rounded the parking lot once before spying a woman with one bag left to put in her trunk. We parked center aisle, and near Smoothie King. While vehicles were jam packed in there, carts were sparse throughout the lot. We were lucky to secure two of them and then were able to strategically place 4 of the kids inside the carts. The other two kids we had climb on and ride to the door. The parking lot was bustling like the early 80s as I remember it, but also rude with honking horns and fingers and arms flying in gesture, yet not surprising on a hot and steamy opening day in July, 2010.

The store was shoulder to shoulder, cart to cart with patrons just as crazy as us for venturing out at early lunchtime on a weekday. The store offered an expected array of specials as heard through the online grapevine. Also offering a host of freebies and chaos. I was trying to take note of any items that would catch my eye or prices that would keep me coming back. Nothing really jumped at me. There were a few organizational aspects that made food items aesthetically pleasing and 'available' in a convenient eye level and reach of the arm, sort of way. Beyond that, the check out lines reminded me of a ladies restroom line during intermission at a Broadway show or a high profile concert performance. I had 14 items. Two above the allotted 12 items or less lane requirement. Luckily, I was spied by a manager, or perhaps it was the kids now in meltdown mode, that got us moved to one of those 12 items or less checkers. His name tag read Ben D. Because I had a lot of 'special offer items' he had to type in a lot of codes, which gave me a few minutes to ponder that name tag. All I kept thinking was how his name could have been one used in pranks when I was in high school. Poor guy. I'm hoping his last name was Davidson and not Dover.

I will probably go back sometime. There was nothing special about the store, but I do like a good selection of product, polished floors, a clean store, good lighting and employees ready to please. I'm hoping they continue to live up to their opening day hype.
----End insert.

I am overjoyed to be sharing these six weeks of childcare with my mom and my other sister and her family, because I'm realizing I could not have done it all on my own. On the day I hand them back over to the other family members, I do have a sigh of relief as I'm ready to enjoy my own family, JUST US. It makes me appreciate how quiet our house is without an additional 3 youngsters. Our own kids need some quality time with mommy and daddy during the week and more importantly, my husband and I need quality time together even if we have to lock ourselves in our bedroom! We've learned to utilize time when we get it, even if it's literally just minutes.

I look forward to tomorrow. We have a swim lesson in the morning, then lunch, then nap/rest time and then I get to hand off the extra three kiddies to my sister. They are usually ready to go as we've had our share of each other for the week and we could all just use a break.

I'm also looking forward to some reprieve from this heat and I'm hoping August brings some cooler temps!

Dad's Day

It is a celebration with my husband because he is an AWESOME dad and his greatness needs no explanation around here, just ask any one of our kids. They go running to him every day when he gets home from work. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!!!" He lets them get muddy and grass stained. He lets them do adventurous (cough cough..dangerous) activities that I would hesitate over. He lets them get their hands dirty. He lets them swim in the bathtub. And supposedly he gives better kisses, because mine our too sloppy and our one daughter always wipes mine off her face...!?? He also gives great hugs and he says, "I love you" every day and night.

It is also a sad day for me because my own father has passed.

I'm feeling a bit melancholy as I sit here and type this at 1:37 AM (the only time it is truly quiet in this house). The only thing that keeps coming to my mind is that I'm so thankful my husband is the father to our kids, that my dad was to me. Our children get to enjoy living as kids and not having a care in the world because he works very hard to provide that for them. My father liked my husband when I first introduced them, while we were dating. My dad probably knew a lot more than I did at that time and he's probably wishing he could say..'I told you so!'

In my mind, my dad spends his days sitting on a John Deere in heaven with charcoal heating up on a Weber ('cause GOD knows a real man doesn't use gas!'), smoking and drinking a beer, while he laughs at all the goofy things our children say and do, while we try to keep up with them!

And I owe a 'thank you' to my father-in-law, although I doubt he'll ever read this. Even before we knew my dad was terminally ill, my father-in-law had always done the 'dad' type things for us and continues to do so. He endlessly helps us do repairs with our house. When he visits he can't sit still. He will mow the lawn. Fix anything that needs fixing. Clean anything 'outdoors' because he still likes to live in the '50s stereotype, but that's ok, because I'm not great at using a power washer. He'll run to the hardware store. And he also makes our kids very happy. I do say 'thank you' and appreciate everything he does do for us. I know if my dad were around, we'd probably have so much help, I wouldn't have a honey-do list for my husband!

