tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6608016978841273412024-03-14T01:28:49.390-07:00OOCHAKITTYOochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-6997814159201292212011-06-27T00:06:00.000-07:002011-06-27T00:06:10.396-07:00Adventure #3 Free Walks to the ParkSo since my last post we have been having a few busy weeks. Now I am catching up. We have had several small adventures and a couple of big ones in that time, and as well I want to share a few random thoughts. So here goes.<br />
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Adventure #3 (Free!)<br />
We went on a couple of walks down to a local park and the river walking path last week. Our 14 year old Maggie only went reluctantly but I have photo proof that she had some fun. We brought our big flying disk on one walk and the other one we had a chance to check out some flood damage!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm gonna get it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maggie, proof that she was having fun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Largo, our dog was worn out after we got to the park!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OsEBOCEM2b8DCLmL07lR9qiiTIO6nQ9wSCoDpgzQ1S65EsxaPb5wD5J0EPar64g4jbNMKNdHiyfnorSxv1Fm3gz_BhSpXShIxgIcyLAUpKeRVOzO5hFZccN-etkOX9K9TtWoWPdTaec/s1600/Richland-Kennewick-20110616-00172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OsEBOCEM2b8DCLmL07lR9qiiTIO6nQ9wSCoDpgzQ1S65EsxaPb5wD5J0EPar64g4jbNMKNdHiyfnorSxv1Fm3gz_BhSpXShIxgIcyLAUpKeRVOzO5hFZccN-etkOX9K9TtWoWPdTaec/s320/Richland-Kennewick-20110616-00172.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The river has been high lately so part of the walking path is flooded as you can see by this photo. Usually the river bank is out beyond the brush in the background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-26604430198710622192011-06-07T14:43:00.000-07:002011-06-07T14:51:21.491-07:00Kites: Adventure #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>We had a spontaneous fun activity last night. And this time I remembered to bring the camera. It was a little breezy so we decided to go the the field at the local school and fly a kite. It was a perfect evening for it. While we were at it, my son was able to play on the playground too!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-971371956288854462011-06-05T15:53:00.000-07:002011-06-05T15:53:02.762-07:00Summer 2011/Adventure #1Hello there,<br />
Wow! It has been a while. A year and a half since my last post. Well, I had the bright idea that I could do a series of posts for the summer. There have been some changes in our income so I am on a mission to find free and cheap fun things to do this summer. Also maybe I will be inspired to post ways to save money. My husband suggests extreme couponing, but I am not sure I am organized enough. We'll see what happens. So here goes.<br />
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Free or cheap summer adventure #1:<br />
So our first free adventure of the summer happened yesterday. It finally was warm in our area, so even though school is not out for another 5 days, it still felt like summer. (Also because I finished up working for a while, I felt like I was starting summer vacation.) Many cities have free summer movies, our city included. The kids asked to go last summer and Kevin and I usually didn't want to make the effort. But what is not to like? It is a free movie shown on a big blow up screen in a nearby park. You can bring your own popcorn (though there are snacks available for purchase), or whatever else kind of snack you would like. They show family movies, so everyone can go, even the dog! I am not sure how involved our dog Largo is in watching the movie, but he loves finding the stray dropped snacks on the ground. This time it was just the older two girls and me this time. Kevin again didn't want to go, so our son and he stayed home and had popcorn while watching Veggie Tales. The girls and I arrived to the fun sounds of a local steel drum band. Maggie quickly found her friends, but Heidi and I had a great time sharing popcorn, and watching Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2, Roderick Rules. I haven't seen this before, but for a free movie it was great. So there you have it. Adventure #1, cost...$0.00 (we brought our own microwave popcorn!)<br />
