HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM!!!!

Tom turned another year older today. Time has treated him well, well I think so anyways. He's maturing gracefully if I do say so myself...the handsome devil! ;o) I've always loved his salt and pepper hair...although it's mostly salt nowadays. I felt bad because we didn't have a cake, ice cream or any presents for him. I don't know WHY his birthday always seems to ambush me and come without me realizing it. I did think to have the big kids stop at the store on the way to the cookout and buy a cake and ice cream. They had Happy Birthday Daddy written on it. They were tempted to try and get something "offensive" like changing Daddy to Weinerhead, just so they could see if she'd really write it or refuse. I'm glad they stuck with daddy. It was fun to watch some of my family (who forgot it was Tom's birthday), figure out exactly WHO Daddy was. LOL

When I got up this morning I didn't head straight to the pool like I normally do....I headed to the well. I ran the well a few times and decided it was too late to try and fit a run to the store in before we leave. Hence the big kids running errands for me. Gee, I've been taking advantage of the younger drivers in this house lately. I've also been handing over my debit card a little too freely. Thankfully they are responsible and good kids (I hope! lol)

The pool had cleared some but wasn't as clear as a few days ago. I've decided I'll run to the Pool store on Monday....need to go to Walmart for my blood pressure meds anyways. Hopefully if I take a sample in they'll be able to tell me what to buy and use to finish playing around here. I threw the chlorine float in this morning even though the chlorine level was a dark 5. Figured it might keep SOME chlorine in there....no go....when we got home from the cookout there was NO chlorine reading at all. I threw some more shock in tonight. Around and around we go again.

While Tom and I were sitting in the shade of the house on the front porch....drinking our morning coffee. We got to talking about the picnic table. I asked if I could have the wood from the benches (I told you I thought they were still good!). I've decided to turn them into benches for our table. Having 12+ chairs that don't really fit around the table in the kitchen is driving me batty!!! Seems I'm always walking into or around a chair to get where I want to go. I'm hoping these will be able to be pushed under the table when not in use...staying out of my way!!! I have the perfect legs for them....bottoms of old cafeteria chairs. Maybe I'll have to make a howto page for it.

We got out the door about 45mins after I had wanted to, but considering it was before 2pm....we were doing good. We had to take 2 cars because on the way home I was suppose to have 3 extra girls (my sister's kids...ends up only 2 came home with us). The big kids left about an hour before we did. It was nice to see my uncles and their families again. My mom's 2 younger brothers...one from the area and one from Tennessee were there with their families. My sister and brother with their families (RATS!!! Just realized I should have snapped some family pictures today! I always forget!!!). We all pretty much just sat around, ate and talked. The kids went in and out of the pool all day. It was muggy and very warm out and at one point I felt like I could hardly breathe. So I put my suit on and jumped in my dad's pool. Not before I noticed how crystal clear and beautiful his water was and got hit by a pang of jealousy. He's had his pool up since 1976!!! I think this year will be it's last. He's always saying he's going to take it down but structurally it's starting to show it's age. I will be very sad to see it go....but it did good by us!

We left last (as usual) about 10pm. My mom had become hosted out by then and it was VERY obvious that it was time to go (actually if you ask her she'll probably tell you it was an HOUR past when it was time to go LOL) I loaded up my dad's old filter and misc pool parts (including a mechanical seal for the pump! YIPPEEE!). He was going to take it to the dump and I think I can use some of them. I know he babied his filter and brought it into the basement every year. I know the previous owner of our current filter abused it at least one year (and he got it used...so who knows what the owners before him did). Tom was not happy to have to load everything in the van but I think he will be if it saves him a huge chunk of change down the road.

We got home about 11 to find the older kids in the pool. They scared the daylights out of me while I was hanging up wet towels and suits on the line. They stayed really quiet in the shadows and when I went to see if they were in there (their towels were hanging on the fence) they RAAAAAAAAAAH'ed me! It was a madhouse here and niece J was feeling like she should be helping me, or that I needed it. I didn't feel like it of course but I couldn't convince her of that.

Niece E started crying for her mommy after we finally figured out sleeping arrangements. So I kicked J out of her spot...next to her sister...and snuggled with E until she fell asleep. I think she'll be fine once morning is here. If not, then I guess she'll be going home. I am starting to wonder about Niece A...she hasn't slept here the last few times her sisters have. I don't know if I did something, someone else did or the noise and chaos here are too much for her.

I got a nice surprise when I went to plug in MIL's well tonight. My BIL...B...who stays in a trailer on our property quite a bit...(he "owns" the lot next to us that's not developed) put a switch and a timer on the well plug!!! YIPPEEE!!! No more scary plugging and unplugging a weird plug in anymore. Now I just have to flip a switch. The only thing is...I asked for the switch quite a few years ago and wanted it at the TOP of my cellar stairs, so I wouldn't have to go up and down all the time. Oh well, I have to keep telling myself that the stairs are healthy for me. Wish my knees would agree.

I was a little disappointed today when I weighed myself at my parents' house (only scale I have access to). I didn't really lose any weight like I'd hoped to have done. I know being active has made improvements...I don't get short winded going up the stairs anymore, I'm feeling more energetic, etc. So that's good. But I really thought I'd lost weight too. :o( I'm not really sure I'm trusting their scale though....although they'll swear by it. I've weighed very differently there (like almost 10lbs) from day to day. I would say it was waterweight, but that's a LOT of water to be holding.

Well, my lids are staying closed longer then they're staying opened. So I'll end this now. I probably should figure out what I'm going to feed the 13 hungry mouths come daybreak (forgot to mention Val is having her friend Ja stay over too).....naaaaahhhhh....I'll figure it out tomorrow when they're crying they're starving. Can't get my act together TOO much! ;o) Although I'm already looking forward to getting a crack at our projects....but NOT the housecleaning!!!