Friday Fill-ins, Beaching it

Looking for something to write today? head on over to Friday-Fill-ins and get yourself some fill-ins.
And...here we go!

1. __Going to the beach with my boys___ is my favorite summertime ___activity__.

2. My favorite John Hughes movies is _Vacation____. _I'm shocked that he died, I had no idea, until I was reading through IMDb, then this got Hubbie and I remembering some great movies. It was hard to pick out one!_ We watch Christmas Vacation every December_.

3. ___Kitty Fur__ is something I love to touch.

4. The full moon ___was beautiful when we got home from the beach last night__.

5. __The boys are trying to eat us out of house and home___ right now.

6. When daylight fades __it starts to cool off and the boys go to bed, and I can have some time to think__.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __heading to the beach with the hubbie and boys, shopping for a Birthday Gift for a girl, and then home to get ready for Saturday__. Tomorrow my plans include __birthday party at the beach for a friend, setting up our shade in the back yard, chasing the boys around___ and Sunday, I want to __go back to the beach___!

The Ride to the Island

Warning this may be boring for some but I thought I'd write this down now incase some day I or they wont remember. I did it! really I did it! we left here at 1047am on the 25th and we arrived at the Cottage (an hour from the home where I grew up) at 6pm!

Hubbie is a great packer so I left the packing of the van to him while I piled more stuff into the pile to go into the van. I had 3 fears for this trip.

1. Bored kids, that they would be so bored with the trip down that they would start the "he's touching me, he's hitting me, he's looking at me... etc.." and I'd have to start the "If I hear one more complaint I'm pulling this car over and we wont go to the cottage, you wont get a vaccation and we'll go back home and watch paint dry" I didn't have to say that out loud once! I thought about it maybe twice, but they were not bored.
The boys brought a DSi- great for taking picture of other people's business, cars, trucks, trailers, transfer trucks going too fast, or pulling out in front of the mom when they shouldn't,and cool cars that go faster then mom's Van! They brought a V-tech laptop for MJ, he played game after game after game. AJ brought his ds (I think santa has ot do an upgrade on this now) and he played Mario continually. My only complaint is that his eye balls will wander off when he's done playing... oops. They also brought a laptop that Hubbie found while dumpster diving and fixed up. He cleaned it and made it run and put a map program onto it that doesn't need internet. He loved it! They could find all the roads that Mom was suppose to use and what was down the roads Mom didn't take.

2. Worry #2, was three boys and one mom going to the bathrooms. TJ is 10 that didn't bother me so much "go in there come out here and wait, don't move from that spot until I come and get you!" but I had to have faith that AJ could follow the same rules? ACK! that worried me. AJ always takes longer in the bathroom. I do not ever want to know why, really it should be a simple procedure. GO in, business, flush, wash hands lots,dry hands and leave?? no it's not for some reason. I then take MJ with me to the ladies, because well we still have that poo problem. It's not as disastrous as the Easter Weekend Trip though,(if you haven't read, it's like the 4th Random Thought from here...) well he did it! yep. We stopped our first pit stop 1.45hours from here, no need to "go" mini rest stops all around, back in the van. Next Stop was 3.5hours from here, we stop they all get out plan goes as is. Every one in and meet me here at the Pringles when you are done! excellent. MJ says in passing "I have a belly ache" I say "maybe it's that 1/2 lb of grapes you ate?, but we just let it go. only 3hours t the cottage. Away we go...
We had poo success on Sunday at the cottage. oh the excitement

3. My other worry is gas fill up! You can't leave kids in cars to go pay for your gas like our parents did, it's just too dangerous. You never know which idiot, especially the closer to the island you get, will have a cigarette* in his mouth while pumping the gas, or which kid will put the car into drive, or whatever so it's all about dragging 3 boys into the gas station to pay. At Stop 2 I notice there is a "full serve" sign,hmmmmmmm, maybe I should stop and get gas here? but wait the car is already pointed to the road to the island and I can make it ot he station before the causeway so I didn't. I got back on the highway and kept going. I get to the Place I want to stop and I stop it's self serve, so I ready my mind for the dragging in of 3 kids and then I see "pay up front, orrrrrrrr pay at the pump" ohhhhh pay at the pump you say? WOOOOOHOOOOOO! yep jobs done. Gas paid, me back in the van almost giddy and off we go. Over the Causeway, then to the Island.


