Purple Hays

2012-01-25T19:23:00.001-08:00

Here I am, posting after over 2 years...whoops!

Don't really know what to write about. Perhaps I should be writing in my journal instead.

We are going to have a new baby! We are pretty clueless about names...perhaps it will be easier once we know the gender. Daniel is 4 now, and he will be a great big brother.

Will write later. Maybe!

Aunt Terry

2009-09-10T00:12:00.000-07:00

ARRGGHHHHH!!!

2009-08-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

I had a tooth pulled a week ago...it still hurts. Called the dentist today, but there was no answer; I left a message. I fear he may be gone for Labor Day weekend. I plan to call the emergency number tomorrow and hopefully get a scrip for antibiotics.

Sunday Morning

2009-07-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

It looks like it might rain today, which I wouldn't mind at all. It's been a VERY long time. Bit by bit I'm chipping away at the list that's been building up inside my head for the last month or so - cleaning projects and such. The yard is almost done, too. We have maybe 10 blackberry roots left to dig up. Yesterday I went out and trimmed back the branches sneaking into our yard. I was pleased to see that no new plants were growing over by the shed where I dug out all those roots. I think it will be fairly simple to maintain once we finish up back there (as long as we keep on top of it). We have used the backyard so much this summer. It is great to be able to go outside and still be at home. And now that D can walk so well I have a feeling we'll be out there throughout this next year, rain or shine.
I plan to thoroughly enjoy this Sunday. Tomorrow I'll be getting on the horn to figure out all this student loan business. We'll see what they say... And then to contact SOU about graduate courses. Once that's out of the way, I'll be making appointments that have been on my "list" for quite some time. Then I'll feel better. But for now, I will enjoy today (and hopefully finish digging up those roots).

*sigh

2009-07-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday we met with the mortgage guy. The student loans have gotten in the way once again. My homework is to call Direct Loans and find out if we can get our monthly payments lowered. Blech. As Dad pointed out, I should count my blessings. And I do, but this is all a bit scary and very stressful. And it has also got me thinking about the schooling I need to keep my license - and how to pay for that. *sigh... I know it'll work out, but I also know nothing will happen if we don't figure it out (aside from my teaching license lapsing). With all of this going on in my head, it is tempting to pull the covers over my head and hide. Actually I did take a nap yesterday...

Word UNchallenge

2009-07-09T23:07:00.001-07:00

So, I am sitting here with the computer. At this time of night I usually play a few rounds of Word Challenge before heading to bed. I am not playing Word Challenge this evening, and this is why: It is no longer a challenge. The other night I started 1 game. 2 and a half hours later it finally ended. My high score is some "not humanly possible" number (in Dr. Phyl's words). I got totally burned out. So I won't be playing it again for quite some time. Thank goodness for Sudoku and Variety Puzzle books. And blogging.

Our Trip to Austin

2009-06-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

We just got back a week ago from a wonderful visit to see my brother and his family. And it was indeed WONDERFUL!!!!

Jon and Tiff went to Switzerland while Daniel and I spent a week with Lucy and Brendan. We had an awesome time together. It was very special to be able to spend such good-quality time with my niece and nephew. We played in the backyard with the wading pool and sprinkler, we went to Extreme Fun, we went to the library, and Lucy and I even had a fashion show. We had a fabulous week and made some lasting memories together.

And things just got better. Jon and Tiff returned a week later, and Daddy Robot arrived the next day. Sunday, Jon took me and Mr. Robot on a driving tour of Austin. Then we got to eat at the Salt Lick...great food! We took it easy on Monday and then on Tuesday we went to a waterpark, and Baby Robot went swimming for the first time. He seemed to enjoy it tremendously. That was a great day. I can't think of anything more enjoyable than watching those kids play and laugh.

Wednesday night Mr. Robot and I went out to celebrate his birthday. We went to see Star Trek at the Alamo Theater. That was a cool experience. We went in, sat down, and ordered food from a menu by writing it on a little piece of paper and sticking it in a clip. Then someone came and took it. Our dinner and drinks came right to us as we watched the movie. Then we walked a few blocks down to Saxon Pub. We walked in and got to hear 3 bands play. Great music. We were amazed at how we could walk into some place on a Wednesday night and have an experience like that. We took a cab ride home and got in around 2:15am. I really enjoyed being out with him; this was our first date in about a year.

