Ok, I still haven't really gotten past the "ya'll" thing, just like in PA you start to look past the "younz" thing. However I will say that you don't find many people speaking in double negatives. Some people speak with stronger Texan accents than others. I suppose those are the Houstonians or those who were born and bred somewhere in Texas.
There are some interesting pronunciations of street names in particular that you would never have guessed "were said that way." Every day when I pick up Evan from football I get on Telge road. Now before you read any further. Say it out loud. How would YOU say that name? Here it is pronounced Tell-gee Road. However you take the name Kluge and it's pronounced Kloog. Then you have the name Kuykendahl. Look at it closely before I tell you how to say it. That would be Kerk-in-doll.
In Texas most grocery stores make tortillas on site in various sizes and the tortilla selection in the bread aisle is just as big as the white, wheat, split top and raisin bread. It seems as though the salsa choices are expanded and the international food aisle is huge! People must love gourmet cheeses around here and beer and wine flies off the shelf! Ok, now I'm hungry.
Jeff leaves for Baltimore early tomorrow morning and will be gone until Friday. It will be my first time being here with the kids for an extended period of time without him here. I'll have my hands full!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
R U Sirius?
One of the reasons I rarely listen to "regular" radio stations is that I can't stand the what seems to be endless stream of commercials. I know they need to make money, but after a while the commercials seem as repetitive as the songs they play hour after hour. A few weeks ago I couldn't get into the car without hearing Jesse McCartney or Rhianna coming or going.
One of our vehicles is equipped with Sirius satellite radio and I think it is the greatest thing since I discovered it was okay to eat peel and eat shrimp and lobster with clarified butter is a taste of heaven. They play every kind of music you could want to hear and there is also news, talk radio and sports. My favorite is the "New Wave" station that plays all the songs of the 80's and 90's including college favorites like DePeche Mode, Yaz, Erasure, Talking Heads and Kajagoogoo. I also have programmed in Rock, Alternative and Pop. The DJ's come on sparingly to say something profound (LOL) and then they play music!
Now the only caveat about listening to satellite radio is that it is primarily uncensored. After all didn't Howard Stern go to satellite after he was banned on regular radio stations? So you have to watch what you're listening to (particularly when there are young ears in the car) because except for a few cases, songs are played in their non-radio versions, and I'll tell you I've heard songs I've sung along to before and have heard lyrics I've never heard before!
Well it's late and I have to wake up in five hours to get Evan up for school. By the way, his team lost 22-12 to a JV team from Concordia Lutheran. Evan played only one series but he made the best of his time out there getting credit for a tackle and almost making an interception.
Found out Jeff will be going out of town Tuesday - Friday of next week for a trade show in Baltimore! So next week may be a little hectic.
Goodnight!
One of our vehicles is equipped with Sirius satellite radio and I think it is the greatest thing since I discovered it was okay to eat peel and eat shrimp and lobster with clarified butter is a taste of heaven. They play every kind of music you could want to hear and there is also news, talk radio and sports. My favorite is the "New Wave" station that plays all the songs of the 80's and 90's including college favorites like DePeche Mode, Yaz, Erasure, Talking Heads and Kajagoogoo. I also have programmed in Rock, Alternative and Pop. The DJ's come on sparingly to say something profound (LOL) and then they play music!
Now the only caveat about listening to satellite radio is that it is primarily uncensored. After all didn't Howard Stern go to satellite after he was banned on regular radio stations? So you have to watch what you're listening to (particularly when there are young ears in the car) because except for a few cases, songs are played in their non-radio versions, and I'll tell you I've heard songs I've sung along to before and have heard lyrics I've never heard before!
Well it's late and I have to wake up in five hours to get Evan up for school. By the way, his team lost 22-12 to a JV team from Concordia Lutheran. Evan played only one series but he made the best of his time out there getting credit for a tackle and almost making an interception.
