I'm on a roll, people!!!!!

My mother in law, Nancy, was in town this weekend. My co-worker told me Hocking Hills was a great day trip, so we went for it. Caves, waterfalls, trails, hiking....a good time had by all.


Viv found a big caterpillar, and of course, had to touch and play with it. Ew.

There was this ADORABLE miniature dachshund that we kept running into. I finally asked if I could take it's picture. Did I mention how adorable this pup was????

Max "planking" on a very high and scary overlook rock. 60+ feet in the air, I made him crawl on his belly.

Beautiful waterfalls. Ash Falls.

The bats in this cave were so friendly!! Just kidding.

These bozos were jumping off everything. The park ranger's nightmare, I'm sure :/

I know! I know! I'm extremely neglectful! You would think I would welcome the distraction of sitting down to update my blog. I can usually find many distractions from cleaning, de-cluttering and such. This working thing has really invaded any "free time" I may have had. But, I will try to do better. *I promise

* Clearly, means very little

So, it's football season again. This year is Max's first year playing for Highland. He is the quarterback, again. The position may be growing on him a little. He's been eating, sleeping, and breathing football. <shocker!!!> He is really happy when he gets to catch as well as throw! He's had a few bumps and bruises as well as a concussion scare. All in all, it's been a fun season so far.

The cowboy mounted shooting was also a great season. Eric and Ally have been able to do some father-daughter bonding. They are the ones who will typically spend all weekend in Wooster, OH- riding, shooting and socializing. Watching Ally ride is a thing of beauty. She is such a natural.

Vanilla is holding her own as well. She's getting up there in age, so we were considering "retiring" her to a family who will let her eat and rest out the rest of her days. But, aside from her inability to "play nice" with other horses, she is a fabulous pony. She is awesome with kids and we are very comfortable with throwing just about anyone on her and knowing she'll be gentle. She may just retire at Harmony Stables :)

Viv holding a crawdad. Yah, it pinched her. We told her it would, but she had to hold it, just like the big kids did. She didn't even care that it pinched her. She always went back for more.

Funny story. Well, kinda funny, if you think nearly drowning is funny. Max and I swam out to this floating raft. It was kind of a haul, but for a decent swimmer, it can be done. Viv sees that we are out there, and wants to go too. Because Vivian always (almost) gets what she wants, I swim back, put on a life jacket and swim back out to it, with her on my back. We decide to swim back to shore, but Viv is pissed about it, and halfway to shore, pitches a fit. She is grabbing around my neck, trying to get me to swim back to the dock. This makes it almost impossible to breathe. Since breathing is kind of important to the swimming process, I am struggling. As soon as Eric could touch bottom, he grabs her and I drag my tortured body to shore and lie there, gasping for breath. * This beach is also where Jay and Eric nearly drowned last year.

Viv LOVES her cousin, Jax, but I'm not so sure he is of the same opinion




Ya know how I mentioned that Viv is a wild woman? Well, this beloved activity pretty much demonstrates that. She couldn't go high enough- even when Max gave it his all. Crazy, I tell you.

Washington Island, WI - 2011!!!!


One of my favorite things to do. Jay and Max got to help "drive" this time around. What goes around, comes around, mom.

Viv was all about touching the snakes, crawdads, bugs, etc. She would scream bloody murder when we had to release the critters back into the wild.

Our traditional ferry photo.

Or course she went wave-runnin'. She's a wild woman!

It's the newest installment of .... Some of My Favorite Things! I noticed there was a new party store going in beside our mall. It wasn't until I went in to grab some items for treat bags, that I was introduced to the wonder and amazement of this store. Colors, party supplies, candy.....not my usual draw. But, this place makes me happy because I love to throw parties (aside from jewelry ones...;) Backyard BBQ's, Cinco de Mayo, Superbowl.....it's fun, right? There is anything and everything you could want,to throw such functions. Because we don't use paper products so much, it's the extra accessories that really float my boat. *The treat bags were for Ally's teacher. Because the kids have had to work hard for the OAA tests, she likes to put together treat bags to reward them. Some of you may have heard of the less than acceptable attempts at gardening I've encountered. This year will be different. I started my seeds with this little contraption. They took OFF! I've had to replant them, and am anxiously awaiting the day that I can put those suckers into the ground! Spinach, okra, peppers, tomatoes, peas........yummmmm!!! Not that I have a hard time getting Viv to eat fruit, but when she wants a "Popsicle", this is a great alternative to the pure sugar ones. They come in tubes and freeze just like a Popsicle.

Thank you, Mom, for teaching me to sew. And, for getting me a sewing machine. In addition to the curtains that can be whipped out in an hour, I have also been burning up the 'ol Elna with Dylan's baseball pants that needed hemming and taking in Jay's tuxedo shirt.

