Where am I?

Clenaing, homeschool, and general fooling around. Saturday, my DH had a BBQ for about 4 single soldiers he was with in Iraq. It was nice for him to be able to talk and BS with them again. I invited another wife over so I had someone to talk to and her boy and my kiddos got to play and get into mischief.

THUNDERSTORMS jeez we had a whopper yesterday and are expected to have more for the rest of the week. DH and I are praying for those of you in New Orleans. I can't imagine the chaos and panic.

I am still plugging away at that sundress. I started one of the sleeves!!! Go me! LOL

anyway, I know my blog is boring...sorry. I guess I am pretty boring right now too.

Can't forget them...

Here's a pic of my other kids....DD#1 is showing off her new dry erase board. And you can see her new computer/school desk behind her.












DD#2 just learned to pee in the potty and so she got to have her ears pierced so here's a blurry picture of her new "look" LOL

more progress

So I have been crocheting away and have *just* begun the armhole shaping. Exciting, isn't it? LOL I like the colors a lot and I will have plenty of time to crochet this week as my hubby has to go away for his job for a dew days. :-( This is the first time we have been apart since he came back from Iraq so I am a little unnerved. I am hoping it won't bring back too many memories of being alone so many nights. I am very blessed though that he got a job that only takes him away for a few days here and there. I have 2 friends whose hubbys are going back to combat very soon. I am praying hard for them as I can't imagine having to face that ever again. Esp without the suuport system I had in Germany. Allena and all my other friends are the glue that held my psyche together that whole time (and a lot of reassurance from God that He had everything under control). I do miss the times my girlfriends and I shared. We all have kiddos the same age so we all would hangout together and let the kids have at it. :-)

So I will be taking more pix after DH goes...a few quiet nights with just me and the crochet hook should make for some good progress!

And here's a parting shot of my "little Bubbah" crawling up wanting attention...

BTW....

For those of you who appreciate fish-keeping, here's a few pics of my 2 fish tanks. The first is a 100 gal fresh water tank. All we have in there right now is a common plecostomas and 6 zebra danios. Dh and I would like to get a ghost knife, a snowflake freshwater eel, a fire eel, and poss a gar or other cool fish. He really wanted a tiger striped shovelnosed cat fish but those things get over a foot long and would need a bigger tank. He also had his eye on fresh water sting rays, but they are like $180-250!!!




The pentagon tank is our 45 gal salt water tank. It's been cycling for almost a month now and *just* finished so last night we went out and bought our first fish!! It's a saddleback valentini puffer fish and he's really cute with beautiful green eyes. He's the blurry thing in front of the rocks. :-) A personable little fellow already. We also got 2 pretty cleaner shrimp but they were hiding so no pix for you!

Pictures anyone?

Ok so it has been brought to my attention that I need to post some pictures....until now I haven't because I didn't want to upload picasa onto my hubby's puter. God forbid I ever put anything on there he doesn't want... my daughter and I usually share another computer so I won't "mess up" his (for those of you married to computer geeks, you will understand it's much easier to have your own than mess with their stuff). but our other computer is still in a box. We are waiting to buy our daughter a computer desk for it b4 we get her up and running.



So, like I said....it's picture time! (I love that blogger has an "upload pix" program now!!)


Here's Retard Rabbit....ole blindy never got any eyes poor soul.

Here's what I have been working on since yesterday morning. It's the bottom back of a 12month size sun dress for a friend who's due at the end of October. So far so good. It's going to be white and lavendar like I said. She has strictly said NO PINK (like ANOTHER preggers friend I have...."don't let your babies grow up to be girly-girls" <--- Me singing very badly)

This is that whole YOH business. It was a little more complicated than that so don't think of me as too much of a loser....lol The directions were (and I quote) "CH 3. 2 dc cluster in top of last dc worked. Miss next 3 dc. 3 dc cluster in mext dc. Ch 3. 2 dc cluster in top of last 3 dc cluster worked. Miss next 3 dc. 1 dc in each of next 4 dc. Rep from *" Now for those of you who have crocheted before I am sure this is too easy. But remember now I was the one who didn't know what a YOH was!! I was trying to figure out the 2 and 3 dc cluster and had to look that up online. But now as you can see I am in the groove now....on like row 9 or 10 as I dc away trying to make this piece 10" long before tackling adding another color and shaping the arms and neck...wish me luck!!!