Thursday was our last full day together, and it was also awesome. Jon got off work early, and we all went over to the YMCA. They have an outdoor pool there. It was perfect for all three kids. Once again, making memories. After swimming we went out to the "good" Rudy's for one last night of Texas BBQ. And although they advertise themselves as "the worst BBQ in Texas" it was still quite tasty.

The next day we had to leave. Although we were sad to say goodbye, the trip had been very satisfying. We had loads of fun together.

Our journey home was a bit complicated. Our flght from Denver to Medford was cancelled. We ended up flying to SF and staying a night there. Dad booked us a room at the Embassy Suites, which was quite luxurious!! Daniel was overjoyed to run free throughout the suite and play on the big bed. When D and I went down for the night, Daddy Robot was able to stay up and watch the tube in the other room. Unfortunately we had to leave early the next morning for more plane rides. We flew to Portland and then finally Medford. Daniel did extremely well, thank goodness. To say the least, we were very happy to finally return home. Mr. Robot had left the place nice and clean. It was very relaxing.

And now we have a visit from Jon and Tiff to look forward to here in a few weeks! I cannot wait to see them!!! And then we'll be off to Des Moines for our visit to see Grammy, once again to make even more wonderful memories!!! What a GREAT summer (and it's only June)!!

Here are some pics from the trip. I didn't have the camera the whole time, so not everything is here.

The Blackberry Bushes Kicked My Butt

2009-05-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

So the blackberry bushes kicked my butt today.

I called it a day after this:

The Smell

2009-05-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

Well, as many of you know, we had a terrible smell in our house for the past week or so. I will tell you the story...

We started smelling something sort of fishy. At first we went through the mysterious smell routine - inspecting the fridge, putting lemon down the garbage disposal (thanks for the tip, Tiff), and taking out the garbage - all the while sniffing around in vain.

Then we thought maybe it was Doggy Robot. Maybe he needed another bath. Maybe he got into something. But no, that wasn't it. So it remained a mystery...

Then one night while I was playing with Baby Robot in his room, the air came on and the smell got worse. I put my nose next to the vent...blech!!!

So we thought maybe something crawled into a duct and died. We'd heard of this happening and knew that most people just wait for it to decompose. We stopped using the air and closed all the vents. We thought it was getting better, but then suddenly it got much worse.

So yesterday Mr. Robot came home and took a flashlight under the house. He returned shortly and said, "Well, I found out what the smell is." And I could tell it was what we'd both feared. I said, "Pretty Kitty?" And he nodded his head.

:(

So he went back under there with some bags and a shovel and discarded the body. He said it was decayed in a pretty bad way. :P

But the smell is gone!!! Hooray! I am ever so grateful, and I've thought about how unsmelly our house is several times throughout the day. So THANK YOU, MR. ROBOT!!!!!!!!!

Pirate Baseball

2009-05-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like the Pirates will most likely be going to state this year! As the wife of one of the coaches, I'm proud of course. However, I must admit a little part of me just wants her hubby back!

I am Blogging

2009-05-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today is the day after Mothers' Day, and it was wonderful! I slept in, of course. Then Mr. Robot went to baseball practice, which was a bit disgruntling, to tell the truth. But the day got better. After Mr. D woke up from his nap we went on a picnic at the baseball field. It was absolutely perfect. I sat there eating my sandwich soaking it all in. Feeling completely content. I watched everyone - Mr. Robot out watering the field, Daniel playing around on the practice mound, and Hachi running all over the place. Everyone was happy, and it was a beautiful thing to watch.

After everyone had eaten, we went down to the creek behind the field. Mr. D threw rocks in the water and Hachi swam and chased sticks. Then after a brief visit to Grandma Robot's we came home. Daniel and I went out and did some yardwork while Daddy Robot vacuumed the house. And a bit later he barbequed - excuse me - he GRILLED up some meat. It was a wonderful, wonderful day!