Vivian's 2!!

Notice the wardrobe change?? Our neighbor, Micki, got her a dress and Dora sunglasses, so of course she had to change! Then, she proceeded to go catch frogs and fish while wearing the pretty dress. After that, she stripped it off and tried to jump into the pond.

All of Viv's best friends in the world were at the party....Max, Jay, Ally, Dylan, Triston, Brylinn and Satchel(not including cousins). She was princess for a day and loved every minute of it.

And so it begins................

The coronation of my princess and her potty.

I wasn't really ready for this. It's not good timing, you see.

Too much going on right now, to start the potty-training process.

And yet, here we are - in the midst of the potty, the treats, the big-girl pants......damn her and her independence.

Since Viv's only turning 2 on Sunday, I wasn't in a hurry to get this started. I figured summer would be a good time to increase her awareness to the joys of peeing in the potty. However, little miss "I'll do it myself", began taking her own diaper off several weeks ago. It's now become a game -an obsession, is more like it. After having my sweet toddler bring me turds, in her hands, three times in one day, I made a rule. If you take your diaper off, you have to sit on the potty. That goes for anyone in my house. But, for now, it's just Viv who is abusing it. Several times, there is an effort made to "go" on the potty, only to, then, pee on the floor- 2 minutes later. But, within the last several days, most of the pee-pee is going into the potty, where it should be. Yay!

The thing is, there are some big changes coming to the Schreiber household, soon. I am afraid this new venture will get lost in the shuffle of parental roles and schedules being shifted. I suppose we will do the best we can and let nature take it's course. I'm just hoping nature doesn't end up on my kitchen floor, anymore.

*Bear with me- I am having problems with the blog design, not recognizing my paragraphs. Bullet points? The only way to get it to work for now :(

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  Update: The jewelry party I stressed about, earlier, went well. I had 6 people show up- soooo appreciative of their willingness to give up a Friday night. There was good food, conversation and I was able to help another mom make a little money. Was it worth the turmoil, emotionally, that I put myself through? No. But, life is about a constant stream of lessons learned. I'll chalk it up to that.


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  Revelation #2


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  I am a bad wife. I'll come back to this, later.


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  For our kids' birthdays, we have a healthy dose of their "special day", while still keeping things real. Yes, we've done the parties, roller skating, renting a gym, etc. Once they turn 10, we scale it back. For one, parties are expensive! By the time you rent a place out, buy a cake, cups, snacks, food, etc. you are talking a big chunk of change. There's hardly any money left to buy a gift or two. Also, the option of having these big parties at our house, is out. Do you realize how much room 10 -12yr old's take up? Our house won't fit that measurement. Outside parties are fun, but Jay is the only one who can take advantage of that. The other kids are winter/early spring, so the weather is, at best, a crapshoot. There's always a cake or dessert, gifts and the effort to make them feel it's their day. We try to make sure the kids feel they are getting some special attention on their birthdays, whether it's a small group for an overnight, or going out to eat.....it's a day for them.


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  For Eric and I, we have never done anything big. Let me take that back, Eric did get a surprise birthday party for his 30th. He ruined it for himself, by being so freaking attentive to details. After weeks of secret phone calls to his friends, the hiding of plates, cups, food and drink in the garage, and the clandestine plan for how to get him out of the house, he notices a familiar car, parked along the street.....3 minutes before he gets to the house and hears, "SURPRISE!" He also got a larger party last year, when we combined his 40th with Vivan's 1st. We may exchange a little gift, maybe breakfast in bed. Sometimes there's a handwritten card, or "coupons". Even if there's no cake, there' some desired dessert and/or a special-made meal of their faves. Whatever the acknowledgement, there's always something that signifies a special day for the birthday mom/dad. This year, do you know what Eric got? Nothing. Nada. Zero. He woke up, yesterday, got dressed, had coffee, discussed the day's events and went to buy tags for the vehicles. All that, and not one of us said , "Happy Birthday." I didn't even realize it, until he was gone. I called him, to admit my shame over not acknowledging him. He assured me it was ok. He wasn't upset. I was. How could I not even say the words?? It wasn't until we were getting ready for bed, that I realized, I didn't even get him a cake!! No card?? No special meal! He spent his day, transferring an RV title at the DMV, for pete's sake! He didn't even get an Oreo cookie, since we had 3 extra kids here and those suckers were gone within the first hour. The only rectifying part of the day, was that Eric was genuinely happy about a slow, relaxing day. Given that we are in the beginnings of travel baseball, we will have FEW, if any, slow and relaxing weekends from now until.....well.....November, to be honest. (Baseball runs into football) It's not that I forgot about his birthday. His co-workers/friends had a little get-together on Thursday, so I was well aware of it. I guess the week just snuck up on me. This is really unacceptable. Sure, as adults, we don't do big things, but to have a day for you, and your family does NOTHING, is not cool.


