Nerds With Birds

(Garden) Yesterday I picked our first ripe tomatoes. Let me just say, they were mouth watering sweet *yummy* Everything else is growing good. The cucumbers have exploded this past week. We have more than 25 baby cucumbers started and even more blooms. The vines are climbing up the fence and can almost touch the top of the shed. No blooms on the pumpkins yet but there are new leaves so that’s a good sign. Something (a squirrel I imagine) keeps eating my strawberries the day they ripen. It’s agitating *L* The peppers are full of blooms. I’m not sure how to tell if how the sweet potatoes are doing - but the top leaves look good *L*
(Farm) The quails weigh 7.7 ounces now. They still need to double in weight before it’s fry’n time. Hopefully they will start laying eggs soon. No eggs from the chickens either. They better start earning their keep ;) I made Zsa Zsa a new toy this weekend. She loves to eat so I got a ball and drilled some holes and I put her food in there. As she rolls it around it drops a few pellets at a time. It gives her some exercise and keeps her busy. A bored pig is a bad pig *L* SO we like to keep her entertained and this seems to be doing the trick. The rabbits are doing good. My female rabbit has been eating like a horse the last week *L* I think I can safely assume between her eating everything in sight, trying to eat me alive if I touch her, and the fact I can feel little grapes in her belly…she’s preggo! Do you see a glow? *LOL* I love close up bunny shots ;)

(Kids) Cody has been playing on his computer a lot this last week. His favorite new website is Youtube *ack* he loves to listen to crazy frog videos and watch video’s of people playing Mario. Princess Peanut had a lapse in potty training. She has been boycotting the potty for a few days now. I’m hoping this will pass and she’ll remember that dirty diapers don’t feel all that great. So we shall see.

(Life) Jay and I worked all weekend but didn’t finish anything - so it seemed. We did accomplish getting the rabbits cage ready - in case she has a litter in a few (on the 7th) weeks. We started to tear apart some pallets to make a stand for the cages but that didn’t really go as planned. Pallets are really hard to disassemble! We got 2 of the 4 partially done and at that point I had hit my arm with the hammer (don’t ask) and we were both dripping with sweat and out of all the boards we actually got off, only 3-4 were usable. So I said “forget this” - we’ll figure something else out later. I will never attempt salvaging wood from pallets ever again! *LOL* I decided to move the kids rooms around. I made Cody’s room (the bigger of the 2) the beds/clothes room and Emily’s room is now the playroom. It seems to be working out great because all the toys are contained in 1 room. I’m hoping that at least while we live in this house it will work because it makes cleaning and bed time a lot easier.

(Hobby) I finally finished Emily’s little bench/chair. The paint is all dry and I added the same princess fabric as her cedar chest. It’s super cute. I padded it slightly but I couldn’t do as much as I planned because then the seat wouldn’t fit anymore *L* Oh well - she likes it and thats all that matters.

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is amusing. You NEVER know what he’s going to say or do. Jay has the most unique sense of humor. Sometimes it’s a great distraction to a bad situation (ie:ice storm - no power for 8 days - 2 bored children = insanity) other times he makes you want to knock him out or hurl. One of those two *LOL* I know there are people out there that would think that’s not a great quality but to me it is. Heck that’s why I married him. I’m still laughing (most of the time)  7 years later. He’s still a goof ball and a great dad and husband. Even if he has an insane sense of humor *LOL*

Cody, Emily, Jay and Myself are all playing in the living room. Emily has a princess wand and Cody has a Nintendo Mario blow up hammer. Emily is using her wand to “poof” Jay into things why Cody whacks you with the hammer to change him into something else.

Emily “Poof your a frog!”
Cody “Poof your a pad”
Jenn “A what?”
Cody “A Pad. You know in the water”
Jenn “OH like a LILY pad?”
Cody “Yeah a lily pad for a frog (duh)”
Jay “Poof I’m super absorbent”

I actually laughed out loud. You know the LMAO but in real life *LOL* OK so the kids had NO CLUE what he was talking about but I did. And it was funny. I don’t know how funny it would be to anyone else but to me, he’s funny…sometimes *L*

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(Garden) One of the tomatoes has turned pink *woohoo* Everything else is doing good. We have figured out what keeps eating the chilli plant leaves. Pincher bugs! WTF? How on earth do you rid them things from the garden? When I did strawberries last year - they were invaded with pincher bugs. I read that dish soap diluted in water worked wonders. Yeah it sure did - killed my plants within 2 days *lmao* So I’ll be googling tonight to find a way to get those bugs out!