Found out Jeff will be going out of town Tuesday - Friday of next week for a trade show in Baltimore! So next week may be a little hectic.
Goodnight!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hurricane wrap up
Okay, so this is my last entry about the hurricane. One of the coolest things we saw early last week was the convoy of tree cutting and electric trucks coming in to Sam Houston Raceway where they were staging. The line was never ending and by the time everyone checked in, there were hundreds of companies from all over the country including Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Canada. How strange to see the familiar orange and black trucks of Asplundh here in Texas! Don't ask me how to spell it, I'm still figuring out how to pronounce it! Today there was a fleet of trucks staging in the church parking lot as I made my way to bell choir/choir practice (also known as Marlena's evening out). Everyone at church had their electricity restored this weekend or early this week, but there are still plans and residents in the outlying areas of Houston who don't have power. Some didn't have running water or sewer either. Reports on the news said that Centerpoint Energy was close to a complete meltdown (within minutes) when Hurricane Ike came inland.
It can be years before I have to experience a storm like Ike. Although my sister told me hurricane season lasts through November and this is only nearing the end of September, so there could be some rain, but hopefully nothing like Ike. I don't think I'll ever forget the round the clock news coverage and stories that played out on TV, the newspaper and as people recounted stories to their friends and neighbors.
One thing that did happen was you were forced to acknowledge those people who live beside you and across and down the street. With nothing better to do, neighbors were often seen sitting outside eating, around a fire, cooking, doing yard work, and just standing there talking. There were kids all over the plan with a week away from school.
So life has returned to normal for us. We've put away the candles and have pushed to the back of the pantry the canned goods and bottled water....until next time.
Well I have to be up at 5:45 to get Evan going for school and he has a game at 6 tomorrow night. It's been a heck of a two months here since we moved between the furniture and hurricanes!
It can be years before I have to experience a storm like Ike. Although my sister told me hurricane season lasts through November and this is only nearing the end of September, so there could be some rain, but hopefully nothing like Ike. I don't think I'll ever forget the round the clock news coverage and stories that played out on TV, the newspaper and as people recounted stories to their friends and neighbors.
One thing that did happen was you were forced to acknowledge those people who live beside you and across and down the street. With nothing better to do, neighbors were often seen sitting outside eating, around a fire, cooking, doing yard work, and just standing there talking. There were kids all over the plan with a week away from school.
So life has returned to normal for us. We've put away the candles and have pushed to the back of the pantry the canned goods and bottled water....until next time.
Well I have to be up at 5:45 to get Evan going for school and he has a game at 6 tomorrow night. It's been a heck of a two months here since we moved between the furniture and hurricanes!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
How to spend your time
As I said, we didn't have any home or fence damage. No trees came crashing through our home and we had hot water and could cook. I found ways to recharge our cell phones, Evan's PSP and Maia's DS by taking them with me to the church to charge during rehearsal and then again during church service.
During our time off from work and school and really anything because of the lack of electricity we spent a whole lot of family time. At first we amused ourselves by candlelight playing word games, talking about when the kids were babies, places we've been, etc. One of the last nights Evan and Maia played "Drumline" or at least the end of the movie when the drum lines had a "play off". They each strapped a plastic hamper to themselves and played and danced away.
There was some TV time. Our neighbor Mark and his wife and infant son were staying with her parents a few miles away and had electric so he let us borrow a mini tv. There we were huddled around a 4x4 inch screen checking cancellations and seeing the pictures of the devastation of the coast and the people waiting in line for hours at Points of Distribution for FEMA MRE's (meals ready to eat), water and ice.
Maia, Evan and I also took to reading. Maia finished her school Accelerated Reader book and started to read Tom Sawyer which Evan had brought from PA. Evan who had been procrastinating reading an assigned book for AP English finished it in two days and I finally got the chance to read Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory McGuire. He's the author of Wicked.