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  I will not make this mistake again.


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  Happy Birthday, Eric.

I am lucky. I realize this. I absolutely love my kids' friends. Sure, there have been a few over the years that were super annoying, or just downright a bad influence. But, either these annoying kids have done some "growing up" and are a joy to be around, or my kids have decided to "unfriend" the ones who don't treat them (and their siblings) well. I watch, especially, the 10-12year old boys, play with Vivian and truly watch out for her. There is no embarrassment when Viv asks for a hug and kiss. It's reciprocated with enthusiasm. Many of these kids watch out for her better than her own siblings(which is saying a lot). I pray that these kids will be in our lives for a very long time. I also hope for lifelong friendships that overcome the test of time. I want to go to their weddings and watch their own families grow. It's the same dream I have for my own kids, which are mine biologically, but the last headcount I had for the ones I consider "my" kids was at ...let's see......3+ 5+ 2+ 2+,.....equals.....um....well, let's just say I have quite the brood. *Yes, I realize the inconsistency between my "I hate slumber parties" post, and this one. I love Al's friends individually- but in a group, they lose their minds. :)

We had just watched "Secretariat", so Ally's cake reflected her love for that movie.

I said I would never again have a slumber party of girls. They are really no fun at all....for me. A couple girls, sure. Even then, it's risky. But, what else do you do in February for your daughter's birthday? Within an hour of getting these girls into my home, there was drama. I knew I couldn't take another 24 hours of this. I told them that they needed to figure it out and get along. I also said that I could have 8 boys in my house for an entire weekend, and there would be not ONE fight. No drama. No arguments that they couldn't deal with on their own. But, I get 4 girls for an hour and they couldn't handle it???? There wasn't another fight the rest of the time. I am not a good "girl mom".

I don't know how THIS started. Oh wait, maybe it was me. Yes, good move, mom, start a frosting war. Niiiiiice.

Revelation #1



I have been sulking and complaining for months.....ok..years, about being lonely. I live in rural Ohio, have no (outside) job, spend my days with my toddler, and have no close friends within a 300 mile radius of me. Boo Hoo, woe is my life.



Recently, the mother of one of Ally's friends asked me to host a jewelry party. Since my ability to say no rivals only that of my ability to whine and complain about being lonely, I said yes. My first thought was that I really don't know a lot of people. I didn't grow up here, I didn't go to school here. I moved here 5 years ago. Sure, there are people I know, but do they like me enough to come to a party?? Well, I certainly have a handful of people I can send an invite to, right? Ahh...but wait....here's where the revelation comes in - I don't WANT to. I don't want people I don't really know in my house, or my life, for that matter. Aha. There it is. I typed it out loud. It's out there. I am somewhat anti- social. I always knew I was a homebody (hence my user name for twitter), but it never dawned on me that I was anti-social!!! But, there really is no other word or phrase for it. I don't like people all that much. Once I get to know them and find out how witty, pleasant and sweet they are, sure, I will socialize. But, do I want a house full of acquaintances? Not so much. That stuff tires me out. While I am pretty adept at lying to my children about the tooth fairy and maybe fudging the truth to Eric about who keeps leaving the computer on all night , I suck at faking that I'm enjoying myself, when I'm not. I am perfectly happy staying home with my family who loves me no matter what. Trying to hold conversations about my numbingly dull life, while having no interest in others', equally, dull lives is torture. I can have a house full of kids, but grown-ups scare me.



Ya know what else? Now, this is gonna blow your mind. While I don't want to be around people a lot, I do care what they think of me. Some of the people I'd invite to the party have nice houses, more money, and will see my "safe place", flaws and all. I have a house that's way to small for our family, who's carpet needs to be cleaned, walls need to be painted and stubborn dirt to be rid of. I don't want to stress about making it presentable. I don't have the money for new throw pillows or frames to adorn the walls. My decorating skills are fine for my family, who doesn't know any better, but isn't for the likes of fancy people. We live with cables running along our living room floor, spider webs in the corners and curtains that hold 2-3 pounds of dust. It's ...HOME. To the untrained and more sophisticated eye, that's unacceptable living. Crap. Do you see my dilemma?? I will hold this party, because I am a person of my word. Just wish my anti-social-self, would alert my need-to-please-self, before my blabber-mouth-self, says yes.



