Sunday, July 31, 2011

The End of the PK Lake Saga

I didn't really go into what happened to Barry at the lake. During the sunscreen frenzy Saturday morning,
he applied sunscreen in his "orbital area".  We have agreed to call it this because I made the mistake of saying "eyes". He was adamant that he did not get it in his eyes. I explained to him I was using the word"eye" generically for the eye area. Barry said "eye" meant eyeball, and that he didn't get sunscreen on his eyeballs.  So, orbital area it is.


After a couple of hours his eyelids and the orbital area beneath his eyes were swollen and red.
He was miserable. We applied a couple of cool packs, left him in charge of letting us know when Lucy woke up, and headed back out to the lake to swim and jet ski. Who wouldn't leave their six month old alone with someone who looked like this?


As you know he recovered to do some magic tricks and play games Saturday evening.

Which was a good thing, because on Sunday morning it was time to fish.
Unfortunately, Jacob, Joanie, Ava, and Lucy had a long drive and had to head back to Houston.

Ben, Scarlett, Shannon, and Barry were fishing for perch under the dock. Perfect sized, little fish for little kids.



All was going well until the carp appeared. The reprobates broke Shannon's line twice. Hell hath no fury like Shannon pitted against a thieving fish. She changed lines and hooks and set out to catch that carp. And she did. Not only did she catch one, she caught two.




We had the kiddos stand next to one for scale. 


I on the other hand was not so lucky.  I set my rod down to put a worm on Scarlett's hook. As I set it down, Scarlett said, "a fish is going to take that". Those words were no more out of her mouth than the rod and reel shot off the landing and went under the dock, never to be seen (by us anyway) again. So, if you are at Possum Kingdom Lake and you see a rod and reel swimming through the lake, please return it to the Schneiders.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Almost Finished


Michelle hit a homerun with her "make your own pizza" dinner. Not only was it fun, it was good.


Then the family magician, Barry, amazed people with some card tricks.



Then, my mom showed up to have her photo made with the kiddos. Oh wait! Crap, that's me!


For the finale, Lucy showed us how she is just about ready to crawl.

Thanks Miles and Michelle. It was a great weekend.

Possum Kingdom Lake-the rest of the story...

Since I left off just after breakfast the first day, you probably realized there was more to the weekend.

Yes, there was. Here's a little snippet:

Before we headed down to the dock


There was some hair braiding

Aunt Shannon ran into some snags with Ava's hair. Another aunt had spilt coffee creamer in her hair that morning and didn't tell anyone. However, Ava handled the simultaneous hair brushing and
sunscreen application like a champ.

 The dads applied sunscreen on all the little ones.














Then it was time to go out on the boat.






Next it was lunchtime for all.


Aunt Michelle loved having some time with little Lucy.

Now we are halfway through the lake weekend.

PS- I have not forgotten my promise for a contest/giveaway. It has been pushed back a little bit. So, put it on your calendar for Monday.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Possum Kingdom Lake


This past weekend, Miles' parents were kind enough to let our family invade, I mean, use their lake house. Their lake house is at Possum Kingdom Lake and fortunately on the far side of where the fires were.

Miles and Michelle were the host and hostess with the mostess.


They didn't freak when a room looked like this.

There was a lot going on in a 48 hour period.

First on the agenda, baby holding.


Second, drawing pictures and checking out the lake from the deck.


This was all way before breakfast finished cooking.


So, there may be more to this story. 
Also, there will be quiz later this week. (believe it or not, there have been requests!) Details to follow.


Saturday, July 23, 2011

But, He's Not Perfect

Just so you know, Barry is not perfect. Here are a few things that drive me crazy.

He takes better photos than me. He has the artistic brain. I have the detail oriented brain.

He leaves toothpaste in the sink.

And, he hears what he wants to hear.

Ummm... that is all I can think of offhand. Wow,  that's almost perfect.

Friday, July 22, 2011

He's MIne!

Have I ever mentioned I love my husband?

Today, he worked all afternoon, out in this horrible heat, with the yard crew to make the sprinkle system
hit the places it has been missing. He could have said, "Jan, you are home all day. You can water those areas."

But no, he extended the sprinkler system so I can sit in my cozy office and blog for the enjoyment of the masses.

He even brings me flowers.


He is the BEST!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Very Welcome Results

I have had writer's block for a while now, but this afternoon I had so many thoughts come to mind. The problem was I was making Mandel Bread (a Jewish cookie similar to biscotti).

My hands were covered in dough, so I couldn't write all these ideas down and of course, have forgotten most of them by now.