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I hope to be more organized and take pictures of our future adventures, but this will do for now. Have a great summer everyone! Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-72017594156280767392010-01-06T12:40:00.000-08:002010-01-06T12:40:53.645-08:00Birthdays and the Fiesta BowlWe're almost there! Prior to Thanksgiving every year, I take a deep breath, and start running (and spending). So do most other people. But at our house, the running (spending) doesn't stop until February. You see, we have a unique situation in our family. A significant portion of birthdays fall between Christmas and Valentine's Day. I should count....let's see, 12 birthdays, between our immediate family, my family and my husband's family....yes. 12 birthdays. And four of them are in my own immediate family. <br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwAdYfEYmJUWDsLtQC8cJL2GVKFJRP45s1R059NVbqlVLBqcgJbNhzl2KD-uy0WRRGGyLKb5Ux3Wp9sSJg4jUF1EHYc26q9MFxkhyphenhyphenorys6sTaSUWf0DVEYGwzTSbE0Rv6-1yHON7KHe8/s1600-h/alex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwAdYfEYmJUWDsLtQC8cJL2GVKFJRP45s1R059NVbqlVLBqcgJbNhzl2KD-uy0WRRGGyLKb5Ux3Wp9sSJg4jUF1EHYc26q9MFxkhyphenhyphenorys6sTaSUWf0DVEYGwzTSbE0Rv6-1yHON7KHe8/s200/alex.jpg" /></a>So today is Alex's birthday. We celebrated in a quiet way on Monday. Alex isn't the type to demand a huge party with friends or Chuck E. Cheese or whatever, so we took advantage and celebrated during the Fiesta Bowl. My husband and father in law are huge BSU fans and were committed to watching the Fiesta Bowl with Dad's new projector that he got for a great deal on Black Friday. And I am fairly practical. I figured, why do the cleaning up and hard work of a party two nights in the same week? So I combined it, and invited all our local relatives over to celebrate Alex's birthday AND watch the Fiesta Bowl. Alex didn't seem to mind. He loved opening his presents during halftime and eating his cupcakes. For the record, we did turn the sound down on the game while we sang "Happy Birthday" and he opened his presents. <br />
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It was a fun evening, and great that BSU won! Go Broncos! It was even more special to celebrate my dear son turning 5 years old. Such a big boy now, I can't believe it. It was especially nice of certain of our family members to come celebrate even though they probably could care less about BSU football. Thank you!<br />
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Just a few more birthdays left. (deep breath) Here I go!Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-37295392186999994332009-12-23T11:37:00.000-08:002009-12-23T11:37:15.221-08:00Reflections on the Christmas tree ornaments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfuaRqWNlNAYTvU26-yRZlneGsmGR2M4lIaH1ynch3zfBM1KmOkTHqtMt3qav4mT4vfq7kQzbTiYlJnnHPvSHKRpySVQNW-Fh45RIz_T_nzpA1XKIkDx1RMLx43NaYSRgvWxmf9dmAAo/s1600-h/100_1254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivfuaRqWNlNAYTvU26-yRZlneGsmGR2M4lIaH1ynch3zfBM1KmOkTHqtMt3qav4mT4vfq7kQzbTiYlJnnHPvSHKRpySVQNW-Fh45RIz_T_nzpA1XKIkDx1RMLx43NaYSRgvWxmf9dmAAo/s200/100_1254.JPG" /></a><br />