Happy Father's Day!

Rainy Days and Mondays

Love the Carpenters...love them! I need to find my records because a cd just doesn't sound the same.

Yeah..it's been raining for what seems like a monsoon season around here. Enough with tornadoes and thunderstorms, high winds and endless rain! I'm getting a bit annoyed and tired of it. It's not like a cool rain that brings the temperatures back to normal and the humidity ceases. No. It seems like this rain just keeps coming and brings more humidity with it. I think mother nature needs to give it a rest so we can enjoy summer!

This is the prelude to a dry, cool summer, right? And this week I'll be able to turn off the AC, open the windows and sit outside without mosquitos, right? And our plants will be flourishing because they've had so much rain? And the kids will go to bed so soundly because they've played outside all day and are just exhausted? And the rest of my summer will be as sunshiney as the dress Karen Carpenter is wearing?!?!?!?!

Summer Is Here

In a previous post, I said my summer started June 1st. It's here.

I'm not a huge fan of summer. There is a list at least a mile long of the reasons I dislike it, but every summer since my husband and I have had children, I try to make the summer about them, rather than myself. I remember having great summers as a kid. I want them to experience all that 'greatness.' I remember being outdoors all summer long and I don't remember any of the negatives that tend to bring me down as an adult. I really try to see these 4 months through my kids experiences and appreciate summer's potential and what I can relearn and experience again.

Summer's BEST through my children's senses:

1. Sand.
The texture through fingers and toes excites them. Whether it's 4 new bags in the sandbox, a huge cup of water poured over it, or feeling it flow out of the hole intended for the umbrella in the middle of the sandbox; the FEEL of sand is gritty, crumbly, pasty and pure summer fun!

2. Playgrounds.
Whether it be the new one we are so thankfully inheriting from a very generous neighbor or one of the many in the park district, the sensation of flying down a curly slide..even better on your tummy, swinging to the sky (and then jumping off!), standing at the top of a tower and yelling down at friends or jumping onto a fireman's pole and sliding down till your butt hits ground is exhilarating enough to want to do it over and over and over again. I wish there was an adult sized one around town! I still enjoy swinging. Tire swings...even better!

3. Popsicles.
No matter the size or the flavor, these are always a culinary, cool-down, delight. Oh, each child does have a flavor preference (changing daily) and because they usually come 50 in a box, there is never a problem finding the favorite color and plenty to share with the neighborhood kids.

4. Swimming.
We are all signed up for lessons, thanks to some local parent input! I haven't decided on what size pool we will have in the backyard, but we will have one soon. Splashing is one of summer's best feelings and the cool water feels so good on a hot summer day. Sometimes, they don't even mind being tossed in by mom or dad!

5. Bugs.
Worms (best after a rain). June Bugs (hearing them crunch as they get whacked). Wasps (watching them create a nest is so cool). Bumble Bees (seeing who can find the hugest ones over a row of flowers is so exciting on an early morning). Flies (the thrill of being able to wield a fly swatter at age 5...pure excitement). Gnats (gnat hats...the huge gathering of them that sometimes assimilates over one's head for no apparent reason and then follows that person...a child AND adult conundrum). Spiders (long legs is fine, hairy little ones scampering across the bedroom floor, late at night at very high speeds is worthy of a high pitched scream) . Mosquitos (can't stand the bites, but being able to identify them and tell mom every 5 seconds where a new one has landed is very informative and preventative in nature). Lightening Bugs (Best summer bug of all time! The more you can catch, the merrier your home-made Mason jar flashlight will be).