Close Call

2009-02-15T10:56:00.001-08:00

So yesterday we put a bunch of boxes and things up in the attic above the garage. Yay!! I really thought we'd be able to get the electic piano up there. It was going alright at first. I helped lift it up the ladder long-ways to Mr. Robot, and he managed to lean it against the edge of the opening in the ceiling. I really thought we had it at that point. But then I'm not sure what happened, but it came crashing down onto Mr. Robot (who was at the top of the ladder) and then down onto the cement floor and onto some glasses, which crashed and broke all over the place. Miraculously Mr. Robot stayed on the ladder and didn't seem to be injured in any major way. Well, to say the least we decided to keep the piano down in the garage. And although a corner is missing a chunk of plastic, the piano still works! I'm just glad he's still alive!

Yay for Crock Pots!!!

2009-02-13T21:24:00.000-08:00

I have a newfound apprecation for crock pots since I got a new one a few weeks ago. It is WONDERFUL!!!

And it's so nice to smell yummy food throughout the house and know there's not much left to do before eating it. No longer do I need to worry about drying out the meat, either. Making dinner has become ten times less stressful!

And now I wonder: Why not until now?

I'm Back

2009-02-12T19:57:00.000-08:00

To those of you who are tired of seeing "Rest in Peace, Old Frank," this is for you. I've been consumed by facebook recently. I've gotten in touch with quite a few friends, which has been a lot of fun. And then there's Scrabble and Word Challenge. So, those take up quite a bit of computer time. I've decided, however, to build blogging into the whole routine. It'll take some sacrifice from other areas - mostly Word Challenge.

Let's see...the last entry here dates Dec. 9. Since then Danel had his first Christmas, the Hays family came down to visit, and Daniel turned a year old. He also became an accomplished toddler. And Hachi turned from a puppy to a young dog. Geez, a lot has taken place! I apologize, and I will try not to let this happen again!

So, here are some pics. You can see more on my Facebook account, if you're my friend that is ;)

Rest in Peace, Old Frank

2008-12-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

VIDEO: BABY DOES CUTE THINGS!!11!!eleventy!1!!

2008-12-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

Hi.
Mr. Robot here.
Just doing my duty and posting some video of Baby Robot.

If he ever gets mad aobut us having posted these vids we'll just tell him that it's the price one pays for not wanting to wear a diaper...

Here he goes down the hall...

And the rest of the way...

Here's a holdover from Halloween:

Long Time, No Blog

2008-12-08T15:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been quite awhile. All apologies. Things are going pretty well over here, aside from our family tragedy. One of the things I have noticed about Nate's mom's family is how level-headed and realistic they are. Even though they are distraught, they're still functioning alright. Hachi is growing VERY quickly. He is now over 30 pounds! Today we went on a walk around town with the new stroller, and he was a good boy. I need to do that more often. Daniel is also growing, but not as quickly. He is SO close to walking. Maybe he will be by the time Christmas comes! Well, I talk to most of the people who read this often, and you all know what is going on. So, without further ado ... the pictures! (Mr. Robot will be posting a "video film" for me tomorrow.)

FIRST THANKSGIVING DINNER

DADDY

GRANDPA RON AND GRANDMA LINDA

GRAMMY PHYLLIS

GOOD FRIEND JOHN

DAMPA DA

Belated Halloween Post

2008-11-05T22:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm finally getting some pictures on here from Halloween. We had a wonderful time. The Nelsons came over from Fort Rock and spent the weekend here. The kids got a lot of candy trick-or-treating. We took Hachi with us, and when he got too tired he slept on top of the jogger. It was absolutely adorable! The rain stopped just in time for trick-or-treating, but it resumed that night. So we spent most of the weekend here at home, playing board games, PS2, watching movies, and visiting. There was a break in the rain on Saturday afternoon, which made it perfect for a long walk around town. Everyone had a good time. It was nice having a full house. It is easy to have people stay over here, because there is space for everyone.