One of the worst things about the storm was that it brought out the bugs. With the windows open we had little ants (not the fire ants we have in the yard) invade our house and the mosquitoes are huge and horrendous! Not that the windows are closed and we've invested in ant and mosquito spray hopefully we'll have the situation under control. I killed one last night that was as big as a water bug!
More tomorrow. :)
During our time off from work and school and really anything because of the lack of electricity we spent a whole lot of family time. At first we amused ourselves by candlelight playing word games, talking about when the kids were babies, places we've been, etc. One of the last nights Evan and Maia played "Drumline" or at least the end of the movie when the drum lines had a "play off". They each strapped a plastic hamper to themselves and played and danced away.
There was some TV time. Our neighbor Mark and his wife and infant son were staying with her parents a few miles away and had electric so he let us borrow a mini tv. There we were huddled around a 4x4 inch screen checking cancellations and seeing the pictures of the devastation of the coast and the people waiting in line for hours at Points of Distribution for FEMA MRE's (meals ready to eat), water and ice.
Maia, Evan and I also took to reading. Maia finished her school Accelerated Reader book and started to read Tom Sawyer which Evan had brought from PA. Evan who had been procrastinating reading an assigned book for AP English finished it in two days and I finally got the chance to read Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory McGuire. He's the author of Wicked.
One of the worst things about the storm was that it brought out the bugs. With the windows open we had little ants (not the fire ants we have in the yard) invade our house and the mosquitoes are huge and horrendous! Not that the windows are closed and we've invested in ant and mosquito spray hopefully we'll have the situation under control. I killed one last night that was as big as a water bug!
More tomorrow. :)
Monday, September 22, 2008
Weathering the storm
Well, 12 days after Hurricane Ike hit Houston we got our power back on this evening ironically as Jeff and his boss Geoff were unloading a generator. I was standing in the foyer talking to Geoff's wife Tracy when the house alarm went off. She said, if your alarm is going off you must have electricity. I flipped the switch to the light in the dining room and there it was! It's late tonight, but I almost don't want to turn off the light for fear it might not come back on.
Back to the beginning - Jeff's work shut down early Thursday and he knew he wouldn't go in Friday because the mayor requested that all non-emergency companies close. The kids were also off from school. Friday I ventured to the grocery store - I think I blogged about that just before the storm. The store was a zoo! People in line over 10 deep, buying everything that wasn't perishable they could get their hands on. They couldn't keep the bottled water stocked and they were completely out of paper plates! I went back the next day because I realized while I had bought things "in case" I didn't get anything to feed the family while we did have power. The store was a little less hectic - not to mention I left Eli at home!
By Saturday afternoon the wind was picking up and by nighttime it had begun to howl. I remember the last time I looked at the clock when there was power, 3:37 a.m. and then there was complete darkness and the wind howled furiously outside blowing the trees just beyond the fence, opening and shutting the damper on the chimney with a loud boom. I was sure in the wee hours of the morning that the wind was going to come right through with the window. At some point I drifted off into a restless sleep and we woke up the next morning to more rain. Eventually the rains let up and we decided to venture out for a while.
Trees, branches, debris, and power lines were strewn everywhere. Water flooded roads creeping up onto lawns and in some cases completely covering roads. We drove by metal buildings that collapsed to nothing and trees uprooted roots and all. Some just lying helplessly where they fell, others on homes cutting holes into roofs and breaking off gutters and fences like they were built from sticks.
Evan has some pretty cool footage of the mess that Ike left in our neck of the woods. Of course it's nothing compared to the total devastation that Galveston, Galveston Island, the peninsulas and beaches dotting the coast have endured leaving homes leveled to nothing but foundations.
The kids start school tomorrow. Hasta manana!
Back to the beginning - Jeff's work shut down early Thursday and he knew he wouldn't go in Friday because the mayor requested that all non-emergency companies close. The kids were also off from school. Friday I ventured to the grocery store - I think I blogged about that just before the storm. The store was a zoo! People in line over 10 deep, buying everything that wasn't perishable they could get their hands on. They couldn't keep the bottled water stocked and they were completely out of paper plates! I went back the next day because I realized while I had bought things "in case" I didn't get anything to feed the family while we did have power. The store was a little less hectic - not to mention I left Eli at home!
