Bedtime Prayers

Here is a video of Joey saying his bedtime prayer and bedtime poem!

Jet washed dog

We (me, Joey and Charlie) are staying at my mom's house to care for Grandma. My mom is out travelling for some speaking events.

So. I look outside after Joey was out there for about 4 minutes by himself. He was laughing. Out one window I could see that he was spraying the hose. I got a better look and I see him spraying Zoey with the hose. It was on the jet setting. Zoey was soaked and crying. I felt sooooo bad for her!!! I think Joey felt bad too. So Joey helped me dry her off with a towel. Joey also said sorry to Zoey with out me asking him to. Then he volunteered to roll the hose back up and he turned it off. I know he felt bad.

Just wanted to share what can happen when you turn your back for 4 minutes. It is also hard to hold back the laughter. ;)

Grandma was with a caregiver for some of the afternoon. We hung out in her room for awhile. I love to see her face when she is watching the boys. I see joy, love, and a special spark in her eyes. Joey said to (Great) Grandma that he is starting school. Grandma started talking like she was back in grade school. It was really neat! She was talking about getting a doll from Mable (?) doll collection yesterday. And she went to school and brought the doll with her. Some mean boy took the doll and smashed it on a desk. She was so upset that she just went home for the rest of the day. She lived just across the street from the school house she explained. Isn't that sweet? Right now she is drinking coffee, eating toast, and watching I Love Lucy.

Vegas Grandpa and Other visitors

This summer my Dad, Vegas Grandpa Mike, came to visit. We offered him the couch. But he insisted on sleeping in his truck in our driveway in the back yard. He drove here all the way from Vegas stopping and camping in his truck along the way. My Dad is sooooo cool! He brought a box of jewels for me! It was a shoebox full of jewelry from Grandma Karen. My dad worked at a casino in security. At times they are allowed to take from the lost and found box! So amongst Grandma Karen's jewelry was also some lost and found bling! And guess who found it now!! I had having a bunch of girls come over and they can "found" something lost too.

He also brought the boys Spiderman Tackle boxes! The boys loved them. What fun! We really reminded Vegas Grandpa what it is like to have toddlers around all day. I was also watching another little girl about Charlie's age-so it was busy to say the least! We went to the Chippewa Valley Museum http://www.cvmuseum.com/, Irvine Park Zoo http://www.irvineparkzoo.org/ and to Bridge Street Station restaurant in Chippewa. http://www.burgersandtrains.com/ I was so surprised when a "grandma" was talking with Joey and all of the sudden she taught him how to shoot spit balls through a straw! I was appalled! But I pretended it didn't bother me. I loved hanging out with Vegas Grandpa. Now for a trip to his place!!!

We also got to spend lots of time with my brother Alex. He is so inspiring to me. Alex will visit me at work and bring me coffee and chat. We talk some business and some goofy stuff too. He is also a camper. Currently he is living in southern CA at a family campground living in a van. (Down by the river?) This campground ROCKS!!! It has WIFI!!! So he can tweet and keep up with this blog all he wants! :) He pays $1 for a shower and cooks all his food over a camp fire! My brother is sooo cool!

I love dirt!

I have never been more excited about dirt! I can't wait for my kitchen scraps to turn into a pile of luscious nutrient rich dirt! I started a compost about 2 1/2 months ago. I know, a compost pile in the city? Well with some research I found out how. I took a plastic garbage can-about 12 gallon size-from my Mom's house. She was not using it and I asked her if I could have it. I did not just steal it. (not like the old days anyway, ha ha!) I drilled a bunch of holes in the can-which was sooo much fun! If you ever get a chance to drill holes into something-do it! It is a great feeling. I place the garbage can on about 4 bricks to allow circulation under the can. I added a 3" layer of dirt from my huge wood chip dirt pile. Then I started collecting my kitchen scraps. Charlie and Joey volunteered to be your "Vanna White".

One day I was planting a new bush and there were several earthworms in the dirt. I thought-hey I have a better home for you. And I gently placed them into the compost bin. I think they are in worm heaven. Joey and Charlie added their worm cousins to the bin. When the worms would wiggle Charlie would squeal with glee! They were in the fridge-leftover from a fishing day. I would say that these worms have been saved from the mouths of fish!

My favorite thing to compost? Oh, it's so hard to choose. Hmmm...I love putting egg shells into the compost. It gives me an excuse to crush them a little bit. I also love putting in coffee grounds, vegetable peelings, and torn up egg cartons. I keep a large empty coffee can on my counter and it is filled up with scraps about once a day. After I put about 3" of kitchen scraps in the bin, I will add a 3" layer of shredded paper and then 3" of grass clippings or brush. Once in a while I will tip the bin over and roll it around a bit-to mix it all up.

So, I am hoping soon I will see all this "work" will pay off, and I will be rewarded with beautiful dirt. What to do in the winter, when the compost may freeze? I will have to do a bit of research on that.