However, I do believe my breakthrough was due to the fact that I went to the chiropractor. With a couple swipes of her hand Dr. Cosgrove improved my hamstring 98%. I swear that woman is a miracle worker.

I had never been to a chiropractor before last year. I was suffering from a dizziness that was not unlike sea sickness. It had been going on for about eight weeks, and I had gone to my doctor (who is an excellent doctor and a specialist, who is also excellent). They were on the same page- that it was a form of vertigo and would probably resolve itself in about three to six weeks.

After my appointment with the specialist, I was having lunch with my friend, Priscilla. All through lunch, she kept telling me I needed to go see her chiropractor. Finally she just took me over there. They worked me in, and I walked out well.

Why didn't I go back after I hurt my hamstring? I blame the Internet. It said to rest it. I do believe that is important. But anytime you are out of alignment, mentally or physically, other things are affected. (I thank yoga for that pearl of wisdom.)

All I know,  is I have had the energy to actually accomplish tasks without being exhausted. I do know that hamstrings are fragile things and the pain can come and go. But, I am enjoying the pain free feeling right now. I can actually sit in a chair and write my blog. Lucky you, right?

My heart goes out to people in chronic pain.

Friday, July 15, 2011

The Chicken Was Fine

Monday I cooked barbecued chicken for Michelle's birthday dinner.
I was using the outside grill, but somehow I set the alarms off in the house. (I am blaming it on the incessant heat wave.) Plus, we didn't even know the alarms were still connected and monitored.

Not until the doorbell rang, that is.





Yes, the Mansfield Fire Department responded to the alarm. I was very surprised and embarrassed. I wasn't that embarrassed that they were called, but embarrassed that I had yet to shower and change clothes from yoga.

Because, this is how I look after yoga on a good day.



So after scaring Mansfield's finest to death, not by the threat of fire, but by 'old lady post yoga',
I finished cooking the chicken and began the process of setting up the alarm system.

No chicken was burnt in this fiasco.













- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Wasn't Posted, But Not Forgotten

I don't know why this wasn't posted. In June, my first born had a birthday. I won't even say that this is how he will always appear in my heart. Oops, I said it.



Now he is a great husband and dad, and this is how he will appear forever in their hearts. 



Monday, July 11, 2011

It Happened Again!

Yesterday she was five-


Today she is twenty-seven-


Where do the years go?

Happy Birthday Michelle!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Too Fast

Ben turned seven this week. How do those years go by so quickly? Yikes!

Here is the seven year old with the favorite toys he received for his birthday.


Don't ask me the name of that arena or the top thing-a-ma-jigs that spin in there. Another sign that he is growing up, and we are growing older. We have no clue about some of the toys.

At least Scarlett still loves glitter and glue.


That we know.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Chasing Perpetual Motion

You may think that the title is a typo and should say " in perpetual motion", but it is correct. I have been at Joanie and Jacob's house the past three days. Ava has been in perpetual motion, and I have been chasing after her.

Was it just the excitement of my visit?



The cuteness of her little sister?




The cupcake I brought her?


Running in her daddy's shoes?



Taking pictures with my phone?



Or does she just take after her mother?







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sunday, July 3, 2011

The Mirror

Yesterday during the rain storm in Raton Pass, Jerry hit a stick. The stick hit the mirror, and this is the result.



Apparently, this mirror had already been replaced after Kathy got it caught in the electronic gate at their house.

The trip is officially over. The Bergers are on their way to Houston, and we are heading to Mansfield. Then the unloading of the RV begins. Fun is a vicious cycle, isn't it?




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Yesterday and Today

I am not a great traveler. There I said it. Today we left Ridgway State Park in Colorado and drove to Amarillo. Doesn't that sound easy? Compared to the olden days, it is easy. But, I didn't live in the olden days, and It seemed to take forever.

We ran into a thunderstorm in Raton which was refreshing but slowed us down. Jerry lost a side mirror, but I haven't really heard that story yet. (I forgot to ask him about it when we camped for the night.) Also, Ollie ate the seat cover in the Berger's truck. He must have been going as stir crazy as me.

As for us, Barry and I thought we might have been havin tire trouble . We heard a pop and then smelled rubber burning. Barry got out in the pouring rain, with a directive from me not to get run over, but found nothing wrong.

So, let's go back to yesterday. Barry and I went on another jeep trail called the Ophir Trail. It was just a moderate trail, but here is what Barry had to say..." if this is a moderate trail, I never want to go on an extreme."
The pictures don't do justice to the one lane trails and the amount of ice. It was fun though.





























Then we headed up to Alta Lakes.



It has been a great camping trip with some good friends.