(Life) I went out and jumped on the trampoline tonight. I am so sore *L* Every time I get out there I am reminded just how out of shape I am. Oh to be 10 again. Speaking of 10… I found a childhood friend on myspace the other day. I haven’t heard from her in like 18 years. It was a great surprise. I love myspace. Not because I like to chat or meet new people but I love finding lost friends.

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I am a college student. I went down on Wednesday and took  my placement test.  Reading and writing were a breeze. The math however was a problem *L* Math was never my strong subject. Heck, I  was kicked out of pre-algebra my freshman year (thanks Mr Wee *sarcasm*) and was not allowed back in sooo I was stuck taking the uhh retarded math class called “general math” for 2 years. It gave me the required credits to graduate but I didn’t learn a single thing (math wise) my entire high school days. General math was a basic review starting from 1+1 and ending with 10×100(just examples of course) Gotta love the California school system. Obviously I learned enough to make it in life and I can manage bills. When I’m buying something on clearance I can calculate in my head what it’s going to cost after the 30% markdown…So I wouldn’t consider myself ‘terrible’ at math. That being said when I see a math problem that looks like this (-2)X3=a-y / +34=? I have issues. I have no clue even how to come up with an answer or even make a logical guess *L* SO that brings me back to the math placement test. The test started out easy and got harder as you got questions right. The guy taking the test next to me (who was maybe 19 at best) was doing math problems for about 30 minutes - roughly 100 questions before he finished the math portion. Me? I did about 12 minutes and maybe 20 questions when it said “thank you come again” *L* OK so it didn’t really say that but it did say “your done please return to the adviser office to get your results” As I waited I felt really stupid. Not that it’s a new feeling - I do stupid things all the time *L* but this was different. The adviser called my name. She began with “well Mrs. Russell, what is it exactly that your wanting to accomplish?” I didn’t even know the answer - because I don’t really have a goal per say. When I decided I wanted to go to school it wasn’t to learn a particular thing. It was just to learn new things. I wont ever be a career woman again, my career is Cody & Emily now. She explained that I tested out of reading and writing - meaning I could start the college courses. The math however..not so good. I’m 3 classes below college level. That means I have to take 3 math classes BEFORE I can take college math *LOL* Just fabulous…She decided to stick me in the Associates category and gave me a “college plan” and then sent me on my way. I’ll be in the retarded math and college english classes this fall. Sounds fun eh? I plan to take a few “electives” in the spring. Something I actually want to take. It’s been so long since I’ve had to do homework or study for tests I figured it would be better to start off small *LOL* and get myself used to “school” life again.

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(Farm) I’m pretty sure the bunny is preggo again. She is plumping out and being lazy. She doesnt even bother to try and bite me when I’m messing with her cage (which is nice!) The quails are getting big. We split them up into 3 cages now so the smell and mess isnt as bad but they still stink and I cant wait until 1/2 are gone ;) No eggs from the chickens yet. I’m expecting them to lay any day now. Zsa Zsa is doing good. She has full run of the house during the day and is locked in her room at night mainly so she doesn’t wake the kids. She has turned out to be a really great pet.

(Kids) Cody & Emily have been swimming and jumping on the trampoline for days now. The second we get up it’s “can we go outside?” and if it isn’t that it’s “can we play the Wii?” *LOL* They have been having alot of fun this summer just playing and being kids.

