Look what I found....

I got out of the shower this morning and out of the corner of my eye I saw this....

No this is not outside in a forest, but right in the corner of our bathroom. Right next to the bathtub. Now mind you, my previous post about my lovely landlord..... The soft spot on the wall that she wanted covered up with just a tile, is probably rotting away in the wall. It was damp before the tile went up and who knows what else is growing in there.

All I can say is yuck and get me the he** out of here! I'm hoping for 9 more months and then Mark will have a new teaching job, far from here. I guess I will go kill the fungi. What works best? Bleach?

Check out my Slide Show!

Another first day of school...

Katelynn~8th grade
Andrew~6th grade
Rebecca~2nd grade

The kids were actually anxious to go to school. I finally let Andrew leave at 7:30 (school starts @ 7:55 and it only takes 3 minutes to walk there). Rebecca didn't get any sleep the night before - therefore, neither did I. Katelynn didn't like the way her new top fit - but didn't want me to take it back. Everyone had a good day at school. They made it home alive and I barely made it home in time after we had to wire a guys jaw shut at work!..... All in all it was a good day - except for the guy at work.

You have to check this out!!

http://cgi1.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=130144061675&Category=60238

I want to know this woman! She is a kindred spirit! You have to read this ebay post all the way through, then go to here blog! I can't figure out how to add the link so you can just click on it, so you'll have to copy and paste. Maybe someone will tell me how?

I Love my landlord!!!!!

Well...... not really. Have you ever come into contact with someone who, really, truely, doesn't know how to live life in a nice way. She is one of the most frugal people I have ever known (I say that lightly). I have learned how to deal with her, though. Like when she would come over when we first moved in and she would comment on my housekeeping skills - or my lack there of! I realized that she is a fearful person, who is penny wise and puond foolish. It took her 9 months to finally replace the kitchen floor. The wood had rotted out under the lenolium and there were sagging parts to the floor. It took her daughter (who is half owner) to come and see the house - she lives out of town - and we mentioned it to her and if we were to fall through the floor, well, that just wouldn't be good. Amazingly, she called 2 days later and asked why we didn't tell her sooner! (Just for the record, I had shown her the place several times and she just didn't have time to deal with it right now (her words) ) Another time was when the wall by the shower, of the only bathroom, was starting to give way from water that my children would splash and soak because I never watched them. She was talking to herself, with me right there, saying how she can't believe how families don't take care of things and are sloppy..... I asked her point blank if she was saying that I don't take care of my kids and our home. She just mummbled something.....

But I am grateful that she took a risk on us when we needed a home quickly. It has been such a blessing to be 6 houses from the elementary school and have the middle school right behind us. And man we have some beautiful grapes in our yard and not to mention and fabulous camilia tree in the front.


So.... I love my landlady and I am sooooo glad I am not her and she is not in my family!!!!! One day we will look back and laugh. Especially about the time the wall socket in the girls room was filling the house with smoke and we had to call the fire
department. It was so funny how she didn't care and didn't want to pay for an electrition to come to our house on a Sunday, which was New Years eve. Imagine that. That's ok, I had a friend who came and fixed it and gave her a nice bill. Thanks, Chris!

The Water Park

I thought it would be a fun day to take the kids to the Antioch Water Park today. It is the last day before MArk has to go back to work (he took a new teaching job at American Canyon Middle School - school starts the 20th) and I had the day off. There were a couple of family members - who will remain nameless - who didn't wan to go. So after I got upset and mad, I stated what I wanted and if anyone didn't want to go, I didn't care. We all went :)







It was a great day. I realized that I haven't spent ANY time in the sun this summer. It felt really good and nourishing! It was pretty uneventful - except for the kid that threw up in the shallow pool - a great way to spend a couple of hours for pretty cheap!


I can't believe the summer is almost over. It went by very fast. I'm not ready for Mark to go back to work. It means I have to go back to being Mom again. I've had a nice break and it's been great having Mark's support.

I am the luckiest wife in the world!

My wonderful, sweet, hardworking, craziest husband in the world just took all 4 kids to the drive ins and told me to stay home! I don't usually get a couple of hours home, alone to accomplish much of anything. But now.... I have laundry going and I am getting to the den that has been a long time coming. It has been out of comtrol. The place everyone - especially me - puts things. I'm including a couple of pictures from my computer of the room. I have already removed some large boxes and stuff for our garage sale. I'll post the clean and improved den - hopefully tonight. Cross your fingers for me. I might take a break to go get a milkshake somewhere!





Wish me luck!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is Mark and my 15th anniversary. Wow! I can't believe it has been that long. A lot has happened over the last 15 years.
4 kids, lots of good times, sprinkled with a few hard times. I wouldn't change a thing. We started out at 20 & 21 years old, not knowing much of anything. I think we've done ok. Things are only getting better.

Our big romantic day will entail of me working, then we're off to Napa so Mark can get finger printed for his new position at American Canyon Middle school. Sounds romantic, huh? We just enjoy being together, whether getting finger printed or watching Big Brother after dark (don't ask!)

I love my husband so much. He does so much for me and our family and I am truly blessed and grateful that I have him in my life! I love you, Mark!

( I tried to post a picture but it couldn't do it this morning. I'll post one later!)

Rebecca's First MLB game! Go Tigers!

Yesterday Rebecca went to her very first Pro baseball game. It was A's vs the Detroit Tigers. Our family is BIG Tiger fans. Rebecca was going to go with dad, only, and somehow Andrew conned his way into letting him go with them. I think it was a good thing. The 2 of them have become very good friends and I think she was happy for the attention from her big brother. She got a couple of signatures and the pitching coach threw her a ball. (Andrew knows all of the ins and outs of getting balls and signatures). The kids also got their first dealing with a "scalper". Makes my heart sing :)

I think the day was a big success. I think she'll do it again, for sure.

Today I am Grateful for.....

my hands... they do so much for me. I wouldn't be able to have the job I have or touch the people I love.

my teeth.... they make my smile what it is. I can crunch peanut m&m's when I want.

my hair..... it is there for me through thick and thin, through short or long (or in between). I have pretty great hair

my husband..... for continuing to go through discouragement to get the job that is in the right place for our family (still searching)

my children..... that we can leave them home today, alone, and I know they won't kill each other. They will take care of each other and play nice!

This is what I am grateful for today!