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Recently someone complimented our Christmas tree, how nice it looked. It was very kind of my sister in law to say it, but there really is no coordinating theme to the tree at all. If there was a theme I would have to say, love and memories. There are not any particular colors or styles of ornaments. There are some shiny balls, snow men, manger scenes, angels and . . . well you can imagine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxA1BnU3GaV4s2OOBlGYxxj0DFL1Nl4GATTI-OZISR6nfDAZ0KrExfUMueb5ap-Wzlni-QHc2qj8SijykZur5zKsIksFOM5DuSvTB2kmUpg4TTDv2sga77Qqxu_zJv2z9lVQJ1vlFayw/s1600-h/100_1241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxA1BnU3GaV4s2OOBlGYxxj0DFL1Nl4GATTI-OZISR6nfDAZ0KrExfUMueb5ap-Wzlni-QHc2qj8SijykZur5zKsIksFOM5DuSvTB2kmUpg4TTDv2sga77Qqxu_zJv2z9lVQJ1vlFayw/s200/100_1241.JPG" /></a><br />
</div> My mom always buys us ornaments for Christmas, every year. One for each of us, or rather in later years, just one for each child. Those are fun to unpack. I tell the kids, "Grandma gave us this one..." over and over. There's the Thomas Kincaid ornaments (my favorites). The Victorian doll ornaments that both girls received one year. There's the baby's first Christmas for each one. And the "First House" ornament. There's the "Fishing Hole" ornament and the angel with a trumpet, for my husband. Then there's the ornaments my mom gave me when I was in college, first time away from home. I still have a lot of those little ornaments Mom! <br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiVhHT2l_U9JFm2vQORlnIoIvJbMyJNVs-8F9oW9UbDS1rPxZj8Cj8vufG45quUtmTtuQSrNTHDLmz11FkpUg-UN8904lpiinWzqCjcjA9cVZewm3gIL-uHQMaBzKJ9jmjfml4wZ7mc0/s1600-h/100_1248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiVhHT2l_U9JFm2vQORlnIoIvJbMyJNVs-8F9oW9UbDS1rPxZj8Cj8vufG45quUtmTtuQSrNTHDLmz11FkpUg-UN8904lpiinWzqCjcjA9cVZewm3gIL-uHQMaBzKJ9jmjfml4wZ7mc0/s200/100_1248.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7b0BNNVM5uTGyBGotFCIIiR4lN3zuIzkdmaOT4v772RJb5ADAFPGesFFw_QuTV2T9Z9m6BWvskqin_unsRB1Ep84n3dcWBBidV_8wCqM8Z0ufXb-ruruoeRKwzX8HOxGGR7DFMjnCAPY/s1600-h/100_1220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7b0BNNVM5uTGyBGotFCIIiR4lN3zuIzkdmaOT4v772RJb5ADAFPGesFFw_QuTV2T9Z9m6BWvskqin_unsRB1Ep84n3dcWBBidV_8wCqM8Z0ufXb-ruruoeRKwzX8HOxGGR7DFMjnCAPY/s200/100_1220.JPG" /></a>But the most important ornaments to me are the cut out stars with wiggly writing on it, the pipe cleaner ornaments and the wooden ornaments painted with watercolors. Those are the memories. Maggie and Heidi made those wooden ones at my husband's Christmas party 3 years ago. The paper star was made at church by Maggie when she was 4 or 5. There is a clothes pin angel that came home with Alex from church just this year. And a fun ornament made from a laminated picture of Alex stuck onto a juice lid and decorated. Heidi wanted me to be sure and mention the ornament she made for our tree at school this year, with her picture on it. So I have added it as well.<br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69K8Wi9zmy2g_ZCHol67lzUteyvEebgj-rp33knf-qc9S5zjhNA-hHC1-wwyLmiS7OmSDB5F7dQR1PD5wdNtGkVILA0tLR8HE-SBfPuJ0LWRv-D-L3byN1Ztwjm1R5DkKtXuIXGKuAQU/s1600-h/100_1221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69K8Wi9zmy2g_ZCHol67lzUteyvEebgj-rp33knf-qc9S5zjhNA-hHC1-wwyLmiS7OmSDB5F7dQR1PD5wdNtGkVILA0tLR8HE-SBfPuJ0LWRv-D-L3byN1Ztwjm1R5DkKtXuIXGKuAQU/s200/100_1221.JPG" /></a><br />
So I have to admit that my tree is not going to win a decorating contest. But it is covered with love. Thank you to all those who have given us ornaments and memories over the years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFJo3h9dCTsPdtmtqV-TzmVVyP2d48rSHrph-pmzunxQfReJT7jChWQ71-F6SmEc827otal4KhuU9UJSbvbcTTohpTWSJ8VZA0I-D0Q7CFCVPQScPDb0hC0VC-oaGhy0UTvI0wAUO8iM/s1600-h/100_1104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFJo3h9dCTsPdtmtqV-TzmVVyP2d48rSHrph-pmzunxQfReJT7jChWQ71-F6SmEc827otal4KhuU9UJSbvbcTTohpTWSJ8VZA0I-D0Q7CFCVPQScPDb0hC0VC-oaGhy0UTvI0wAUO8iM/s200/100_1104.JPG" /></a>P.S. I had to add this picture of the real Oochakitty, hanging out under the tree too.Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-8315330670017615532009-09-23T09:54:00.000-07:002009-09-23T10:05:10.468-07:00When did I become "Mom"?When my 12 year old was a baby I adamantly thought to myself, I want her to call me Mama, not Mommy or Mom or definitely not Ma. So I religiously referred to myself as Mama. "Come to Mama." "Mama loves you". And it worked.....for a number of years. I noted when she was 8 or 9, she still was calling me "Mama" and it warmed my heart. <br /><br />But somehow since then, the overwhelming cultural term of "Mom" has cleared away all of my efforts, and that is what she calls me. "Mom, I need some money". Mom, I need a ride". "Mom...." And of course her younger siblings have naturally followed suit, even to the point where my 4 year old who SHOULD still be calling me "Mama" says "Mom" also. "Mom, I love you ."<br /><br />Now that I think about it, "Mom" sounds pretty nice too. What was I ever worried about?Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-21517059690413874222009-09-14T10:07:00.000-07:002009-09-14T10:49:40.707-07:00Soccer MomI remember when I was younger, my friends and I would gently make fun of soccer moms in minivans. I thought I would never be a soccer mom. I never played soccer as a child, heck, I didn't play any sports at all, except a brief stint on the church volleyball team, as chief bench sitter. <br /><br />But anyway, I was thinking about all of this recently as I was trying to organize my schedule. Tuesday, soccer practice for Maggie, soccer practice for Heidi, Thursday, soccer practice again, and then Saturday....you guessed it.....Soccer games! Maggie and Heidi had their first soccer games last Saturday. It was especially noteworthy because this is Heidi's first time to play soccer.<br /><br />Sigh...I guess I am a soccer mom after all and with a minivan too. Aaaaaah!<br /><br />So now our family is embarking on the crazy soccer schedule for fall. I wonder if I will survive? Actually the question is, will Kevin survive? I have to work every other weekend, so poor Kevin has to lug the whole family out to the soccer complex every Saturday for the next 5 weeks. So say a prayer for him and us!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzWCxuIpFjmN8rd04Zj_H_S74LKd-5pKPsTBDKab7XB0Lcg-AKEbHpMM5n-bnEK7RSc21VgVSRGZWisK4C6TqoVi6pxxEw78KDa8kIDnD54ISn1fYGXJKM0esFybzFxcUSz8QnjlfHRQ/s1600-h/015.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzWCxuIpFjmN8rd04Zj_H_S74LKd-5pKPsTBDKab7XB0Lcg-AKEbHpMM5n-bnEK7RSc21VgVSRGZWisK4C6TqoVi6pxxEw78KDa8kIDnD54ISn1fYGXJKM0esFybzFxcUSz8QnjlfHRQ/s200/015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381378020235275250" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDDyrkeKIP9myJs0ZQghyphenhyphenZB1wmLonEK7Ix5gL_lVp4Tbo0xrTcc-iXKQCdg9yVafNwhp9wNl2pdH6wP6gaSSjzH54DCiIPa2d2atoTvVlxDWa0rmfzdjMKdQbvhiAPBPsEEsSSyj9SXo/s1600-h/013.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDDyrkeKIP9myJs0ZQghyphenhyphenZB1wmLonEK7Ix5gL_lVp4Tbo0xrTcc-iXKQCdg9yVafNwhp9wNl2pdH6wP6gaSSjzH54DCiIPa2d2atoTvVlxDWa0rmfzdjMKdQbvhiAPBPsEEsSSyj9SXo/s200/013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381378032106466882" border="0" /></a><br /><br />1. Heidi's enjoying her new uniform!<br />2. She got to play goalie and really liked that!Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-13244879565548966162009-08-25T15:55:00.000-07:002009-08-25T16:43:08.203-07:00My dilemma<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscQACWl8iAFLDjq5AqqLLd5g6Sg8loAo4zJSR_fgTDSTauuLU-31EaaCHBed00EKSp1756_3HK4XdYB6IB71oxQhCadQiCrcFJqA6OQnVhTnL2fBe5Q-awBZYtV3xfiqaS6ltGiC9d8c/s1600-h/Heidi+biking.