:)

This is what Daddy and Viv did while Mom was gone. It was a great father/daughter day. Vivian asks to ride the pony and daddy does what she asks. Sucker.

He also lets her climb up to the hay loft. Umm....good idea, Dad????

Argh- lets get rid of the binky, shall we?????

Ally's birthday present!!

Al decided awhile back that she wanted to "redo'" her room for her birthday. I was all for it, since her room was a little dated. When I asked her what color she wanted to paint it, she said, "HOT PINK!". I asked, "Hot pink like bright and bold, or hot pink like soft and elegant". (There was no leading in that question, right??) She said she wanted it bright and bold. I told her that that color was hard to pull off, so we would have to see just how bold we could get it. We, then, went to visit Al's cousin over Christmas break, and she had a hot pink room!! It could be done without blinding whoever dared to enter!! So, we picked a color called, tropical smoothie, and went to town......

LOVE IT!!!!!

When I was checking out at Home Depot, the cashier asked me, "Are you painting ALL the walls that color?" I took that to mean it was too bright and overwhelming, in her opinion. I did get a little nervous at that point, but there was no turning back. I was so pleased with the outcome! And, yes, that IS the desk I refurbished. I finally got those "after" photos posted - only 5 months later......

I think I have a picture of Al's bedroom, before the transition. Our digital photos are a freaking mess, all unorganized on two different computers. (Anyone as unorganized as me????) If I find some, I will post before and after.

I will NEVER say that my husband is not romantic, ever again. (Well, at least for awhile :) For Valentine's Day, he took all the old, dusty disposable cameras we've had in our basement, from our wedding 12 years ago, and had them developed. I had long given up on those cameras. It was popular, then, to put these cameras on the tables - to let the guests help document the reception. We had some of them developed, but had quickly moved on from "honeymoon stage", to "new parents" very soon after the wedding. They got lost in the shuffle of life's transitions. We moved those cameras to 5 different houses since then. Imagine my surprise when Eric shows up with 13 packets of photos, last night!

As we were looking through some of the pictures, laughing at how young we all were, and remembering some of the people that we haven't seen in years, we came across photos that brought tears to our eyes. We've lost several people in the last 12 years, and there were their smiling faces in those photos!

I will share some of them, just because I want to. Very, very happy memories of the people we love so!




Here is a great picture of my beautiful sister in law! I love this picture of her.

This is McKenzi. She became my "mother's little helper" once I had the kids and Eric was off to Marine training. Her dad was also a Marine(you all know Jeff :), so she would come stay with me and help me. She is now driving and will be graduating from high school soon. WHAT?! But, wasn't it only yesterday, that she was dancing around at my wedding reception, wearing my veil????

Here is another they-grow-up-too-fast, baby. Payton is a toddler, here, but is now getting his learners permit and dating girls(sort of). Really?! Not even a little bit cool, him growing up like that. How dare he???? ;)

This is my friend, Katie, and her mom. MaryAnn is one we lost way too soon. My heart caught in my throat when I saw this picture.

Grandma and Grandpa. I was lucky enough to have them around, still, when I got married. Sure, there are photos in my wedding album, of the whole family. But here, they are dancing!! :) This is a very sweet picture - what a gift!

Thank you, my love, for not listening to me when I said, "Geez, I'm sure those cameras aren't even salvageable, anymore. Just throw them away." There is nothing money can buy that would be more special than these memories.

* But, don't let that stop you from surprising me with a Jeep Wrangler one day. Ha Ha!

So, here it is. The Beast. The Grizz. Pig. Haven't decided on a name for it, yet, but no matter......here it is. Sitting in front of our house. Yay..........


All kidding aside, I think this new family addition will be fun for us. We haven't been much of a "camping" family - I guess I still don't see the attraction, but it will come in extremely handy at the Cowboy Mounted Shoots. It's rough on the outside and rough, but not without potential, on the inside. Once it warms up a little, I can start cleaning!!!!

Hey!! Remember me??
I have severely neglected this blog, lately. It's not so much that I don't have the time, but more about me not having a whole lot to say or share. Crazy. I know, right? We are busy enough with basketball and guitar lessons, but I am so enjoying the peace and quiet for a while, that I'm a little afraid to talk about it, for fear it will go away.



I will spare y'all from the obligatory Christmas photos of the kids opening gifts. I think we all were very pleased with the holiday.

I did want to share one photo, though. This is Vanilla sporting a beautiful, new, hot pink, blanket!! This is what was on Ally's wish list for Christmas. We don't normally put blankets on our horses, so we told her Vanilla probably didn't need one. Well, Vanilla is getting old and has also developed some skin issues, so it turns out, Ally was right. Vanilla,the diva that she is, seems very happy in it.