Two good eye doctor visits

Sam and I have both had visits to the eye doctor in the last few days and we both had good reports.

I went last Thur and everything is great. I made him do a visual field test because I've pulled out in front of two cars recently, and my visual field is just fine. Apparently I just need to pay more attention when I'm driving.

Sam had his check up today. Other than some minor screaming when he had to have eye drops put in to dilate his eyes, he was fabulous. And his vision hasn't changed any, which is wonderful. He earned himself a trip to Target as a reward. I was surprised that we came out with a Lightening McQueen and not a Thomas, but he is thrilled. Probably because it is loud.

Clearly I am the vision of a delicate flower of frail feminity today.

I stopped by Home Depot to buy some play sand for the kids' sandbox. HD employees are a little overly helpful in general. When I'm in a funk and just enjoying roaming around the store, it gets annoying having every person in an orange vest asking me if I need help finding something. Ironically, it usually never fails that when I actually do need help finding something, there isn't an orange vest to be seen. But I digress.
Today, I was after play sand, which comes in 50 lbs bags. Not light, but hey, one of my kids weighs almost that much and I can pick her up, as well as feed bags, hay and the like. I was picking up my third bag when a lady rushed up offering to help. She wasn't even an employee, as she wasn't clad in orange. I told her several times that I didn't really need help, all the while thinking it was really easier to do it myself. She watched me put it in the cart and walked away saying "Oh wow, those are heavy, wow."
Pushed my cart to the register and the lady there asked me twice if I needed help out. On the way out the door, another employee, male this time, told me to just pull my car up and he'd load it for me. When I said no thanks, he asked me twice if I was sure and "it would be no problem, ma'am."

By the time I got out of the store, I was ready to scream "I can fucking pick it up all by myself!" Because I'm ladylike like that.

Smooshed toe, Part 2

I don't think it is broken, but I'm yet again limping because of a smooshed toe. This time a horse stepped on it. Not my horse, but one of the lesson horses. He was being a total PITA and wanting to graze, not be ridden. I was lead lining Ellie around because she whined through her entire lesson last time. She was doing fine this time. The horse was not. And he stepped on my damned toe and just stood there.
I don't think it is the same toe as last year. I'm not going to the ER for Xrays this time, either. For $200, I can sit at home and eat advil and put ice packs on it. Besides, it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as when Sam broke my other toe last year, so I'm not wasting a copay on the ER.

I'm ready for spring, Part 108478910485701875

One more in the list of many reasons I'm ready for spring: I'm so very tired of have to soak and rewash Sam's shirts because he has smeared food on the sleeves. Short sleeves eliminate at least that one laundry hassle.

Current temp on this the 13th day of March: 38F. Yesterday it was raining, sleeting and snowing all while the Bradford pears and buttercups were in full bloom. Gotta love springtime in the South.

I don't know! I just don't fucking know the answer!

I swear, I'm going to rip all of my hair out. I can't handle the questions any longer. My children have officially driven me over the edge.
Kid, "What's that?"
Me, driving the car and not admiring the scenery "I don't know, I can't see what you are looking at."
Kid, "But what is it?"
Me, "I don't know. What color is it?"
Kid, "Square."
Me, starting to twitch, "That's not a color. What color is it?"
Kid, "Oh, it's black."
Me, not seeing anything black, "I still don't know what it is because I can't see it. What does it look like?"
Kid, "It looked like a cow."
Me, resists the urge to bang head repeatedly against the steering wheel.

Cupcakes and horses

This week was the birthday of the late Dr. Seuss and the girl's school celebrated all week with readings and activities, including making green eggs and ham on Friday. We finished out the week with cupcakes for afternoon snack on Friday. I was asked to bring them and make them as dr. Seuss-ish as possible. So, I did my best to make "Hat" cupcakes from The Cat in the Hat. They were a huge hit.






Adding to our busy week, on Thursday, we finally brought home our new mare, Hopes and Dreams. She has settled into the routine at the barn nicely, although she is still shy about being caught. Hope is completely in love with Ellie, though. And the feeling is mutual. We spent a most of the day there yesterday and I caught her up to brush her and just handle her some. Hope was dancing around a little, totally unsure of what was going on. Ellie came up to the fence and wanted to help me brush. I swear that the minute Hope saw Ellie, she just gave a big sigh and stood stock still. Ellie brushed Hope from head to toe and Hope never moved a muscle.















We went back over today and Hope was clearly delighted to see Ellie. We hung out at the fence for a while and if Ellie walked down the fence, Hope would follow. When Ellie walked away, Hope would snort at her to come back. It is a total love affair between the two of them.








Hope let me kiss all over her face, too, and I'm just in love with her, as well, but I completely realize that Hope likes the girls more than she likes me.




P.S. For any horse people that might read this post, yes, I am quite aware that her feet are horrible. The farrier is coming on Friday, and she will not be ridden before we have clearance from him. Her teeth need floating, too, and that will be done in April when the vet is out.

Give a child a Clorox wipe and she'll clean the bathroom

I have been observing the incredible phenomenon that, in my daughters' kindergarten class, that the kids actually enjoy the privilege of cleaning up at the end of the day. The teacher gives them a cleaning wipe and the two kids whose turn it is just go to town and do a fairly good job.

Last week, I succumbed to the lure of anti-bacterial and anti-viral Clorox wipes and bought some to try and stem the spread of germs around here. So far, it isn't helping. But, upon noticing the kids' bathroom sink full of toothpaste spit once again and the general yuckiness of the room, I had the brilliant idea of telling the girls they were now in charge of cleaning their bathroom. After all, I don't use that bathroom, ever. Why should I clean it? I'm not the maid, after all. She quit, or never started or something.

So, I got the Clorox wipes and told the girls to have at it. I vacuumed the floor and put something non-caustic inside the toilet, but they did the rest, even cleaning the floor with the wipes and cleaning the toilet. I was completely impressed and THEY THOUGHT IT WAS FUN!!!!! They want to do it again! I no longer care that cleaning wipes are overpriced and wasteful. I don't have to clean the bathroom anymore!!!!! I bet they'll even clean the bathroom downstairs, too, since they think it is so much fun.

The maid has left the building!

I feel so inspired

We had a very nice retreat this weekend. Lots of good, bad for you food, chocolate and wine to help us relax, as well as some creativity seminars, massage, singing along with Mama Mia and generally having a girly good time. I highly recommend it. We finished the weekend off with about 3 inches of snow on Sunday morning. Very pretty.

You can just see the lake in this one.

















And the road home.