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscQACWl8iAFLDjq5AqqLLd5g6Sg8loAo4zJSR_fgTDSTauuLU-31EaaCHBed00EKSp1756_3HK4XdYB6IB71oxQhCadQiCrcFJqA6OQnVhTnL2fBe5Q-awBZYtV3xfiqaS6ltGiC9d8c/s200/Heidi+biking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374048931685978754" border="0" /></a> School is starting next week here. Today, Heidi and I went over to her school, new school for her, to walk around and get familiar with the layout and all. You may or may not know that Heidi and Alex are both legally blind, from a genetic retinal dysfunction called Leber's Congenital Amaurosis. To look at them most people never realize that they are visually impaired, just a couple of (very cute) kids with glasses. Only when they have their white canes, is it apparent to others that they don't see very well.<br /><br />Anyway, this summer, Heidi became more comfortable and confident riding her bike. So the inevitable question arose. "Can I ride my bike to school". We live too close to the school for a bus, so I was planning on either driving or walking with her to school, weather permitting.<br /><br />Heidi sees well enough to ride her bike to her friend's house without any trouble, however, we worry that she isn't aware enough of cars to be safe in maneuvering around the school with lots of cars around. And then there is the other thought......<br /><br />Picture this......little girl riding her bike to school, parking it in the bike rack and then getting her fold up white cane (signifying that she is blind) out of her backpack and walking off to class using her cane. Is there something wrong with this picture? :-)<br /><br />But how to explain all of that to Heidi. I wanted to say, "No, because I said so!" But no, I hope I explained diplomatically that it isn't safe enough for her to ride a bike to school. Thankfully, she accepted it philosophically enough.Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-37077246158097330222009-08-21T10:34:00.000-07:002009-08-21T10:47:01.544-07:00Working Things OutAs you probably know I am the mom of 3 kids. They are all 4 years apart. I hoped that maybe because of the distance in age they would not fight as much as my brother and sister and I did. Well, I was wrong. Especially with the two older girls who have to share a room, the squabbles are ongoing. <br /><br />So yesterday, Heidi found her camera that she got for Christmas. We put new batteries in it and she was taking pictures of everything.....the dog, the cat, Alex, the t.v. program, and so on. So it is no surprise that she went into her shared room and took a picture of Maggie, or Maggie's bed, I am not sure which. Maggie came out yelling, "Don't take a picture without asking...." She wanted me to talk to Heidi about it and work it out. I told her that she needed to work it out with Heidi, that I was staying out of it. The next thing I heard was Maggie and Heidi talking. <br /><br />Heidi: I won't delete the picture, but I'll pay you a dollar. <br />Maggie: Ok! <br /><br />Not another word was heard about taking pictures without permission or anything else. I was in the other room laughing silently. Apparently we are prone to bribery at any age.Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-38513656761645047242009-08-03T12:43:00.000-07:002009-08-03T13:15:27.817-07:00Small MiraclesI experienced a small miracle today. You may know that last Wednesday I lost my keys and haven't been able to find them. I got home from taking the kids swimming and when I tried to leave later that evening.. no keys. So I borrowed Kevin's key and we have both been driving around town for the last 5 days. Below is a photo where I found my keys today...Monday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEpVPAEkejayS2DKM720gwV9jDIe6ZJmYh2aySJTZaxBbzwB4kfVSFPSLCtGI7tNkvCb4xX_vOcUM-O1F_CZ7Wf-1eQBCgRSnvgQUu7Pmld2AUytAXGDC1zA9s2DDHv1-e0REpgjKog0/s1600-h/100_0685.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEpVPAEkejayS2DKM720gwV9jDIe6ZJmYh2aySJTZaxBbzwB4kfVSFPSLCtGI7tNkvCb4xX_vOcUM-O1F_CZ7Wf-1eQBCgRSnvgQUu7Pmld2AUytAXGDC1zA9s2DDHv1-e0REpgjKog0/s200/100_0685.