Crochet anyone?

So I finally started another project! Although, being a novice to crochet I don't wonder if I bit off more than I could chew. It's an intermediate (in difficulty) pattern for a dress, hat, and booties set. I have a friend in WV that is preggers with a girl and I am attempting to make something nice for her. So far, like a moron, I have already had to look up YOH......duhhh I thought it meant "yarn over half" or something. "yarn over hook" is basically YO in knitting terms. Like I said, having to learn what the directions mean makes me think I am going to have an interesting time trying to figure this out. I wish my friend, Allena were here! (sniff sniff)

But anyways I am in row 3 of this dress....which is going to be purple and white. I think it's a cute pattern, I just hope it looks SOMEthing like the pic when it's done. Wish me luck!!!

Speaking of Crochet, remember those little animals I was talking about? Well I made a bunny for my oldest. I didn't make any eyes for it though so it's like a blind bunny. LOL But she seems to like it anyway.

DD#2 who is 2 1/2 went to the potty for the first time the other day. So she's wearing panties in the day and diapers at night. We have been trying on and off to potty train her but finally the other day my DH was like "we have GOT to get her trained!" I mean, when the kid can practically change her own diaper it's time, don't you think?? :-)

Anyways, enough chit chat...off to go work out

Another day another dollar

Hey all of you puter geeks! :-) I am still struggling with that salt water tank. There are many things involved with this hobby....and MONEY!!! I can't believe how much moola can be blown getting everything for the stinkin fish. And there's so much involved...not just add salt, water and fish and PRESTO you have a mini reef.....nooooo you need to get the salility *just* right. then there's the sand bed and "live rock" (with little critters inc.) then you have to worry about the pH and Nitrites and NitrAtes and Ammonia and and and....then suppliments to the water if you have corals....whew! I swear I feel like I am getting a marine biology degree just in researching all of this!

Anyway that is consuming most of my thoughts at the moment. My DH is working his new job. Instead of being out doors running around blowing up stuff he's stuck in a cubicle trying to design the machines that blow up stuff. Still cool but the fact of being behind a desk all day wears him out. I haven't been to work in years and am afraid myself of my attitudes when I have to go to work. I have been around my kids so much that I think it would be really difficult for me. I have to say that I have been really blessed to be able to be at home raising the kiddos.

DD#1 starts kindergarten soon!! Her bday isn't until after the cut-off age for public school and we had planned on homeschoolng her anyway. I bought Sonlight's curriculum. We tried their preschool program and I do like it. Alot of reading stories and the workbooks are really helpful in teaching the kids to think and learn how to read and count etc.

I am trying to get back into shape as well....whipping out the Pilates DVD's and Tae Bo and Walk away the Pounds. I have to say that a friend saved me from the torture of Tae Bo today! I *just* got the tape in when the door bell rings....hallelujah!! LOL

Salt water fish tanks?

So does anyone out there know ANYthing about salt water tanks? I am trying to get one started and so far it seems to be a pain in the rear. I have had plenty of fresh water tanks before with no problem but this is totally different and more involved.

I am talking about fish tanks because honestly I have not picked up a crochet hook or knitting needle in some time. My Dh and I have been super busy with home-improvement projects. Last weekend he spent like 10 hours building a huge shelving unit in the garage. you could park a car on that thing and it would hold it. He's awsom with things like that. Actually he's awsome at just about anything (little plug-in for DH there! LOL)

My DS is cutting more teeth and one is coming in through a blood blister...ouchie! Poor guy The girls are ok just lonely. Since there aren't any kids around they are going crazy for a friend. Sunday we tried out a new church and DD#1 was immedietly drawn to the 2 othe girls there. Wanting some kind of interaction with someone other than her kid sister I am sure! LOL

I am doing fine. We are getting things together for a garage sale and among the junk err ummm merchandise (smile) are all of our baby supplies and toys and things. I am a little sad to finally be getting rid of everything, it makes me feel like an old lady...no longer in the "child bearing" category. But you figure with 3 already it get's tough. I can't imagine adding a 4th to the flock.

Anyways, soon I will get this blog up to date and get the template how I like etc. IF I have any time that is!! All this unpacking and fixing and whatnot has left me little time to breathe let alone sit and clack at the puter.

TTFN