I taught yesterday, in the Special Ed. room at the grade school. Tomorrow afternoon I'm teaching in a 5/6 class. The kindergarten teacher asked me to teach for her next month. Hopefully I'll get more jobs like that. It is so nice to be at school. I've missed it a lot. Daniel went over to Colleen's for the day, and she said he was wonderful. Hachi went to Dan and Patty's. It is nice to have family around to help out like that. It makes it easier for me to leave him. This evening we went over to Colleen's to have dinner for Dan's birthday.

Things have been busier lately. This is a good thing! Today Daniel and I went to our play day. There are four babies (Daniel is the oldest) and 8 older kids, so it's a pretty lively bunch! Daniel has a ball, but it makes him tired later on. I figure it's a good kind of tired.

And ... Mom's coming this weekend!!! Yay!!!

Okay, here are those pics:

More Pictures

2008-10-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Not much happening the last few days. Just A LOT of potty training. So far only one accident today. Number 1 thank goodness :) Here are a few more pics:

Me and Danny Boy

You have something just to the left of your nose. Up a little bit ...A little more to your right ...

This is how Hachi spends most of his time.

He's just so CUTE! Even when he's serious.

The only way to get a good picture of Daniel and Hachi together is if they're both asleep. So yes, this is a total set-up, but it's still adorable.

Hachiko

2008-10-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally decided! Our new puppy is now home with us. We picked the boy without the knob. Sorry, Jon. But he is actually pretty relaxed, too. Mr. Robot brought him home yesterday. The potty training thing is quite a challenge. We've already cleaned up a few messes, and it's hard to get him to go when we take him out. We've taken him out four times this morning, and he still hasn't gone. He just wants to frolick instead. We put him in a crate last night, and he cried A LOT for a LONG TIME. But, I figure it'll be worth it once he's house-broken. We named him Hachiko after the famous Japanese dog and call him Hachi for short. Daniel isn't too crazy about him. He doesn't like being licked in the face. I figure he'll feel better about it once he can walk. Luckily Hachi sleeps a lot, so Daniel has plenty of stress-free roaming time. Here are a few pics:

Puppysitting

2008-10-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

Right now we're over at Nate's folks' house taking care of the puppies. Our goal for today is to pick one. It is SO hard! They are extremely cute, being puppies and all. However, there are only two boys, so if we decide to go that route we'll narrow it down drastically. I think we will. But the girls are a bit cuter. They're more delicate and have prettier markings on their faces. I still think we'll go with a boy, just to make it easier. Plus, he'll get to be bigger, and I do like big dogs. One of the boys has a knob on his head, much like its uncle (who lives here too). Nate likes him, but he seems a bit lazy - much like his uncle. Plus I would rather have a dog without the knob. The other boy is blond with a more square head and a shorter snout. I think he's cuter than his brother. But the girls ARE the cutest. Oh, it's so hard to decide! Once we do, I'll post it right away. Speaking of posting, Nate keeps putting the cutest pictures on his blog before I get the chance. So, here are some adorable bathtime pics. Enjoy!

House Work

2008-10-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well, today our brother-in-law came over to finish some things around our house. So now we have padding under the carpet of our closet, a fixed hole in the wall behind our washer, and a front to the silverware drawer. Also, the home appliance guy came to look at our dishwasher. Turns out the soap wasn't draining because I had the silverware holder in the wrong place. Oops. Sort of embarassing. Oh, well. At least we know now, and he was glad he didn't have to fix anything. I'M glad it's still under warranty! Anyhow, today we are going to open our account with the bank here in town. Then we have a HUGE shopping trip to go on. I'm learning to cook things besides mac & cheese and hot dogs, so I have many ingredients to purchase. Oh, Daniel beckons. Signing off.

Late Night

2008-09-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

For some reason I am not asleep yet, so I thought I'd blog real quick.

Well, we are working on getting Daniel to sleep in his crib through the night. So far, so good. Last night was the first night. It was hard to let him cry, but eventually he went to sleep. He stayed in there all night, only waking up once. We just let him cry for a little while, and soon he stopped. This morning he awoke in good spirits. Tonight he went down very easily after some books and a few songs and hasn't made a peep since. All I've done is check to make sure his blanket is still on.