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365829434583879474" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I am just amazed and laughing at myself over this whole thing. How did those keys stay on top of our van while we drove it around for 5 whole days? Thank you Lord for small miracles!Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-76691523718491966052009-07-29T09:36:00.000-07:002009-07-29T10:11:12.489-07:00JET SKI ADVENTURESA couple of weeks back we decided to try out jet skis for the first time ever. We live very close to the Columbia River and in this area, "everyone" has boats or water toys of some kind, except us....oh and my in laws....oh and the next door neighbors.....well you know what I mean. Anyway, there's this place that one can rent jet skis, right on the river so we tried it.<br /><br />It was a great time, with my in laws coming along for the picnic. Kevin took the girls out the first time. Then his dad went out with him. Dad's hat fell off and they both decided to lean over to get it. You can guess what happened! That's right, they both fell in the river. After some time of watching them try to get back on the jet ski, the jet ski rental guy started out there to see if they needed any help. Just as he was headed out there, they made it back on the jet ski.<br /><br />Now for my turn. I was a little nervous because I have never done anything like this before. The rental guy (a young teenager) showed me how to run the jet ski. I didn't quite understand and asked lots of questions. He looked me like I was an idiot. So I headed out on a trial run. When I came back in I didn't know how to stop it or anything, so came in too fast. Oh well, nothing damaged at least. Then, with Heidi hanging on behind me I went on my way. I was speeding along feeling pretty good when the kid came out on his jet ski. "Uh oh, what's wrong now?" I thought. He informed me that I needed to go faster as the speed that I was going was too slow and was hard on the engine. Think 1st or 2nd gear. OK, I gulped and squeezed the accelerator and sped up to a terrifying speed.(I was probably still going to slow.) Then I decided I better head back in 'cause I didn't want to use up all our time. We had rented the thing for an hour. So I slowly came back in trying to remember all the rules, like stopping the engine before you are too close to the riverbank and all that.<br /><br />Then it was over. Kevin took Maggie out and then our hour was done. So here are a couple of pictures of our adventure.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio_MIKjhiGlFqxn_y_uunOJFz9Lckib6Q1XlnBwEd7K95mDD0zsmPvBqrXA5bcdCZeTye5zZMYfFdJt4knMeiAwbS4EayvHMZAkI5uRUdkhyphenhyphenvmvnWXJl9kRdyQ8XltGgeM7U_m80KPfI/s1600-h/100_0532.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgio_MIKjhiGlFqxn_y_uunOJFz9Lckib6Q1XlnBwEd7K95mDD0zsmPvBqrXA5bcdCZeTye5zZMYfFdJt4knMeiAwbS4EayvHMZAkI5uRUdkhyphenhyphenvmvnWXJl9kRdyQ8XltGgeM7U_m80KPfI/s200/100_0532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363928568006745538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEM8BS5jRQNjrK98jhyphenhyphenJkHLqmmY7Rxo4Tr6y-mmKEcoFW_qyjBCFtFWsEqiHZgYkB-64X6k3-PzJRPKbSK61JzPvOH2tE7pcGvZ5NnjsmOQ-ieP7-o-ucgWLh6GP_AlaCWAm1y0uarxrw/s1600-h/100_0534.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEM8BS5jRQNjrK98jhyphenhyphenJkHLqmmY7Rxo4Tr6y-mmKEcoFW_qyjBCFtFWsEqiHZgYkB-64X6k3-PzJRPKbSK61JzPvOH2tE7pcGvZ5NnjsmOQ-ieP7-o-ucgWLh6GP_AlaCWAm1y0uarxrw/s200/100_0534.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363928577123213826" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoCZQMMbkPsgIsNcLB-hGKrAlj9Iu6s8stu62joRtckQ56GmCioxuPtizJ3-v0dmJ9znFv-4PsUdpdPew1iXpqtUw7ZPW3sQI9relM4a2XjISm2L-edCji_7sHhaFiPeTtmW3S1jSfo0/s1600-h/100_0526.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGoCZQMMbkPsgIsNcLB-hGKrAlj9Iu6s8stu62joRtckQ56GmCioxuPtizJ3-v0dmJ9znFv-4PsUdpdPew1iXpqtUw7ZPW3sQI9relM4a2XjISm2L-edCji_7sHhaFiPeTtmW3S1jSfo0/s200/100_0526.