Robin's Nest

It is the end of July and the Fall is approaching quickly! The kids are bored and I am ready to pull my hair out. That's normal right?? NOT!!! The garden has been hail beat, the rain is wonderful but the hail could take a break. The only thing producing any fruit is the rhubarb and the tomatoes... okay that is not completely true... the strawberry plants have given one berry lol! We are still not in our new home, the pool is not set up, the trampoline that was given to us is still in pieces in the yard and the chickens are still living in the playhouse under the swing set. Sans swings. Life is very much in limbo! Not to mention that our phones no longer work out east with the carrier we currently have. So to keep cell service we may have to switch carriers. I really dislike making these kinds of decisions. Our home phone is working so at least we have that for an emergency. The kids (2 and 4 legged) and I went out east today to get doggie shot records and roast marshmallows at the ...

Yesterday I stopped inside our local gas station and actually went inside to purchase a soda. As I was checking out I noticed the headline on the newspaper stand for USA Today. It stated "Sorry Parents, Homeschooling to continue". For some parents this is terrible news. Especially those that require two incomes to manage and those who may not have family close by that can help out with the kiddos. Living in a town with 5 military installations this is a common thread. Churches and installations themselves do quite a bit to alleviate the stress of military families where they can, but really there isn't anything quite like family. My children mostly live here but our extended family does not. It was challenging when it came to going to the field for me and making sure the kids had adequate care. So I do understand the dilemma that forced homeschooling can present. This morning I got up and finished ordering the school books for the two youngest girls. I had started yester...

The kiddos put the brakes on any travel out east the last two days... well any travel with them together that is. They have been really in to playing with the neighbor kids here and traveling an hour each day to the new house cuts into the time they get with their friends. That has allowed me a little time to do a few things here in the little house. Not earth changing things but more "catch-up" things.  I put 3 boxes into the car for the trip out east. I will need to water what is left of my garden after the most recent hail storm. I also need to order a skylight for the camper, or I could just enjoy the free fall rain as a shower the next time it rains. It also damaged the awning material over the slide out section so there is a bit of repair needed there too. As far as progress on the house... there has been quite a bit. All that is left are the banisters to the second floor and backfilling of the dirt around the house and the downspouts to the gutters. Gutters were hu...

Mornings are busy around here! Even with the 10 minute rule. What is the 10 minute rule? It is the old 15 minute rule... you know anyone can do anything thing for 15 minutes... well apparently not! So in comes the 10 minute rule. This leads me to believe that it may evolve further... Yesterday my DIL and I ventured out to the thrift stores. It was a very productive day for "sourcing". Mostly I was looking for canning supplies and I was able to find most of what I needed. We had a great time! After a pretty intense hail storm we called it a night and thought the next day would be better for outdoor work like the garden. Of course it was pretty well flattened by the hail. This will not put an end to my garden for this year but it certainly diminished the potential need for canning supplies! My battery was too low to take immediate pictures and I did not go out to survey the damage today. Falling back on the 10 minute rule... I am done with the blog for today. I have brown...

It's seems like forever since I have written anything for the blog. It seems that way because it is that way. Summer is here and not much has been accomplished toward the move-in. I have discovered that it is not worth it to avoid getting a new phone. I was very upset at the loss of my other phone... and a watermelon. I found the watermelon but never the phone. But using an old phone has resulted in fairly poor service. I cannot get calls out east and numbers keep going to the spam folder. Not on purpose and without the help of small people. Back to catching up! Lots has happened, my friend came out to move another friend to Michigan and wound up getting married while here. My son and DIL came out and are still here helping us with all there is to do, and that is a ton of stuff. They have to go back in a week and help my folks with things around their house that had to be left alone because of the virus. Not to mention actual paying work that needs to be done. Saturday the 10...

As early as today came so did the storms. My friends were still packing and loading the U-Haul when I arrived at their apartment this morning. They had made great progress the day before, but like any large move nothing gets done exactly as planned. Doing all this with 3 small children underfoot is even more fun. Their convoy is three vehicles long and they are taking the northern route.  Ideally they could get there in less than 36 hours, however, note the previous paragraph. Three of them, odds are in the adults favor by 2, but still there are 3 of those littles on board. Last check they are still in Colorado but at the northeast corner of it.  It was hard to see them go but things will be better for them in Michigan. They will have a house instead of an apartment for a third of the cost. They will have friends and family to lean on when needed and a support network for the 3 little ones. Makes me want to pack up and go too.  But not today, I have too much to leav...

Yesterday was another busy day where things did not go as planned. I loaded the car so I could have a few projects to work on while I waited for the contractor to arrive. My friend from Michigan was coming over with the kids of the person that she is helping move to Michigan.  Once everyone was in the house there was a round of "I'm hungry" that travelled in rotation through the ranks. Two of the 8 children present were able to feed themselves. But the chorus continued until each of the other children were served three times. As the fourth round began I kicked all the littles out of the house and said they would get more food later. I then realized in all the fuss my friend and I did not get anything to eat. (Hungry mama's are similar to bears on a springtime forage trek) It is unwise to cross a mama that hasn't eaten recently.  By 4pm the contractor had neither shown up nor called. Great another day slightly wasted. But I had good company and it turned out th...