I can't believe what a big boy he's becomng! It is so fun to play with him and watch him discover things. Every day it seems like he's doing something new. Lately he has really focused on getting back down on the floor after pulling himself up. The level of concentration is quite apparent on his little determined face.

I'll post more pictures soon. I think I'll be able to get to sleep now, so bye for now!

Sick Day

2008-09-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today I am sick :(
Fever and painful chest, throat, etc. So far Daniel is okay. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Nate was very nice last night, taking care of him while I slept. Tonight I do not feel much better. Hopefully things will turn around while I sleep, because it is pretty hard to be mommy when you're sick. I've been lucky so far; this is the first time being sick since I was pregnant. At least he is at an age where he's happy to play on his own a little bit. Well, that's it for now. I am going to bed now. Seems like Daniel is ready to sleep as well. Good timing!
Well, maybe I'll stay up to watch OSU beat USC (who is #1). Fourth quarter, 11 minutes left - OSU 21, USC 14. Will they do it? Can I make it that long?

Daniel Pics

2008-09-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

I heard there was a request for more pictures, so here are some depicting a few of Daniel's favorite activities around the house:

Crawling ...

He really likes Daddy's computer, so ...

We gave him his own.

He also loves to play with Monty, who seems to be dealing with it okay.

We have more to come, but it takes a long time to upload them.

Back Home

2008-09-21T23:27:00.000-07:00

Well, Daniel and I just got home from visiting Fort Rock. We had a great time visiting everyone and just being in the desert. The drives there and back were both quite pleasant. It's much better now that he can hold his own bottle. The teacher who has my kids this year is really cool. We spent Wed evening together at Gary's house. Then the next day she invited Daniel and I into their classroom for about an hour. I had a great time, and the kids did, too. On Saturday we went to the "play day" to watch kids do rodeo events like barrel racing and pole bending. All in all, a very good trip. I was sad to leave, but we are both very glad to be home. We missed Daddy a lot.

Apparently Monty was allowed to sleep wherever he wanted while we were gone.

Homecoming and Pancakes

2008-09-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Last night was Homecoming here in Glendale. So, Daniel went to his first football game. It was sort of his coming-out. And mine, too, I guess. We met a lot of people. Some friends of ours came by before the game. It was nice to see them. They have four kids, all in school. The mom and I plan on walking together during the day. So, I'm excited about that. I enjoy walking with Daniel, but he usually falls asleep. It will be nice to have someone to talk to.
I just have to say right now that our son is absolutely adorable! What a smile :) Well, we are going to spend some time together now. Daddy just made pancakes, and Daniel is about to try them for the first time. I wonder if he'll like them as much as Brendan does?

New Daniel Developments

2008-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

So, I am writing this blog right now, because I told my brother I would tonight, and it IS his birthday, so ...
Happy birthday, Jon :)
Well, Daniel is doing more and more each day. It is quite an amazing thing to witness. Wednesday he clapped for the first time. Yesterday he went off to play on his own for the first time - in his room. He's also much more adventurous, pulling himself up on things to stand and trying to get EVERYTHING. He's hurt himself a few times - just little bumps or things falling on him - nothing major, thank goodness. I think the house is baby-proofed pretty well, but I'm sure we'll find things to change as he gets around more and more. Oh, yes, and now he crawls on his knees.
So, my life has changed quite a bit. I'm always checking to see where he is, what he's doing, etc. In fact while I've been writing this, I've gotten up three times. Once was to move the catfood up to where he couldn't reach it. But also, it is so nice that he can play on his own a little bit. Not for long, of course, but enough so that I can get things done.
Well, he's pulling on my leg now. I'd better go. And you know, Jon, I might feel more compelled to do this thing if people actually commented :)

It's been 7 years ...

2008-09-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe how long it has been since 9-11. Well, as far as I can tell, we're not a police-state yet, so I guess we're doing alright. Last year they announced over the intercom to take a moment of silence for 9-11. My second graders didn't know what they were talking about. So I had to tell them what happened. It was strange to talk about it in a historical context. Just shows how much time has gone by ...

First blog

2008-09-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Well, thought I'd try out this blogging thing. Here goes! Not much time to type. Daniel beckons.