Sunday, August 31, 2008
Crabbing
When I was little I remember going to the Lesner Bridge, throwing out a line and catching crabs. We would stay all day and go home and spread newspaper on a picnic table and pick crabs for hours. It was yummy and delicious and most of all it was fun!
Kev and I did this years ago but the kids were too young to remember. So we have re-introduced this little activity and they are fascinated, as is my DH. Fortunately for us, the area is riddled with waterways and we are able to go about 5 miles from the house to the Inter-Coastal Waterway and we have been in crab heaven.
The kids get to thread chicken on a line, throw the line in the water and then pull it out and net a crab. Crab is also an absolute favorite meal for them all, so they have the added advantage of knowing they get to eat them.
Tara was sitting next to our 5 gallon bucket explaining, very matter-of-factly, to the crabs how very soon they were going to meet a big black pot just before they were dinner.
Big Guy goes from line to line and pulls them in and each time he is yelling
"I got one! I got one!". Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't.
Trey just stumbles across the deck and points out the ducks, waves to the boats and yells with enthusiasm when the draw bridge begins to open. I am just thankful he hasn't yet fallen into the water.
I, being the type "Z" person that I have been dubbed, am just happy my kids are outside enjoying the day, making family memories and not sitting in front of the TV. They don't care if we catch 1 crab or 10 crabs, it's just fun!
Kevin, on the other hand, has taken this to a whole new level. His competitive spirit has taken over and he is thinking and rethinking and buying new and better equipment. No crab should escape him! He shall be the crab master! Okay, maybe not the master but definitely a wanna-be. We have gone from chicken on a string to this clever little pot that opens on the bottom and then closes as you pull it up.
Poor crabs! It used to be game to see if the crabs would notice being gently lifted out of the water while they nibbled at our offering and then scooped into a net. Now they are just rudely trapped in a cage and yanked out of the water. Added to their torture is a little drooling girl telling them about a black pot, boiling water and being dinner!
Oh what fun it is!!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Moving on...
Alright already! I am done whining about that place. Time to move on.
School starts Tuesday. Tara will be in Intermediate school and Big Guy will be at the Primary school. Neither seems to share my concern that they won't be together. We have open house tonight and in the morning.
I am hoping they will find lots of friends. Adjusting to not living on base has been the hardest for them strictly due to the lack of kids. Don't get me wrong. There are a ton of kids in the neighborhood but only one lives on our court. They are used to a steady flow of kids coming in and out of the house all day. Big adjustment. They have basically had just each other.
I got guilted into Tara getting her ears pierced. She barely flinched and is very excited to add another element to her wardrobe.
Speaking of clothes, the school shopping has been maddening. We began as street urchins. They had nothing suitable for school. Slippers, or flip flops, aren't allowed and my children didn't even own a long sleeve shirt. Tara always had one pair of jeans each year but she had long ago outgrown those. We now have shoes. Real shoes. And multiple pairs for each child. Long pants seemed a good idea so they have those now too. The principle, who once moved here from that place, suggested a sweater since they will now have air conditioning, so those too have been purchased. The school supply list here is much shorter so that was a nice change. Apparently Virginia schools have enough money for teachers' supplies, toilet paper and paper towels so that will make for a less cumbersome first day. Tick tick tick! Almost time!
Tyler will begin soccer with AYSO. He is most excited. Tara, my dear dear daughter, has said she would like to pass on sports this year so that she "can focus on her studies". (what is that crap and from where does it come????) I did talk her into Brownies/Girl Scouts so I guess she will be out hocking cookies this year. If you forget to order, no worries, call me. I am sure I will have a freezer full!
Trey will be hanging out with Mom for one last year. I hope to head to the Y each day and put his little butt in their childwatch program. I am hoping to eradicate the phrase "Mommy do it" from his vocabulary. It is not spoken to me as a command. It is spoken to everyone else who would make an attempt to do something for him. The phrase would be "No! Please don't bother doing that for me! My mother will do it!"
If Tara gets his clothes- "No! Mommy do it!"
If Daddy wants to make chocolate milk- "No! Mommy do it!"
If Grandma wants to get him out of the car- "No! Mommy do it!"
Mommy is done and hoping that a little stranger time will help him cut the cord and move on.
That's all for now! Check back later....
School starts Tuesday. Tara will be in Intermediate school and Big Guy will be at the Primary school. Neither seems to share my concern that they won't be together. We have open house tonight and in the morning.
