Phewtus the Squirrel

Samantha got the cutest squirrel and named him Phewtus after one of our favorite books we found at the thrift store. It's a story similar to The Velveteen Rabbit about a stuffed squirrel who thinks it would be better to be real. But, once he becomes real he learns it's not so great. Ok, I guess it's exactly like The Velveteen Rabbit...

My Husband is a Field training Officer and his department just hired some new guys. So, last week they did scenario training and I got to help. One day was traffic stops. I got to be the "bad guy" who gets pulled over and we spent the day role playing different types of situations that they will most commonly encounter and how to best deal with them. It's fun because I sometimes get to act like a crazy person and it is also a good reminder of just how dangerous their job is. Not everyone they pull over is a nice, normal, law abiding citizen. Now, getting to the above picture... the scenario was a guy was inside a building shooting people. That's me, I playing dead and, lying on the floor next to my outstretched arm is my dead baby. (Samantha let me bring one of her dolls.) So, the guys are scoping out the hallway. One of the forward facing dudes says: victim in the hallway! I guess Hank didn't get the message because right after this picture was taken his big marine shoe kicked me in the crotch! I was lying there thinking that it was a really rude way to check and see if someones alive when he comes sailing over me and lands on his big marine bottom almost on my freakin' head! He landed on Samantha's doll baby! If it wasn't dead already it would be now. Hank looked really funny sitting there with his big marine feet up in the air clutching his shot gun! The look on his face was priceless and I wish John had gotten a picture of it but he was probably laughing. The rest of the day was interesting but thankfully did not include me getting kicked again, just handcuffed...

Oops...

I guess it would help if I told you what my husband's blog site was... sorry, having a blond moment... Today is just a whole blond day. I tried to email a show contact at work and 3 times the email got returned to me because I had typed it in wrong. Then Ron told me several times what day he wanted to fly back from the California show but I kept on asking him: What day was that again? Then I went to the grocery after work and almost forgot to go pick Samantha up from school... and on the way home from school I had planned to go by the dry cleaners but totally forgot that as well... I am going to go take a bubble bath and then go to bed... tomorrow will be better.

Here is hubby's blog: http://uslawman.blogspot.com

Our Trip to the Zoo...

Since the Columbus Zoo doesn't have Pandas the Koalas are my next favorite animals...

The Penguins always make us laugh...

Samantha's Webkinz Tiger, Amber was very excited to see the Tigers...

They were in the same position last time we visited the zoo!

This goat was really fuzzy like a sheep... and it had a tail like a dog... maybe it wasn't a goat?

This goat had no ears... the docent told us they have great goat's milk for which, she guesses, they sacrificed their ears...

Here is a Wolverine... boo, Michigan... Go Bucks!

This guy was just sitting on the walking path... he frightened me...

We loved this goat... he was rather soft for a goat too...

Here we are outside the Wolverine pen...

Samantha's Third Grade Music Program at School

I think I've said a time or two: I love Samantha's teacher! And, I don't know if I've ever mentioned before, but, she's really tall!

These are the songs they sang...

Samantha had a special parachute part...

Mr. Norris, Samantha's music teacher is in the background...

It took me over an hour to get these beautiful curls into Samantha's hair...

My Husband...

My wonderful husband has started a blog... I would love it if you all would go by and leave him a comment encouraging him to post more... he only has one post... thanks!

April summed up in photos...

My dear, sweet, adorable husband! Notice the tattoo. Neither of us are big fans of tattoos but this one is a badge and then the dates of the shootings he's been in...

Samantha planted some seeds... Lavender and poppies... I have only tripped over them once!

Beautiful yellow Forsythia...

Our little gnome we got at a garage sale last summer made it through the winter...

We are going to move these 2 Boxwoods to the play area...

View out the back door onto the deck and the Eastern Redbud tree that is blooming.

The view out our front door. The flowering pear trees are so beautiful but boy do they stink. When the petals start to fall it looks like it's snowing. John recently dug up the pathetic little red maple in the background out by the road. I had kept hoping that it would start looking better but it just got more and more pathetic looking. When Skip (neighbor across the street) made fun of it I knew it was time or it to go.

Kelly's "Big Dog" is so sweet. He looks almost little when he curls up on their couch. And, I love how he has his head on the pillow...

I love Susie's new shoes. She got them at Land End and I want them... they'd be perfect for walking since I hate wearing traditional sneakers...