So the 3 big fears didn't seem to be a problem. The rest of the trip going well We stop in the last"biggish" grocery store before the cottage to get milk and I buy a box of store brand Drumsticks, 4 pack, they all eat them and me and I sit in the car eying the government store, but didn't go in. It was there, I figured I was too tired to stop so we didn't. TJ was in charge of handing out the drinks and snacks. We didn't stop any where ot eat, he just kept sending the snacks forward.
I pull into the driveway of the cottage at 6pm and all is well. Van looked like this next morning complete with bunny looking to eat my tires?




I get my van unpacked enough for the cottage and get ourselves settled. ohhhhhhhh the tired! The boys enjoyed their grandparents(there to meet us) and had a great night. I think the adults fell asleep before the kids though. MJ slept in my bed and upside down with his head by the fridge. (Fridge lives in the bedroom off the kitchen due to repairs in the rebuilding of the porch)

So that's the big drive I had my brain convinced was impossible without Hubbie and I did it! Now I could do it again, I could I know that part is accomplish-able(new word). A new Car would be nice though.


*cigarettes -so something the boys aren't used to seeing that much, it became a cause for discussion, "oh look they are smoking", is now like the dirty phrase of the generation, remember when it was "oh they are kissing, ewwwwwww"

Random Tuesday Thoughts, Trip update, Boys, Run Run Run, HASAY too!

Ok I'm back, did you miss me last week? I missed me last week, I missed Hubbie doing a post too, he said he 'might' but he didn't. Darn! But my kitchen looks way awesome, all that fresh paint!
If you want to participate in Random Tuesday Thoughts, head over to Keely's at the TheUnmom and get yourself a button. LINK that button back to here and her to you and so on and so forth and find all the other people that have done the same and you've got your reading for the day SET! Maybe even enough for the week!



The linking to the linking to the linking will keep you out of the Keely Trouble too. Just saying...

OK so I'm back, I went on the 25th in my PACKED van of me and 3 boys and headed for the island. Yep made it we left the driveway at 1047am and arrived in the driveway of the "cottage" (read:shack/lightly assembled bungalow/house in the middle of a mosquito and black fly ranch), at 6pm! This is documented by my mom in the log. My legs are healing in time for the next bite crop.

Log? Why?? I'm not even sure why the log is there, but it does contain some information on things like oh why the vacuum spits out more dust then it sucks up. You know "stuff"

The boys loved it! they chased Bunnies, they put up a tent, and a canopy, and one was up on staging and putting siding on the side of the place.

They also were used to fill in a septic hole. You know cause boys want to play in dirt, and run and play balance games on a 1 axle trailer. You've really got to let go of some of your reservations about what they can and can't do.

Today I've got Trooper's Santa Maria in my head. I could use me some "too much today" but it's only noon yet.




The boys saw a snake. You know this isn't so random... Okay let's throw some Random. I'm FAT! yep I've gained a bit of poundage and ate a LOT of food I don't ordinarily eat. I had my Pizza fix. Oh yummy! I can't ever get pizza like that anywhere. The BEST, the boys don't understand, because they didn't grow up there. If you looked at their plates though both times we had it? they ate it! more then they eat here. TJ ate 2 slices!!!


Just made the boys lemonade for breakfast,with some granola bars, honey roasted peanuts and chocolate chip cookies, it might be time to get some groceries here. I have to feed them since there is no one else here to cook. I miss that part of vacation. My dad makes AWESOME bacon and eggs. *did I mention I am fat?


The Captain didn't join me on the Saturday I arrived, he didn't get packed (no open bottles on the road) and then when I got to the closest "government store"(yes that's a term, but it's local to the cottage island) I didn't want to drag 3 boys in with me, it kind of doesn't look right there. Here? no one would bat an eye but there it's only been in the last 10yrs since kids are allowed to accompany their parents into lounges or Liquor Stores so the eyebrows are still primed for "OMG she's taking kids in there?" ACK!

AJ's allergies were a mess on the island, poor boy was snoring heavily, I bought him some allergy stuff, so he could sleep without coughing and hacking up a lung. No he doesn't have the flu!

