First Boyfriend....done

             As any Mother of a teen daughter will tell you, the era of boyfriends brings with it a whole new nightmare to the plethora of teen issues.



When my daughter first told us that she was interested in a boy and that the boy felt likewise about her well....read for yourself..I posted about it two years ago.. in post-->Mom, there's this boy  
Well, as it turned out her Dad and I were happy with her choice of very first boyfriend. We felt we dodged the bullet that seemed to hit so many of our others friends. They had to deal with disrespectful, lying, manipulative Daughter's boyfriends. We felt blessed that we did not have that same experience.

He was kind

               source



    He went to church and even attended our church a few times

                     source


        They followed our rules and he acted like a gentleman
                                             
                                                            source



                                   I knew it wouldn't last.



They had a good run.

They even went to junior prom together.

I knew his Mom and she knew me...but right before the start of this school year they got together and decided that they were better off as friends...and so far they are. Quite frankly they make older people who have nasty break-ups look like idiots.


 I have to admit I was a bit heartbroken when I was told the news.... and it was not only because I thought so highly of this young man...


Its because I'm dreading future boyfriend #2 !!!!


             
                                    
                                            
                               Maybe he'll have a nice personality


                               
                                                     
                                                     

                                                           

The Teeny Tiny Itsy Bitsy Pond

             I have always wanted a pond in the back yard. A good friend of mine had a gorgeous pond complete with waterfall and beautiful rocks surrounding the pond. The fish seemed happy and it even attracted a few turtles and frogs.

                                       I want a pond



                            I knew that any pond I would build would have to  be a natural one without a filter or water fall. I finally convinced my husband to clear a spot for me and off I went on my pond making adventure. 


                       It didn't last long.

                The 16 foot pond quickly turned into a teeny three foot one.


                                    I WANT a pond


                                 Pond liners are super expensive.

                                 
I didn't let that fact bother me though. I made the pond teensy and used two layers of black thick rubbish bags (that the Hubster uses during fall and spring clean-up) as the pond liner.

I tried to dig really deep but the shrub and tree roots were too much and too thick.



                           I want a POND


I cut the trash bags to fit the hole and collected rocks from around the property to surround my little oasis.


   I filled it up


               and bought some aquatic plants

                        I can't wait to complete my pond!



I went out the next day to buy some fish. 


and waited another day before placing them in the teeny tiny pond...


                      Ya wanna see it?







                               

I told you it was tiny

In the days that followed I started to wonder about how they saw their new world...I mean up until a few days before they were in a tank with artificial light and a pump that oxygenated their water with a constant stream of bubbles.

Now they felt the warmth of the sun.

They snacked on mosquito larvae and any other tiny bug that had the misfortune of falling into their realm 

I wondered what their reaction would be when it rained...I mean think of it...how weird it would be to be underwater during a storm.

So the next time it rained I went and took a little peek-a-loo

I think they like it here.

and I finally got my pond

                                                    

I Remember

   


         I remember every second of that day.


                     I remember the faces of the children that would learn that their parent had died.


                           I was working in a school and I remember our utter shock and dismay and how hard we tried to hide it from the children.

                                I remember the Hope we felt waiting to see if if someone, anyone could be found alive in all that destruction.


                           I remember feeling frightened

                              I remember feeling a sadness that was palpable and thick.

                                    I remember feeling so angry.


              I remember feeling so proud of those that gave all...who tried valiantly to save lives.

              I remember a city that came together to show the world that they stood firm in spite of the unthinkable and unfathomable





               For as long as I live I WILL ALWAYS Remember and pray that it never ever happens again

Bugged Out

                Summer is on it's way out.


                               I'm really sad about that.




I however won't let go until my toes feel the crisp snow as I refguse to give up my flip flops...It happens every year...I clutch onto summer and I am dragged kicking and screaming into Autumn.



It's been a good summer.


          We went on our year "Camping Trip" ....I added quotations because their was no tent...It was a big beautiful cabin.





They knocked down the cottage we usually rent and we were so pleasantly suprised that This was the cabin they built on the site.


there was just one itsy bitsy teensy weensy problem though...


every night without fail TWO,,,,not one , but TWO Prehistoric gargantuan Crickets would find their way into the cabin
                                                    
                                                                     source

YUCK!!!


Ok the Hubster came to the rescue...


after the second night of the cricket invasion...(ok only two) but still...

I was on guard.

You see I have this problem...BUGS seem to LOVE me!

On the second day I was taking a shower and since I can't wear my glasses in the shower I thought the wood chip that feLl from the wooden  beam was a giant spider! Was I calm, cool collected?...NO!
I screamed, stepped backwards, tripped and fell. My husband came running and there I was looking like a beached seal struggling to get my slippery naked body up from the floor.

As night fell on our third night there my husband lit a campfire and the kids were there too and they all roasted marshmallows and made schmoes (that's what we call them). I decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet and stay in the cabin and read my book. I was barely done with the first page when a BEE pinged me on the head....


                    A BEE 

                             at NIGHT... 

                                     INDOORS pinged me in the head!


I frantically waved it away and it disappeared. The kids and hubby came in after the fire went out and I told the hubster about the bee...then my sweet son said

                                   "Oh thats nothing Mom, you should have seen the size of the bug that flew in earlier!"

      


                            I LOST IT!!!!


I stood in the middle of the room with arms crossed and announced to my family that 


"NO ONE WAS GOING TO GO TO SLEEP UNTIL THE GIANT BUG WAS FOUND!!!!!!"

I had had it! I had been chased, pinged  in the head, and flopped around naked on a bathroom floor in utter terror...that bug would be found or else!

Well after my husband found two grasshoppers, one daddy-longlegs, and one BEE... he finally found the elusive Dino-bug.

I was relieved but it was that night That I realized that I was NEVER going to be completely comfortable camping. ...and that I have supplied my family with enough stories about my camping ineptness to last for generations to come.