6. Small town Carnivals.
Sugary, greasy goodness! And oh the rides!

7. Fun driving with the windows DOWN!
Our kids, like our Beagle, love to have their face skin flapping near an open vehicle window. I accommodate this request as much as possible because we usually ride with windows down, no radio on and lots of laughing and giggles coming from the backseat. And the fun driving comes into play on an open stretch of road (Devil's Washboard Road in Glasford is a good stretch of road OR the hills on W. Middle Road from behind the Peoria Airport heading to Cameron Lane!) and slightly speeding or swerving just to create that fluttery stomach feeling!

8. Minimal clothing.
I think our kids have been exhibitionists since birth. They didn't inherit that from my husband or myself! But, if they could get by in just undies while playing outside, they would. I try to accommodate their 'lifestyle' by purchasing tank tops, comfortable thin shorts and flip flops, so as not to make the neighbors talk. 'This' bare minimum is required to play outside and seems to be 'ok', but they still insist on getting totally soaked or filthy down to the covered parts!

9. Garden Hose.
The pure thrill of grabbing it while mom and dad are engrossed in yard work and THEN finding out that you have control of it and can hose whatever you want with shockingly cold water!! Oh the joy!

10. Slip-n-Slides.
The longer the better. As a kid, I learned you could put several together OR...add on with black, industrial strength garbage bags. We have a really great hill in our front yard and the kids are now at the age where you don't have to 'toss' their body down the slide. Adding greasy sunscreen makes them go even faster..or so I was told.

11. Ice Cream.
Any kind. ANY WAY...in a cone, soft serve, waffle cone, banana split, milk shake, Breyers, Edy's, Blue Bunny, DQ, Spotted Cow, or any treat from a local Dairy Barn type...serving it up from a window! (OK, this is probably MY summer's BEST but, the kids never complain when I say ice cream)

12. Trails and Paths.
The mystery of not knowing where you'll go or what you'll find and then the discovery of the end can entertain sight, smell, touch and feel. Taste might not be so good on a trail, but because of our kid's ages, taste happens. My husband and a neighbor recently mowed paths through a field that we share between our houses. The kids run through there almost every day coming to the back door with a new discovery or finding.

13. The night sky.
Where we live, we can see so many stars and their patterns at night. We can also see city lights (Yes, Peoria has a skyline!) and we also have the BEST lightening shows. We can't wait for July 4th!!

14. Hot Dogs and S'Mores.
In asking my kids what their favorite things about summer included, they said...'the food.' So I asked, what kinds of foods do you like? And knowing full well they would not give me the answer of 'the delicious Sea Bass dad grills' or 'the perfectly grilled Ribeye with sweet potato fries,' it came out exactly as I imagined. Hot dogs and s'mores. Cooking anything where you can use a iron stick with a sharp poker on the end...OVER FIRE...is pure KID FUN in the summertime!

In talking with our kids and creating this list, I remember summer being a GREAT BIG LOAD of sensory overload and never wanting it to end. August comes way too fast. Slow down. Get lost. Get sticky. Stick out your tongue and taste raindrops. Because at the end of a great summer day is an underwater sea adventure waiting in a bathtub full of bubbles with mermaid Barbies and 32 oz. tumbler cups for drenching siblings!

Dog Eat Dog World

Today my dogs are barking and we lost our vet.

I totally buggered up my pinky toe today. I was vacuuming and turned around quick and whacked my foot into a wall that somehow, moved in front of me unannounced. This injury wasn't your normal stubbing type, where you might just mutter a quiet profanity under your breath. It was the all out screaming, 'oh *$%@,' crying type. I'm sure our kids were wondering if they should call 911.

I heard the toe pop when it hit the wall and thought, 'this can't be good.' But, in my persistence to be able to enjoy the present holiday weekend and not have to do loads of housework and cleaning, I kept going with my vacuuming. Despite my efforts to avoid the throbbing, I had to keep my foot turned up so that I wasn't in complete and utter immobile pain. My family would probably tell you I have hypochondriac tendencies toward illness, germs and pain but, just to refute those ideas, I was actually told by a doctor during one of my two c-section deliveries, my tolerance for pain was quite high. So, on I went about my day; vacuuming, picking up, making lunch, mopping the tile and hardwood. Then I took a shower. That was the end all. It was then I noticed not only was I in massive pain just from one little pinky toe, but that toe was now a deep purple and really crooked.