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363928561180646050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />1.Coming in from my ride. <br />2.Mom, Dad and Alex watching from the side<br />3. Kevin and the girlsOochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-43352707245667341702009-07-13T18:10:00.000-07:002009-07-13T18:58:07.419-07:00Dancing DogThe kids and I have been going through the pictures and videos that we have stored on our computer in recent days. We came across this video which we remember fondly. It is of our dog Ritzy that we had when we lived in Nampa. She was a very excitable dog and liked to get in on the action if the kids and I were doing anything like dancing or tickling or whatever. So here's a video of her dancing with us.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzIJedoWfuLRl3851d2aRxgwq6vbKAb69NN7-IV7rotQKXS6XTUl0S_U9gIISjZkMC7OwXdoMS3MP9DXVk2BA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-65041525990915528102009-07-08T10:12:00.000-07:002009-07-08T10:45:48.717-07:004th of JulyWe had my husband's family over for the usual 4th of July BBQ. It was a good time of fun and fireworks. I just have to wonder however, what it is about fireworks that gets guys so fired up. Here's some pictures of what I mean.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDQfywZG4yQsD_1TTDe0HcmM4oIDb9l9CuZDoZeLg_zVvA4Hp0TI57TrV4TPD1EcaH-T8AU51ie-56BvrJ2_q2QHjhejvuEtPARMyfCavcZPgUg3Bkq6cyxNK3NDJlnlOJrCKr4wFEbY/s1600-h/HPIM1043.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDQfywZG4yQsD_1TTDe0HcmM4oIDb9l9CuZDoZeLg_zVvA4Hp0TI57TrV4TPD1EcaH-T8AU51ie-56BvrJ2_q2QHjhejvuEtPARMyfCavcZPgUg3Bkq6cyxNK3NDJlnlOJrCKr4wFEbY/s200/HPIM1043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356145774456322370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the first photo, we are all relaxing, chatting etc. In the next one, some fir<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhdp7_VQS7t3M2jAULczO5yLVwy_x3cGg6F0EsxY5VxxRlfI9fk2Tj605U1tPbz2jsZOPM9CFAjoI2m6mxcSJ_AHh4UavbJ2tZwNHDgVYQo5YMvA2CpaZ0yHdnspJcEzHRHX37aZ2Pyo/s1600-h/HPIM1040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhdp7_VQS7t3M2jAULczO5yLVwy_x3cGg6F0EsxY5VxxRlfI9fk2Tj605U1tPbz2jsZOPM9CFAjoI2m6mxcSJ_AHh4UavbJ2tZwNHDgVYQo5YMvA2CpaZ0yHdnspJcEzHRHX37aZ2Pyo/s200/HPIM1040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356143194680792274" border="0" /></a>eworks get brought out and all the guys are up out of the chairs trying to get in on the<br /><br />action. My sister in law was hiding in the house. :-) You can see from the photo, my daughter is in on the action too, but has her ears covered in case it gets too loud.<br /><br />So I guess it's true that in some ways we never grow up.<br /><br />Hope you all had a great 4thOochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-47645087278028511162009-07-03T12:55:00.000-07:002009-07-08T10:47:07.759-07:00Bowling with the kids<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGKYUVAM6xqBJ3LzfJ5vbFQ_P06HfNTqJ5sJZURFL55g_VWXbDhItu55iBCgoyMX7w-7rMdnLO8lEGKhm2ieiUQyjciZLfnLqTBNbXzvziBngqOKxAN2TRZY25vPFyq3PITVZL5WjPZY/s1600-h/100_0456%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGKYUVAM6xqBJ3LzfJ5vbFQ_P06HfNTqJ5sJZURFL55g_VWXbDhItu55iBCgoyMX7w-7rMdnLO8lEGKhm2ieiUQyjciZLfnLqTBNbXzvziBngqOKxAN2TRZY25vPFyq3PITVZL5WjPZY/s200/100_0456%5B1%5D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354445353010687762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfJVxpox5O35sA1iwYkgwjd7jiwKdgK_H_Jm_VI52NsAtPcFDDDcfYpFQ-kXoWKb5Dd3wd30giNCVQWSxot4-_ghFnp0Xd7KRwFUZeJIaSxvJfqBkrq6ABP3uXas80BCw4qsK1fv4igM/s1600-h/100_0457%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfJVxpox5O35sA1iwYkgwjd7jiwKdgK_H_Jm_VI52NsAtPcFDDDcfYpFQ-kXoWKb5Dd3wd30giNCVQWSxot4-_ghFnp0Xd7KRwFUZeJIaSxvJfqBkrq6ABP3uXas80BCw4qsK1fv4igM/s200/100_0457%5B1%5D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354444869275281842" border="0" /></a><br />Today we went bowling. The local bowling alley has this great deal where kids can bowl 2 games for free. So the kids were excited to bowl. One problem, I am a not so great bowler, having only done it a handful of times in my life. So how am I supposed to teach them how to bowl?