Kids These Days....

It is an absolutely beautiful day today in Georgia.  Temps are in the 60s.  I slept with my windows open last night....and they have been open all day today too.

After school, the kids went outside to play. 

They played on the swingset, ran around in the woods, rode their bikes.

I went out after I got a few things done and sat on my porch swing.  Love that thing.

I noticed the kids had the neighbors little pup tent set up between our houses.  The tent was gyrating and moving around.  I envisioned them playing some sort of game of pretend in there and just being silly.

A few minutes into my porch sitting, V-girl starts heading towards home holding her eye and crying.

She came up and snuggled with me on the swing.  From her weeping and wailing, I got that she had been hit in the eye with a stick.

I asked how it had happened.  (You know, the usual 20 questions):

Did you swing it around and get yourself?

No.

Did someone else swing it around and hit you?

No.

Were you sword fighting?

No.

Did you step on one and it came up and hit you?

No.

You get the idea.....anyway, I pieced it together.....when she was getting into or out of the tent....(still couldn't understand her through the tears).....she went too close to the bush and got hit in the eye.

She then went on to say she was just trying to see the iPad.

"The iPad?"  I said.

"What do you mean, iPad?"  (Go ahead an imagine my tone of voice as incredulously as you would like.)

She went on to explain that they were in the tent watching shows on Netflix.

"What?"

So, I shouted to the remaining tent occupiers (2 of my kids and 2 neighbor kids) for confirmation that they were actually in a tent on a beautiful day like today.....watching t.v.  Yup....they were.

I told them to return the iPad to the rightful owners....(the neighbors/neighbor children).....and actually "play" outside.  V-girl dutifully explained that it was all S-girl's idea. 

I then explained to V-girl that you do not, under any circumstance that I can think of, watch t.v. in a tent. 

She said, "We were just trying to camp."

I told her camping does not involve iPads.  Camping is playing games, telling stories, singing songs, and having bonfires and eating camp food.

She exclaimed, "We were going to play games! On the iPad, when the show was over!"


Then I went on to explain that was NOT the kind of games I was talking about.



Can I shake my head and say,  "Kids these days!" without totally sounding like a curmudgeon???

How We Survived the Ice Storm

Well, we did it.

We survived.

Rainman stayed at a hotel for 2 nights, just a few shuffling blocks from work.  They fed him a few times - which was awesome for him, since he put in  a 14 hour day on Wednesday and a 12 hour day on Thursday. 

We had Pooh Bear stay over at our house.  I think he loved us.  We sure ended up loving him.  V-girl cried when he had to go home.  We all moped around the house a bit after he left....even me.  He is a good, quiet, well behaved dog.  (Pssst....Cindy, if you need us to watch him again....you know where we live!)

(Can you see him tucked in right next to A-man?)

We pulled the little girls mattress off their bed and had a camp-out in my room.  D-man declined to join us.  But, he missed out....we had a lot of fun.  (Don't tell Rainman, but we were all a little sad when he came home and everyone had to go back to their own beds!)


We got sleet, freezing rain, and snow.

It sounded like Minnesota.  You know that hushed, peaceful sound of......snow.

It looked  like Minnesota.  (Granted this was a small amount of "Minnesota")

It even smelled like Minnesota.  The cold, crisp air felt really good in my lungs.  You forget those kinds of sensations when you don't have them anymore.  I suppose it is a little bit like going back to your old elementary school and remembering its smell (that you didn't even realize it had when you went there).

I loved it.

Thankfully, we never lost power at our house.  It flickered and went off a few times, but came right back on.  We held our breath everytime....because being housebound and able to watch the Olympics and Hallmark movies you have taped is waaaaay different than being housebound with only boardgames and candles to occupy yourselves!  Although the kids were equal parts fascinated/horrified about how I told them we would be flushing toilets if we lost power.  I kind of wish I would have gotten to demonstrate for them.  :)

I really didn't let the kids go out too much because I was afraid of them being hit with a falling branch because the limbs were so heavy with ice.  They did a little skating around the yard/sidewalk/driveway....but I was too nervous to let them just enjoy it for long.

We lost a lot of branches, but no actual trees.

So, all in all....it was good.  Mean homeschooling mom that I am/was, we went ahead with our normal lesson plan and got school in.  I did break my no t.v. during the week ban though, since we weren't sure we were going to continue to have electricity....so, it was all good!

Thanks for your prayers and well wishes for us during the ice storm.

Ice-Aggedon 2014

Well, we are hunkering down for our 2nd big battle of this winter.

We are expecting freezing rain/ice in the next 24 hours.


Yesterday, there were no grocery carts available....at Publix



or Kroger....



no milk....




no bread....no eggs....no bananas even...

.
(Photos courtesy of I Heart McDonough Facebook page)

Rainman has been called into work 2 days earlier than his next shift was scheduled....so, he is heading in tonight and  will be staying at a hotel, 2 blocks from work. 

The kids and I will brave the storm from home.

I am just praying that we don't lose power.  This house has an electric stove....so no using a lighter to use the stove anymore.  We have a little bit of propane left in our grill....so we can use that a bit....but probably not too much. 

To complicate things even further, we are dog sitting for a friend who lives in our neighborhood....but their house is up and down a few really big hills that I am sure will be undrivable with the ice.  We have talked about possibility trying to bring the dog to our house....but aren't sure how this 15 year old dog, who lives with a quiet couple, would adjust to a new house with 6 kids....we will see what happens.

I will let you know how we do....hopefully with a few pictures.

Just pray that we don't actually lose power....we are hoping to entertain ourselves with a lot of Olympic coverage and the snacks we were able to grab at Kroger!