When my husband got home we went to a First Care. I got some mental reprieve because the kids and husband went to PetSmart to get our dog some special diet food (my rant about that will come shortly.) I got to spend the next hour at the First Care with a doctor that was quite difficult to understand, yet ordered x-rays and concluded that I broke my toe. I saw the complete break in the bone on the x-ray. I get to wear a lovely orthopedic shoe for four weeks. You know the fashion statement variety resembling a really bad slip on sandal with velcro? Yep, that's it. I'm not so thrilled this is how my summer will start. I had high hopes of wearing fun flip flops with pedicured feet. Now, I'll be sporting one ogre foot in a blue flat shoe instead.

Now, about the loss of our vet.

About a year ago, we tried to get our dogs teeth cleaned. To do this, we were required to do a pre-anesthetic blood work up. The results showed that our 10 year old dog had some kidney issues that could potentially turn bad if we didn't make some changes. We started with her food. Upon the Vet's recommendation, we switched it from an adult variety to a prescription food to help with kidney function. The 20 pound bag went from $27 a bag (PetSmart) to $50 a bag (same brand but only offered through our vet). I about freaked when I heard the new price we'd be paying to keep our 'first baby' fed, alive and kicking. So, I did some research online and through other vets and found out that the price I'd save with ordering online would not balance the price I'd pay for shipping 20 pound bags. So, I stuck with the vet.

Recently, East Peoria PetSmart opened a pet vet clinic inside their store. I decided to call and see if they offered the food. And sure enough, they did. AND for $6 less than our vet. The only request was the Rx script from our vet. So, I called the vet, told them I found a cheaper place to purchase the food and asked if I could have a script. They said, 'sure, but we charge $20 for the script every six months.' I was shocked. I asked them if they were serious and why they did this. The vet tech told me they did it to insure pet safety because of the prescription. Now, I'm not stupid and all I heard was 'KA-ching.'

Yes, it's only $6. But, $6 adds up over a years time and the principle of this just pissed me off. We have taken our dog to them since we got her from PAWS. They would have seen her for what would have been 11 years this fall. In the conversation with the vet tech, I was told that she'd ask the Vet if they could just charge us $20 for a year's script. I said, 'I don't think you are understanding me because I am not paying you anything to purchase the same brand of dog food elsewhere for a cheaper price. If you can not waive this 'all of the sudden fee,' we will find a new vet.' I went on to tell the vet tech that I did not want a new vet. I liked their service and that they've always been great with our dog and she loves going there. They've gotten us in for emergency situations and even if we just needed her toenails trimmed, always made room for us. I really didn't want to leave, but if making $40, or even $20 bucks off of us was more important than giving a loyal customer the script to save some money on food, then we'd be finding a new vet.

I didn't hear back from them for over 2 weeks. We had just purchased a small bag of our dog's old food to get us by until this was resolved. Well, we ran out yesterday and today my husband called the vet back. He told them to either have the script ready, be able to price match the food price or have the dog's medical records ready when he got there in 45 minutes. When he arrived, they had her medical records ready because the vet had decided that this was policy. Now, whether this policy just occurred today or it had been in place for years is unknown. I imagine it evolved because one customer, ME, decided to rock the boat. I wonder how many other people, mainly those that don't want to travel far for food or even have internet access to price compare, just pay out the yang because they aren't informed that you CAN go elsewhere and you DON'T have to get nickel and dime'd for an Rx script!!???

It's business. I know. But, customer loyalty keeps business and so does maintaining some sort of ethics in regards to client relationships. Obviously, we were just another dollar in your daily deposit Meadows Veterinary Clinic. And to lose a 10 year patient rapport, because you are too caught up in your $20 script fee charge, in my opinion, is just assanine.

When It Rains, It Really Rains

So, the last 2 days, mother nature has 'blessed' (insert HUGE sarcasm on that word) us with warm summer temperatures. Summer for me should not start until June 1st. May is a transition month. It is that time where my body adjusts to the idea that I will sweat myself for the next three and a half months whenever I go from house to vehicle or vehicle to another air conditioned building. I will tell you when temps go above 75 without a huge breeze, I'm uncomfortable, bitchy and not that fun to be around. I seriously need to think about relocating further north. Planted roots of good family and friends keep me here and I guess I shouldn't leave out the big yellow provider, that which is my husband's employer.