By Saturday afternoon the wind was picking up and by nighttime it had begun to howl. I remember the last time I looked at the clock when there was power, 3:37 a.m. and then there was complete darkness and the wind howled furiously outside blowing the trees just beyond the fence, opening and shutting the damper on the chimney with a loud boom. I was sure in the wee hours of the morning that the wind was going to come right through with the window. At some point I drifted off into a restless sleep and we woke up the next morning to more rain. Eventually the rains let up and we decided to venture out for a while.
Trees, branches, debris, and power lines were strewn everywhere. Water flooded roads creeping up onto lawns and in some cases completely covering roads. We drove by metal buildings that collapsed to nothing and trees uprooted roots and all. Some just lying helplessly where they fell, others on homes cutting holes into roofs and breaking off gutters and fences like they were built from sticks.
Evan has some pretty cool footage of the mess that Ike left in our neck of the woods. Of course it's nothing compared to the total devastation that Galveston, Galveston Island, the peninsulas and beaches dotting the coast have endured leaving homes leveled to nothing but foundations.
The kids start school tomorrow. Hasta manana!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Preparing for Ike
Ok, so Ike is coming...I decided to get some things last night and my sister called to give me some helpful hints about what I should buy to be prepared this morning. So Eli and I left with list in hand to Kroger, the nearest grocery store. On the way one gas station was backed up at least six deep on each side of each pump. I stopped at the MAC machine and got some cash then we headed over to the grocery store. The gas station there was just as backed up. When we walked into the store I should have known something was going on because there was one lone cart in the store which I promptly swooped up and put Eli in.
The bread aisle was empty but we have a loaf I bought a few days ago. The water aisle was empty so I threw five little bottle packs in the cart, but upon walking around the store found full size bottles. The website suggested a gallon per person, per day for three days, so that amounts to 15 gallons. I picked up some tuna, canned chicken, peanut butter, trail mix, granola bars, hand sanitizer, plastic plates and forks, cookies, candy, soup, cereal, etc. We should be able to survive three days, I'm hoping it's not longer than that.
So the lines were six deep at least and Eli decided to freak out because there were so many people in the store. A kind lady who had come inland from the coast was nice enough to let me go in front of her (since she only had a few things). She was giving me some tips on weathering the storm. Lots of wind, but since we're in a house we should be fine. A check of the radar said wind gusts should be about 91 mph in our zip code. As soon as we got out of the store he was fine and then we waited in line for gas...once we got to the pump it said you could only buy premium gas, but with my Kroger card and 10 cent discount it cost $3.47 and was the same as the corner gas station I had passed on the way. Which by the way was out of gas by the time we passed again to return home.
Jeff's work closed at noon and I was alerted by automated phone call from Tomball ISD that there would be no school for the kids on Friday. A lot of people have headed to Dallas, but I think we'll "hunker down" and ride this one out. If not I told my ex who lives in Eagle Pass that we may show up on his doorstep!
If I don't blog for a few days (after tomorrow) we don't have electricity. Our phones are charged and I'll email or update here when I can.
The bread aisle was empty but we have a loaf I bought a few days ago. The water aisle was empty so I threw five little bottle packs in the cart, but upon walking around the store found full size bottles. The website suggested a gallon per person, per day for three days, so that amounts to 15 gallons. I picked up some tuna, canned chicken, peanut butter, trail mix, granola bars, hand sanitizer, plastic plates and forks, cookies, candy, soup, cereal, etc. We should be able to survive three days, I'm hoping it's not longer than that.