(Garden) Everything is growing! I have about 15 cucumbers started and no less than 20 grape tomatoes :) The chilli’s are starting to get blooms and the other tomato plants are chugging along with 3-4 tomatoes on each of them. The strawberries are growing but as soon as they start to get a pink hue to them the bugs find it and they are gone by morning *L* but they are growing. We planted a pumpkin plant and it seems to be doing ok so far. We also have a few wild mushrooms that had sprouted up - no I wont be eating them but I do like to watch them grow *LOL*

(Life) I’m suppose to go tomorrow and take my college placement test (wish me luck!) so we shall see how that goes. I went grocery shopping by myself and was so proud. I saved 45.87 using coupons. It’s such a pain to clip and keep track and check expiration dates but it makes it worth it when I see the savings. So that made me happy. Not a super eventful few days but ahh such is life ;)

(Contests) Well I started playing my instant win games after taking 6 months off. I really like to play and of course I really like to win. The problem was that I played so many (I was entering no less than 300 contests every night!) that I became bored with winning. I know - that sounds so dumb, but I did. I would win and think “well that’s ok, wish it was … prize instead” and I hated to be like that because it’s hard to win anything. It’s basically all about timing. You play at the right time and you win - that’s the secret. I usually take a screenshot of my screen when I win so I added a new “contest” picture section, and I will add anything I win here :) I posted my wins from the other day when I played so I just need to update tonights wins: AC Delco Cooler (ARV $20) & Transformers Poster (ARV$?) & Koolaid man stickers (ARV?)

(Hobby) I’ve been sewing this week. I did a few more re-fashion items this week. Mainly I made 2 more pairs of capri’s. I really like my green ones. I had such a hard time tweaking them and getting them to do what I wanted them to do *L* but they look great (I think) and they are really comfy! Bonus! *L*

(Website) I’ve added more pictures (Farm, Summer 07, Crafts, Contests) and I posted a few times this week. I also added a new list item “contest” to the update posts. I’m hoping to get back into the groove with that and this will give me some motivation to fill some more space here ;)

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I haven’t played in months. Tonight I received an email reminder to play a contest that will end tonight. So I played (just for kicks) and lost *L* but it was fun…Doing online contests had lost the “fun” which was why I stopped. I decided to play a few more. So I logged back in @ OLS (sweepstakes heaven BTW) and started playing all the instant win games…Here’s what I won tonight:

1. 2nd prize: American Idol T-shirt. ARV: $6.
2. A Dickies $5 Rebate
3. 2 Music downloads or ringtones from Castrol
4. 1 twisted ringtone from Tropicana Twister
5. Coupons from Gerber
6. Coupons for Hardee’s breakfast
7. Kodak Stickers from Disney rewards

I played around 70+ contests tonight…I scored a free shirt and a bunch of coupons and ringtones. Not to bad ;)

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I know you’ve probably seen it before. I just got an email  forward about it and thought I’d respond and then stick it here. Took me a few minutes to even think of my list *L*

1. Went on vacation to Port Aransas, TX. Emily got to see the ocean for the first time.
2. Learned to knit - Thanks MawMaw :)
3. Built a better relationship with my dad. I’m really happy about this one.
4. Lost all my baby weight - I’m back at pre-marriage weight *happy dance*
5. Spent an entire year playing with the kiddo’s
6. Learned to make glass beads - I’m no longer afraid of the torch!
7. Kept in touch with old friends … you know who you are ;)

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It was a “Career Tests - finding the jobs you will really love“ and here are my results (and my comments *L*):

(based on 32 questions) You would be very happy in a career that utilised your level-headedness, and allowed you to work mainly on your own. You want a career that allows you to stimulate your senses and your mind, without having to be involved with lots of people. Some careers that would be perfect for you are:

• Novelist (uhh no way!)
• Photographer (So I can work at a walmart photo lab? no.”)
• Vet (isn’t that like 8 years of school? nope…)
• Medical Technician (I’m not a fan of needles…)
• Paralegal (possible career)
• Geologist (diamond mining; sure! examining rocks for a job - no.)
• Marine Biologist (would love this but a lot of school)
• Graphic Designer (uhh no)
• Online Content Developer (don’t I already do that? no.)
• Webmaster (don’t I do this to? *L*)
• Computer Security (uhh no - like I want to deal with spam all day?)
• Producer (I don’t think so)
• Computer Programmer (I would hate computers if I did this all day)
• Technical Writer (I hate to write anything…oh wait *L*)
• Systems Analyst (b-o-r-i-n-g)
• Meteorologist (nope..no interest there)
• Artist (ever heard the term “starving artist?” no thanks.)