I am getting a lot of spam over the last 2wks! WTH? I've never gotten this much before, now I've got people wanting me to date, you to find my perfect match, join the military and be a nurse, oh get a loan, and a re-mortgage my mortgage? oh and send them lots of money!

Watched a bit of TV, that cottage gets better reception on antenna then my TV here? no digital boxes needed there? 2 channels in English!

I got to see 2 high school friends, one at wally world on her date night and another at the beach! I saw her sister first, she lives at the beach all summer, and then my friend came to meet us. I"m BUMMED I didn't fit more local to there friends in.

MJ pooped! yep he pooped at the cottage about 6times the first day, then we got to my parents house and he'd get his bag of potty seat and stool and take off for the bathroom when necessary. we did forget said bag of supplies a few times so he'd wait it out. "I have a belly ache" is now code for "we're going back to Grandmas so you can poop!" Oh the way home yesterday, he left some poop in a Toilet at a gas station! Freedom! now to get rid of that seat and stool?

Oh surprise of the week? Hubbie hopped on a bus on Friday and joined me on the island! his parents were very happy, I was happy too, very happy. We went out for a date Saturday night. We ended up at wally world, and watching fireworks from our car. So boring, you lose the kids for 5hours and suddenly you have no idea what to do with yourselves.


BTW if you drive too long on a blown tire? it will bend the rim of your wheel. Just saying.



I didn't know I had blown the tire on that LONG dirt road but I did, 1.75hours later someone came by. I asked if they ahd a phone? yes they handed over their phone. NO SIGNAL! so you know what's the point in having a cellphone I say? it wouldn't have helped at all here. So My mom was with me at the time she comes out of the van to meet the car of people, and it I'm looking at her like I know her, she sees my mom and it's CLICK! "Hi (mom's name HA! thought you'd hear you?)" And she woman in car says "you don't remember me do you?" well no, sorry my brain is on the 3 boys I've got sitting in my van who have eaten all the food they could find in the fridge/cooler, and bags of snacks from the beach runs, and drinks too. Turns out she's the woman that made my prom gown in the VERY early 90's. Her Hubbie got out and tried to do what I was doing, which was get the spare off from under the van. It didn't happen so mom and AJ went with these people in their van and went to the cottage (3km from the site of the evil tire problem) and got my dad. Dad and another cottage neighbour came out and with the aid of some minimal tools a trip back to the cottage for a hacksaw, and some borrowed tools from a woodshed I found somewhere close...(details withheld...LOL,but uh people if you have a cottage and you've locked it up, don't leave your bucksaw and Ax in the open woodshed... just saying

They got the spare to come down. OK so that's great. My emergency brake line snapped when I put it on so they could jack it up more, and get the spare on. I DO have pics of the tire. Must upload today.

Lot of road work going on on the island. Stopped to watch these creatures. Well we didn't stop on purpose... the guy with the sign insisted we stop.



So for HASAY activity log? let me see. went to the beach 4 times and chased my kids around for 10days, cleaned the cottage, helped put up siding, chased bunnies with the kids. Bought a fruit tray once, found strawberries on sale for 1.67, pizza had veggies on it, put up tents and disassembled tents,packed van, took the boys to a few playgrounds to use up energy, borrowed my mom's bike to chase my kids on bikes too. My dad has 3 bike at his house. I fell into bed every single night and slept until about 9am. Oh did I mention turning that thing for an hour trying to get the van to let go of the tire? Oh lifting the sub Hubbie has in the back of my van 5 times,lifted dead tire into the back of my van, moving rocks behind wheels to van wouldn't roll over people, throwing rocks back into the woods, racing heart from hearing a coyote howl to the left of my parked car. Chasing boys that were trying to run around the van? yeah action filled week of adventure but I ate too, so uh maybe it wont even out? Ice cream cools you off, pizza doesn't require cooking and heating up the house, but I think the ice cream will be what did me in. I'll do a bonus next Monday with some Measurements.

Oh Sorry The Hubbie didn't do a RTT, I thought that would have been funny! OK so if you aren't bored yet and have got this far and want to do your own random Tuesday Thoughts post, get yourself a button over at Keely and get to posting.

This is getting way long so I'll save the beach pictures for later in the week.