So the lines were six deep at least and Eli decided to freak out because there were so many people in the store. A kind lady who had come inland from the coast was nice enough to let me go in front of her (since she only had a few things). She was giving me some tips on weathering the storm. Lots of wind, but since we're in a house we should be fine. A check of the radar said wind gusts should be about 91 mph in our zip code. As soon as we got out of the store he was fine and then we waited in line for gas...once we got to the pump it said you could only buy premium gas, but with my Kroger card and 10 cent discount it cost $3.47 and was the same as the corner gas station I had passed on the way. Which by the way was out of gas by the time we passed again to return home.
Jeff's work closed at noon and I was alerted by automated phone call from Tomball ISD that there would be no school for the kids on Friday. A lot of people have headed to Dallas, but I think we'll "hunker down" and ride this one out. If not I told my ex who lives in Eagle Pass that we may show up on his doorstep!
If I don't blog for a few days (after tomorrow) we don't have electricity. Our phones are charged and I'll email or update here when I can.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Should I Be Worrying?
As you know, Marlena has never had to deal with Hurricanes or evacuations. We don't live in a designated evacuation zone as far as Houston goes. We live far enough northwest where Houston is concerned. However, Evan's football game has been cancelled for tomorrow which was a bummer because I love my weekly football game. Turns out Varsity will play tomorrow night away and the JV and Freshmen games will be rescheduled at another time. In the event of bad weather it was announced that we are to check the church website to see if there will be two or one service on Sunday. When I went to Wal-mart there I was buying socks and a movie for Evan and everyone else was buying gas cans, water jugs and everything else! Hmmmm I thought to myself, maybe I should be a little better prepared "just in case". So tomorrow I think I'll brave one of the stores with Eli and pick up a few things on the Hurricane Preparation Guide. When I see people boarding up their windows in our plan THEN I'll worry!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
It's still hot in Texas
I noticed it's around the 70's in PA and it was very strange watching the Steelers game in Pittsburgh vs. the Houston Texans, knowing your thousands of miles away. Believe it or not I can't find any Steelers merchandise here, so I asked my friend Kelli to hunt down a flag for me if she can. Anyway, when I went to pick up Evan from football practice my car thermometer read 100! So yes, it's still hot here. I cracked up at the people in Green Bay dressed in long sleeves, hoodies and jackets for the game Sunday at Lambeau!
I'm not sure if Hurricane Ike is headed this way or not. From what I read, officials are looking to evacuate the Rio Grande Valley up to Corpus Christi. For those of you who don't know, McAllen where Jeff and I spent a week considering a move there a few years ago is right in the Valley! He also still talks about moving even further south and I'll remind him about Hurricane season every time! I've also told him we're not going anywhere until Maia graduates from high school!
This evening was parent orientation at Maia's school which I would chalk up to a 26 year old teacher talking to a roomful of parents like we're children about merit and demerit systems, the text books they are using for science and math (she teaches those subjects exclusively), blah, blah, blah. Or in my mind - a total waste of time! I suppose it was beneficial to someone in that room!
I did get to see a few of the boys Maia has mentioned from school. Luis (who supposedly likes Maia) and Michael (one of her classmates). Afterwards Jeff and Eli went home since Eli was acting a little wild for a restaurant, and Maia, Evan and I went for a late dinner at Red Robin.
Evan has an away game Thursday and I have my evening of bell choir and choir at church for a few hours tomorrow. I'm going to try to convince Eli to get a haircut tomorrow! Wish me luck! :)
I'm not sure if Hurricane Ike is headed this way or not. From what I read, officials are looking to evacuate the Rio Grande Valley up to Corpus Christi. For those of you who don't know, McAllen where Jeff and I spent a week considering a move there a few years ago is right in the Valley! He also still talks about moving even further south and I'll remind him about Hurricane season every time! I've also told him we're not going anywhere until Maia graduates from high school!