So, we moved during cooler winter months to this new house and never checked the AC. And it doesn't work. No surprise there. For the past 2 days I've been sweating my arse off just 'living.' I can't even think about doing dishes or throwing in a load of laundry without sweating. And giving the kids a bath...OMG... If someone could recycle and purify what comes dripping off me while I'm in the heat-laden bathroom giving them a bath, we could bathe 3 more kids!

And speaking of our kids, they are the reason I knew the basement was raining like a jungle today. I sent them to the basement this morning to play while I cleaned up the kitchen. They came upstairs after about a half hour with a backpack that had been leaning up against one painted cement wall in our basement. They said the wall was raining. I asked how fast the rain was falling and they said, 'well, it's just wet.' I thought, that is better than RAIN, but I better check it out. So, as I am going down the hallway to the basement, I looked quickly at the thermostat. 85..and it wasn't even noon!

I get to the basement and start looking at the walls and at first I didn't notice anything. As I felt them, it was like they were sweating..ALL OVER! Brilliantly (and in retrospect..not so much!), we thought we'd turn on the 'fan' instead of the AC last night just to pull the cool air (which is usually about 15 degrees cooler) to the upstairs. It worked for a bit, but not as good as we'd hoped. As the cool air dispersed upstairs, the basement was getting warmer causing the walls to get damp..and then as our kids put it, 'rain' and leave small puddles on parts of our tile. In layman's terms..a big mother-expletive-expletive mess!

So, I spent the better portion of my morning finding an AC repair company to come out ASAP. This is quite difficult on the first 90 degree day of the year. I wouldn't suggest it. I had two companies in mind and it came down to who could get here sooner. A friend of mine recommended a service person from one company, whom I actually know personally. I just felt weird calling when I knew he'd be booked solid, which he is until late this evening. I called the other company, booked the appointment and the earliest they had was tomorrow after noon. As I sat here thinking about how the other guy knew my family and would probably do his best for me, I thought what the hell and called him too. He was super busy, booked back to back all day and told me to call back at 5 PM and he'd see what he could do. I teetered with that since I already had the other appointment.

All the while, the walls continued to sweat and rain. I called my husband and asked what we should do about the walls because I didn't want furniture, toys, electronics to get ruined because of this and it would not have time to turn into something we couldn't fix. He suggested a dehumidifier, a hose so we wouldn't have to empty it and fans to direct the air. I went to local home supply store, dropped a load of money along with a $25 gift card (thank you to that housewarming gift giver) and came home with the supplies. After getting it all out of the boxes, to the basement and hooked up. I came upstairs and was no longer teetering about the phone call to the favored, yet extremely busy AC repairman.

Called the 'family-known and friend-recommended' repairman back and he said he could not get me in tonight and was very apologetic. He said he could try after 9 PM, but still wasn't sure if he'd be able to get to our place. I told him to not worry about it as I had someone coming at noon tomorrow. I was honest from the beginning about having called another company because they could get me in and his company wouldn't be able to schedule me until Wednesday and I was desperate.

Five minutes later my cell phone rang and it was the same repairman calling me back. Said, if I could call the office, he could come out at 8 AM. I told him he really didn't have to worry about it and I felt bad for having called him directly. But he said he didn't want me to get screwed over or talked into something we didn't need if it was just a quick cleaning and fix. So, he told me to call his office and give them my info and he'd be here at 8 AM. He's a good guy and I'm glad I was encouraged into calling him. I called the other business back and cancelled my service call and I'm guessing some other sweaty soul will be very appreciative.

Tonight we are headed out for dinner with some coupons given to me by a friend. And then to see a movie with coupons from the backs of Kroger receipts (buy one get one!). And we will soak up the air conditioning for as long as possible. The coupons hardly compensate for the dehumidifier, 3 box fans, one hose and a service call with the potential to be expensive, but for a few hours, 'I' won't be raining. I'm hoping for no rain tomorrow and much COOLER temps!