<br /><br />Well, here's how it went..... The girls had the bumpers up and I didn't and we all got close to the same score. My younger daughter kept swinging her ball out to the side and I was just sure she was going to lose it and whack the girl bowling in the next lane, but fortunately that didn't happen.<br /><br />I think I got one strike and one spare through two games of bowling. My final score for the 2nd game, (the better score), 98. My eldest daughter scored a 94 and my younger daughter scored 86.<br /><br />Well we had fun, and it was nice and cool inside the bowling alley too!Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-26429723030939511532009-07-02T13:00:00.000-07:002009-07-02T13:08:18.462-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTe6IACo0shxhoKYh2oMFzi7BdU0eLXYfUBK-YeFP_PgAY5o3b7GuUwBkI5PVsDNUFZgwcmVVFLA4lJSm-2r48-3dOXIRIPfR34tQQ_MaiS6LyWLKg5Liw7akdyO4eUylkUuX5we3A84k/s1600-h/100_0203.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTe6IACo0shxhoKYh2oMFzi7BdU0eLXYfUBK-YeFP_PgAY5o3b7GuUwBkI5PVsDNUFZgwcmVVFLA4lJSm-2r48-3dOXIRIPfR34tQQ_MaiS6LyWLKg5Liw7akdyO4eUylkUuX5we3A84k/s200/100_0203.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353956568935762914" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, So I figured out how to add a photo. Ignore the horrible curtains in the background. That was in the rental house we lived in a few months ago. This is Oocha's favorite couch to sit or sleep on, keeping an eye on everything.Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660801697884127341.post-70222660026675006392009-07-01T11:56:00.000-07:002009-07-09T10:52:14.026-07:00Everyone else is doing it and why OochakittyI have several family members who all blog including my hubby. He recently said, "You should start a blog too." I responded, "I have nothing to say". But that is not actually true. I have plenty to say because I talk all the time. I should have said, I have nothing thought provoking or interesting to say. So I am going to blog about nothing, and I may or may not tell anyone about it, so there will probably be no one reading it. Hey but at least I get a chance to say everything I want about nothing.<br /><br />So why is my blog called Oochakitty. Oochakitty is the name of my cat, who is now 12 years old. We got her as a 4 month old kitten at the local kitty shelter. I thought she looked just like a cat I had when I was younger, named Daisy. So I named her Daisy, which lasted about 5 minutes. My hubby, who is famous for coming up with silly names and sayings, started calling her "Oocha". So it eventually evolved to Oochakitty, and the name "Daisy" went by the wayside. It is nice for a handle because no one else has ever used that, so it works well. So don't start copying it now.<br /><br />Oochakitty is a pretty nice cat. She has handled 3 moves with only a little bit of whining, much less whining than the rest of us. She is very soft and nice to cuddle with when she lets me do it. And she has put up with all 3 of my kids through babyhood, 3 dogs, and of course my hubby. He has gotten nicer over the years out of respect for her age, but some of our family will never forget K putting the cat on top of the door, or on top of the plant shelf in the living room, just to see if she could get down. Or giving her a "swirly" when she is getting too frisky. He has never ever hurt her, just some kind teasing to let her know that he is boss. But she knows the real boss is....Oochakitty of course.<br /><br />Soon I will post a picture of her when I figure out how to add pictures to this blog!Oochakittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12689780078120393867noreply@blogger.com1