This evening was parent orientation at Maia's school which I would chalk up to a 26 year old teacher talking to a roomful of parents like we're children about merit and demerit systems, the text books they are using for science and math (she teaches those subjects exclusively), blah, blah, blah. Or in my mind - a total waste of time! I suppose it was beneficial to someone in that room!
I did get to see a few of the boys Maia has mentioned from school. Luis (who supposedly likes Maia) and Michael (one of her classmates). Afterwards Jeff and Eli went home since Eli was acting a little wild for a restaurant, and Maia, Evan and I went for a late dinner at Red Robin.
Evan has an away game Thursday and I have my evening of bell choir and choir at church for a few hours tomorrow. I'm going to try to convince Eli to get a haircut tomorrow! Wish me luck! :)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Maia and Candy
Maia posed with this horse Candy at little J.T.'s birthday last weekend. Unfortunately Candy also stepped on Maia's big toe and made it bleed and brusied it a little. Next time she'll wear boots and not flip flops! :)Eli
Eli loves to ride his bike up and down the road in our plan! :) He's been asking for a new bike since this one is getting a little small!Friday, September 5, 2008
Football & Runny noses
Yesterday Evan's team won their first game of the season 21-0 so they are now 1-1. Evan played a decent amount in the second half and was even credited for a tackle. LOL When the announcer said his name I of course yelled a loud "woo hoo!" Hey if you have one fan in the crowd it's gonna me your mom! It was a good thing the team they played wasn't very good because once again their receivers couldn't catch, one punt return bounced off a players helmet and luckily into a teammate's hands and they had some pretty dumb penalties. Have I mentioned how excited I am football season has started? This Sunday NFL begins and how apropos that the Steelers are opening their season against the Houston Texans.
Unfortunately Eli has decided to come down with a runny nose. Hopefully we can curtail it with Dimetapp before it's get worse. Poor thing couldn't breathe at all last night and he finally fell asleep with my arm under his neck, which by the way was NOT comfortable!
My friend Kelli sent me a really simple recipe for Beef Stroganoff. I paired it with a French bread baguette and dipping oil like you get at John Harvard's (in Monroeville) and grape tomatoes for a pop in your mouth kind of veggie. It was SO good!
Not too much on the agenda this weekend. I'm going to look for a Steelers flag before Sunday's game. I think we'll hit Sam's Boat for a meal since I've been good about cooking all week and Jeff's been craving a fish sandwich from there. Sunday I'll be singing in choir. More on Monday! :)
Unfortunately Eli has decided to come down with a runny nose. Hopefully we can curtail it with Dimetapp before it's get worse. Poor thing couldn't breathe at all last night and he finally fell asleep with my arm under his neck, which by the way was NOT comfortable!
My friend Kelli sent me a really simple recipe for Beef Stroganoff. I paired it with a French bread baguette and dipping oil like you get at John Harvard's (in Monroeville) and grape tomatoes for a pop in your mouth kind of veggie. It was SO good!
Not too much on the agenda this weekend. I'm going to look for a Steelers flag before Sunday's game. I think we'll hit Sam's Boat for a meal since I've been good about cooking all week and Jeff's been craving a fish sandwich from there. Sunday I'll be singing in choir. More on Monday! :)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Joy of Cooking
Ok, so I'm a stay at home mom now. One of my many daily joys is cooking 90% of our meals (at least dinners) at home. There are our basic "Solomon family" meals such as Mac and Cheese, fish sticks and fries; some kind of pasta, garlic bread and homemade meatballs; roast, potatoes and carrots. But one gets tired of the same old so I subject my family to recipes that sound good to me but don't always work out.
I've been cooking quite a bit from a Taste of Home cookbook my mom gave me for Christmas last year. Yesterday was chicken Florentine "panini" sandwiches, and I really like a recipe for antipasto salad that I made for a church function before we left. I'm also a fan of the website allrecipes that I've been using a resource for years. Tonight it's sweet and sour pork and Friday it's either Italian beef sandwiches or beef stroganoff. Tomorrow before Evan's game I'm making some Wedding Soup that will be fashioned after my mother in laws soup which I will never be able to make the same!