I was washing dishes one afternoon and looked out the kitchen window where this little guy was perched on the neighbors fence about 3 feet away. MY MARSHAL KITTY HAS COME HOME! I swear it looks exactly like him right down to the 3 white hairs on his chest. I tried to catch him but as you can see he didn't want to come home to me... Samantha rolled her eyes the whole time...

Arlene's 3 caret ring...

Samantha makes the best cookies. Here she is waiting for the oven to pre-heat. I hate those surround speakers in the background.

I love how Samantha climbs up on the counters to get stuff... I used to do this when I was little. I remember climbing up onto the counter in the pantry to reach the cabinets because that's where Mom used to hide candy. One time I broke something. I don't remember what it was but I do remember Dad got blamed for it.

Mom gave me this Airedale and I love him, he looks great in front of my fire place and reminds me of home. Shortly after he came to live on my hearth Mom called and said she misses him. Well Mom, he has a message for you: "I am happy here..."

The other night Samantha and I took a walk at Chestnut Ridge... just the 2 of us. As we walked deeper into the woods I kept thinking about how Anjie got chased by a mama deer last year and it kind of freaked me out a little. When we came down the last hill we heard a little commotion and there, high up in the trees were 15 turkey vultures! I was so excited that Samantha was finally getting to see what they looked like outside the pages of a book but wow... there were 15 of them and everyone knows I am terrified of birds...especially huge black birds with grotesque red heads! Tammy came along the trail a few minutes later and she tried to take a picture of them with her cell phone. I felt better with her there because she is way taller than we are so if they were to attack they would attack her first...

Organic Square Pants

This morning I couldn't help but think about how lucky we are to live in a place where we are free and life is good. When I dropped Samantha off at school this morning her friend Gwen, Samantha and I had a pretty in depth conversation about which characters are the smartest on Sponge Bob... yes, really, we chatted at great length charting the order of their intelligence. I would give you the run down but I can't remember.

I have slowly been making a switch to using organic products... for our health and for the environment. I don't think we will ever be a totally organic family but I do want to switch for the things that really count. So far we use organic milk because it is better for us and for the cows. We use cage free eggs. I have read that organic eggs vs. regular eggs are not that much different in terms of health benefits so we do this one for the chicken's happiness. We eat organic apples for our health and locally grown apples when they are in season. We use organic dishwasher soap and cleaners for the environment. And we recently switched to organic beef for our health as well as for the cows well being. My next step is going to be to switch to organic coffee and organic laundry soap. I want to switch to organic coffee because most of it is grown on farms where the workers are paid a fair wage and where deforestation techniques are not used. Samantha has really been into the whole organic thing too. I love involving her in shopping and cooking because I have found by including her she is much more willing to try new things.

Here is the picture I was looking for of the turkeys! They were the coolest things. Dad always mentions that there are turkeys that gather in their front yard and now I have my own. They aren't in my yard but that's ok... I don't think I'd want them in my yard.

Samantha took this picture with her camera with Tara... I was actually trying to add the picture of the wild turkeys I took on the way to work...

We went to Eden for Easter... John went with us too and we all had a wonderful time... Above is Samantha and BaBa reading...

Samantha and MaMa played the piano... It is great how much Samantha remembers from visit ti visit.... Dad said he would buy us a piano... I wish we could take him up on that but we have nowhere to put it... I have thought about this at great length but there is really nowhere one would fit... So, I love everything about our tiny house except for the lack of space for a piano!

Samantha had a great time sledding... I took the first run with her and we almost went in the creek! Dad said he'd never seen anyone go that far... I know I sure never have! The snow was a little icy though... So, Samantha was only allowed to go down the front hill with an adult... She could go down the side hill by herself but she didn't care for the side hill... She said it was too difficult to avoid the dog poop...

BaBa pulled Samantha around in the sled like he used to do when I was little...

Above is the view from the creek looking up toward the garages...

Off in the distance are BaBa and Samantha...

Here is Samantha and Ba Ba skipping rocks in the creek... John had fun throwing rocks and skipping them too...

I loved this tree... when I was younger I would have tried to climb it... no I am just satisfied to take it's picture...

Samantha had something in her eye and BaBa was trying to scare her...

I thought I would take another run down the hill... I hadn't brought any socks and had to borrow some from mom...

BaBa went down the hill with me... We tried to get Samantha to go too but she wouldn't... I think she knew BaBa would try to dump us or some such thing...

Yeah, we made it without going in the creek!