You like working and being alone. You like to avoid attention at all costs. You tend to keep to yourself, and not interact much with the people around you. You enjoy spending time with a few a close friends. You like to listen to others, but don’t like sharing much about yourself. You are very quiet and private.
You are very practical, and only act after thinking things through. You don’t like being forced to answer quickly. You have to evaluate the situation completely. You make decisions based on what you can verify with your senses.
You like to be involved deeply in one or two special projects. You like to be behind the scenes. You are very logical and fair. You feel you should be honest with others at all costs. You trust what is certain. You only like new ideas if they can be practically applied to the situation. You value what is real. You use your common sense. You like to utilise the skills you have instead of learning new ones. You are very specific and detailed when writing or talking to others. You follow directions well. You like things to be laid out for you to do instead of working them out for yourself. You like decisions to be made. You don’t like things to be left in limbo. You like to know what you are getting into before you commit to something. You like to focus on the here and now. You enjoy completing projects. It is important for you to achieve and succeed. Therefore, you believe in working hard and playing later. You like to set goals and work towards them.

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Come again…Next year *L*
It’s pouring down rain today. So it’s a good day to update the blog. Here’s what’s been going on this week:

(Kids) I went to the library and checked out a few new software games (jumpstart learning) for Cody. He really enjoys all the learning games. We also joined the library book reading program while we were there. Once he reads a certain amount of books he gets prizes. We also joined the Barnes & Noble reading program - you get 1 free book after reading 8. So he is having fun with those this summer. Emily has been enjoying having her brother home all day. Gives her someone to play with who is more her size *L*

(Farm) The animals are doing good. We attempted to breed the rabbits on the 7th. She would be due around July 8th so we shall see what happens. The quail are getting bigger everyday. Almost big enough to eat *L* Which is good because I’m about ready! We just have so many right now and their area just smells so bad. So I will be happy when the numbers are much lower meaning a lower output of poop *LOL*

(Garden) Everything is growing good except the cantaloupes which took the same path as the watermelon plants. I think I need to read up on how to grow those 2 plants and try again next year *L*

(Life) I sent away for my school transcripts and have been studying up on my math. Math is not my strong subject. I still need to attend the orientation and take a placement test. Then I will be officially a student again. Why did I want to do that again? Trying to schedule everything around work and the kids is becoming a chore. Sometimes it seems as if this just isn’t the right time to start this.
(Hobby) I have been working on a new purse (crochet). It’s my own creation so it’s going to take awhile. I can work up projects a lot faster with a pattern but when I’m creating it as I go there is a lot of re-working. I also taught a friend to crochet this week. I had kinda forgot how “hard” it crochet seemed when I was first learning.

I also wanted to add a quick thank you to everyone who has sent me private e-mails. I’m replying as fast as I can ;)

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• (Family) Cody’s graduation went good. I didn’t cry (yay for me) I got in a few pictures. It was held in a smaller room so it was really crowded and hot so I had to kinda peek through the people to see him at times. I did however get a really good video of the entire thing (THANK YOU AUNT HOLLY!!!) so I was able to see his little face when he was singing and getting his diploma. So I have that - so all is good. Cody was so upset (and cried abit the poor thing) that school had ended for the summer. I tried to make it up to him by getting him a rootbeer float…he told me “Momma, I’m still sad about school but I’m happy about the rootbeer” *lmao* I love kids. I kinda let him choose activities and dinner today to let him have a better day. After all this was suppose to be a great day for him. So I think the day ended on a better note.

• (Garden) I went out and weeded the garden a little bit this evening. It needs so much more. I was thinking about laying a plastic liner or something down the middle to help keep the darn grass from coming in. All the tomato,cucumber,sweet potato and strawberry plants seem to be doing great. The chili’s keep getting all their leaves eaten off and the cantaloupes are heading down the same path as the watermelons.

• (Website) I added a crap load of pictures. Several new sets (including summer pictures, Cody’s graduation) and I updated a few sets (Emily’s birthday, Farm, Crafts and Misc) I also added several pictures to back dated posts. I also updated the bird page by adding pictures and also a video of one of the quail hatching. So I am completely caught up now *happy dance*

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