Just call me Betty Crocker!
On another note, Jeff and I are pretty sure we are not interested in buying this house in June at the end of our lease although I know our landlady would like us to. In living here there are many things I would change and don't care for about the house. There are many plans within the school district including some older ones that are appealing because of the trees and "homey" feel to the neighborhood.
Oh, and if you have any easy and family friendly recipes you'd like me to try on my family - just send them my way! :)
I've been cooking quite a bit from a Taste of Home cookbook my mom gave me for Christmas last year. Yesterday was chicken Florentine "panini" sandwiches, and I really like a recipe for antipasto salad that I made for a church function before we left. I'm also a fan of the website allrecipes that I've been using a resource for years. Tonight it's sweet and sour pork and Friday it's either Italian beef sandwiches or beef stroganoff. Tomorrow before Evan's game I'm making some Wedding Soup that will be fashioned after my mother in laws soup which I will never be able to make the same!
Just call me Betty Crocker!
On another note, Jeff and I are pretty sure we are not interested in buying this house in June at the end of our lease although I know our landlady would like us to. In living here there are many things I would change and don't care for about the house. There are many plans within the school district including some older ones that are appealing because of the trees and "homey" feel to the neighborhood.
Oh, and if you have any easy and family friendly recipes you'd like me to try on my family - just send them my way! :)
Monday, September 1, 2008
Bugs
It seems that we are getting inundated by bugs outside and they're making their way inside. I heard some people call them "love bugs" because they're flying around mating although I've seen some single ones. They're hanging out by the door, are plastered to the front of my car and splattered on my windshield. I know we're not the only ones either. When we walked out of Chik Fil A today after lunch I took notice of the bugs smashed on the front of other cars. Occasionally they make it into our house which me being unsympathetic to bugs in my house I have a whole bunch of dead ones in my foyer which I'll have to sweep up after dinner.
They aren't the only bugs that we have visit us. There are these weird "pincher" bugs. We're not sure what they are but they look nasty. They can also swim (if you just drop them in the toilet) so you have to squish them before you flush them. There are also centipedes and have I mentioned the spiders? Ew and squish!
As you know Maia and Jeff are real nature lovers. Jeff is always catching something outside like toads, frogs, preying mantis and lizards to name a few. Did I mention he brings them in the house like show and tell too? Ugh!
Have I ever mentioned that we have garbage pick up twice a week here in Cypress? I imagine it keeps the critters down if garbage isn't sitting around in garbage cans and houses for more than a few days.
Gustav seems to have come and gone with it down to a category one and still over New Orleans, but Hannah now is currently over the Bahamas. We haven't had rain yet although the skies are cloudy today. We'll see how the weather pans out with the rest of the week's activities such as Maia's gymnastics tomorrow and Evan's first home game on Thursday.
Back to our schedules tomorrow. More then! :)
They aren't the only bugs that we have visit us. There are these weird "pincher" bugs. We're not sure what they are but they look nasty. They can also swim (if you just drop them in the toilet) so you have to squish them before you flush them. There are also centipedes and have I mentioned the spiders? Ew and squish!
As you know Maia and Jeff are real nature lovers. Jeff is always catching something outside like toads, frogs, preying mantis and lizards to name a few. Did I mention he brings them in the house like show and tell too? Ugh!
Have I ever mentioned that we have garbage pick up twice a week here in Cypress? I imagine it keeps the critters down if garbage isn't sitting around in garbage cans and houses for more than a few days.
Gustav seems to have come and gone with it down to a category one and still over New Orleans, but Hannah now is currently over the Bahamas. We haven't had rain yet although the skies are cloudy today. We'll see how the weather pans out with the rest of the week's activities such as Maia's gymnastics tomorrow and Evan's first home game on Thursday.
Back to our schedules tomorrow. More then! :)
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