day 3- poop & slugs

day 3- poop and slugs...
So today I was expecting a phone call from my cousin Christel. Of course, when she called I had no reception in my classroom. I told her I would call her within the next hour, but it seemed to have taken forever to get back to her! I had to stop by Marshalls, Big Lots, and K-Mart to look for cheap, colorful pillows for my classroom. No luck. Waste of time. So then, I rushed home to take the dogs for a walk. I was walking solo tonight because Chad drove up to MD for a fantasy football draft. I was hoping to be able to talk to Christel as I walked the dogs. I scoped out the fields in front of me looking for dogs, cats, deer, groundhogs, etc. There was a cat to the right of my car. The girls did not care. (good) Walked down the hill toward the trail. A white tailed deer hopped by. The girls were a little excited, but did not go crazy. (wow) As I walked through the trail, I saw two big dogs. The phone was ringing, Norma was pooping, and Pepper REALLY wanted to play with them! As I scooped up the poop with the Giant plastic bag, my finger went through a hole and ewwwwwwwwwwwww!!!! Poop on my finger!! So I did not get to talk on the phone. I turned around and went right home to wash my hands. Poor dogs... only a 5 minute walk will have to do.

Later, I finally got to talk to Christel. As I was sitting on the 1st step on the right hand side trying not to loose reception, I saw two slugs. I HAD to take a picture. They remind me of a story I read to my children around Valentine's Day called Slugs in Love. The boy slug writes a love letter out of his slimy stuff to the girl slug. Maybe the slugs outside my door are in love?? Ha ha! Can you tell I teach 5 year olds?!

** One more thing... I wanted to know what the slug slime is called. Apparently it's called "slug slime". No special name. This is what I learned about the slime tonight: slug slime numbs the tongue of anyone who dares to taste it. Go ahead...try it. Slug Slime actually contains an anesthetic. Weird?? Huh?

day 2- Piles Piles Piles!

day 2 - August 30, 2009
PILES PILES PILES!!
Lately the house has been overtaken by a bunch of piles! I seem to not be able to catch up!! I spent the day trying to minimize the overflowing piles of stuff. The ants on our counter top let me know that it was time to unload the dishwasher and load it back up. I cannot stand the ants! Chad and I have used every kind of ant trap, powder, and spray to get rid of these little pests, but they end up coming right back! We had to throw away our second box of cereal this morning because of the ANTS!! So now I will be shopping for some food containers so they will no longer eat our food.

Laundry is still going. I have a few more loads left. I cannot stand laundry- washing, folding, hanging to dry, ironing... Well, wrinkle releaser. We rarely iron in this house! I have also been planning out the first few weeks of school. The piles of books, papers, and binders are consuming my family room and extra bedroom. So much to do before the lil' rascals begin school!!!

day 1

day 1- August 29, 2009
Chad and I gave Pepper a bath today to soothe her hot spots. The poor thing has skin allergies and has been getting hot spots all over her body. Most of them are on her legs and paws. We went to Petsmart today to pick up special shampoo and ointment. Let's hope her skin clears up soon! Crossing my fingers...

Let the Photos Begin! Project 365

So.... I decided to do a Photo Project! I have been fascinated with cameras and photography for the past 5 years now. Wouldn't it be great to document your life through photos?? Walking the dogs, cooking a meal, relaxing on the porch... Photos allow me to go back to that day, place, and time. Time flies by. I am really excited to see how the year unfolds here in Charlottesville. I think it would make a great book in the end. Let the photos begin!!

Tug of War

Here is a video of Pepper and Norma playing tug of war with their mini Saint Bernard stuffed animal. So cute! Unfortunately, Norma did not try too hard. She was being a bit lazy. I love watching my babes play!

Yum Yum YUMMY!

Yum!! Lately I have been experimental in the kitchen! Since I have moved, my resolution is to make healthier dinners and to overall eat healthier. Anyone who knows me will say that I am a VERY picky eater. I do not eat/like many vegetables or fruits. A few weeks ago when Kristin was staying with me here in VA, we stopped by a local Target. I was really thirsty and instead of ordering a Slurpee, I ordered a strawberry smoothie- a little out of my comfort zone! Delicious!! The next week, Chad and I went grocery shopping. I saw a frozen bag of mixed fruit for smoothies. Hmmmmm... there were some weird looking fruit inside the bag. Strawberries, Mangos, and Pineapples. I bought the bag hoping I would not be wasting what was inside. One day when Chad was busy, I made a smoothie. My first! It was so YUMMY! Today, I decided I wanted to make a smoothie with fresh fruit (since it is better for you than frozen fruit). So delicious!! I am super proud of myself for eating fruit!!! So here is my special recipe:
Meg's Fruity Smoothie
Crushed ice
A few splashes of Orange Juice
Handful of Rasberries
5 Strawberries
A squirt or 2 of honey (1 Tbsp)
Sprinkle of sugar (1 tsp)
BLEND TOGETHER
*** ENJOY ***

Just thinking about our honeymoon today..... so beautiful, quaint, and most of all- relaxing! Boy how I wish we could go back there. I have been pretty bored lately with Chad being so busy with school work and me not working as well. You would think it would be relaxing not having to work. No! It is not at all! I cannot wait to begin work! I am sure I will regret what I am saying in a few weeks from now, but it is a lot better to be busy than lonely.

Beautiful Morning

What a beautiful morning in Charlottesville! My hubby and I woke up early this morning to take the dogs for a walk. Right above our house was a colorful hot air balloon! The dogs payed no attention to it, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. I was thinking about the people up in the basket and what a beautiful view they must be seeing from above. The sun had just risen and shining bright. It was so quiet in the neighborhood that all we heard was the fire shooting up into the balloon. As we walked back into the house, I just had to take a picture.
This past weekend, I stayed at my parents house back in Maryland. They have been growing vegetables for the past several summers. The garden seems to be getting bigger and bigger each year. I always watch my mom as she picks tons of tomatoes. She make bags and bags of stewed tomatoes and then freezes them to use later. My mom picked a bucket for me to take home and do the same. I have never stewed tomatoes before. We will see how this turns out??

Birthday Boy

This weekend, we celebrated Toby's 2nd birthday- Thomas Style! He was such a happy, little birthday boy! His "Ga Ga" made him a yummy train birthday cake. Toby loved opening up all his presents and did not know which one to play with first. I made Toby crayons for his birthday. They are too cute! Little Jayden is getting so big and is watching his big brother's every move. Boy, how he wishes he could be walking and playing alongside of him. Toby is talking SO much lately. He is even calling me "Megan" instead of "Nana"!! The boys are changing and growing each day! Although it was nice to spend time with the family, Chad and I were looking forward to going back to VA. We took the dogs for a quick walk, cleaned, packed, and headed for home.