I am hoping they will find lots of friends. Adjusting to not living on base has been the hardest for them strictly due to the lack of kids. Don't get me wrong. There are a ton of kids in the neighborhood but only one lives on our court. They are used to a steady flow of kids coming in and out of the house all day. Big adjustment. They have basically had just each other.
I got guilted into Tara getting her ears pierced. She barely flinched and is very excited to add another element to her wardrobe.
Speaking of clothes, the school shopping has been maddening. We began as street urchins. They had nothing suitable for school. Slippers, or flip flops, aren't allowed and my children didn't even own a long sleeve shirt. Tara always had one pair of jeans each year but she had long ago outgrown those. We now have shoes. Real shoes. And multiple pairs for each child. Long pants seemed a good idea so they have those now too. The principle, who once moved here from that place, suggested a sweater since they will now have air conditioning, so those too have been purchased. The school supply list here is much shorter so that was a nice change. Apparently Virginia schools have enough money for teachers' supplies, toilet paper and paper towels so that will make for a less cumbersome first day. Tick tick tick! Almost time!
Tyler will begin soccer with AYSO. He is most excited. Tara, my dear dear daughter, has said she would like to pass on sports this year so that she "can focus on her studies". (what is that crap and from where does it come????) I did talk her into Brownies/Girl Scouts so I guess she will be out hocking cookies this year. If you forget to order, no worries, call me. I am sure I will have a freezer full!
Trey will be hanging out with Mom for one last year. I hope to head to the Y each day and put his little butt in their childwatch program. I am hoping to eradicate the phrase "Mommy do it" from his vocabulary. It is not spoken to me as a command. It is spoken to everyone else who would make an attempt to do something for him. The phrase would be "No! Please don't bother doing that for me! My mother will do it!"
If Tara gets his clothes- "No! Mommy do it!"
If Daddy wants to make chocolate milk- "No! Mommy do it!"
If Grandma wants to get him out of the car- "No! Mommy do it!"
Mommy is done and hoping that a little stranger time will help him cut the cord and move on.
That's all for now! Check back later....
The Beach
I have a confession. I haven't wanted to go to the beach.
Yes, I said that.
How could the beaches here even slightly compare with those in Hawaii? I hadn't been able to muster up the courage to set myself up for such disappointment.
My children proved me wrong.
We found ourselves at Sandbridge running an errand for Gramma Judy. How could I possibly go to Sandbridge and not go to the beach? I knew where I was headed that morning and had mentioned it to the kids so they were suited up beneath their clothes but their lack of enthusiasm for hittin' the beach fueled my uncertianty. We parked and trudged through the sand without even taking towels 'cause everyone said they weren't getting in the water.
We got to the top of the last berm and saw the waves crashing into the shore.
Tara took a deep breath and surveyed the scene.
"Ahhhh! The smell of the ocean! Mom, I have missed that!!"
At that moment Tara and Big Guy began ripping off their clothes and disappeared into the murky water. How right she was. Later they came out splashing and happy and collapsed into the sand to begin digging in their continuous efforts to create a hot tub from a mere hole and the water that sneaks in.
I, too, had that wonderful feeling of calmness that washes over me in the presence of the ocean. The beautiful hues of blue dotted with black rocks and reef, palms and the glorious backdrop of the mountains was not there but the ocean remains a constant.
How could I have been so foolish?
Yes, I said that.
How could the beaches here even slightly compare with those in Hawaii? I hadn't been able to muster up the courage to set myself up for such disappointment.
My children proved me wrong.
We found ourselves at Sandbridge running an errand for Gramma Judy. How could I possibly go to Sandbridge and not go to the beach? I knew where I was headed that morning and had mentioned it to the kids so they were suited up beneath their clothes but their lack of enthusiasm for hittin' the beach fueled my uncertianty. We parked and trudged through the sand without even taking towels 'cause everyone said they weren't getting in the water.
We got to the top of the last berm and saw the waves crashing into the shore.
Tara took a deep breath and surveyed the scene.
"Ahhhh! The smell of the ocean! Mom, I have missed that!!"
At that moment Tara and Big Guy began ripping off their clothes and disappeared into the murky water. How right she was. Later they came out splashing and happy and collapsed into the sand to begin digging in their continuous efforts to create a hot tub from a mere hole and the water that sneaks in.
I, too, had that wonderful feeling of calmness that washes over me in the presence of the ocean. The beautiful hues of blue dotted with black rocks and reef, palms and the glorious backdrop of the mountains was not there but the ocean remains a constant.
How could I have been so foolish?
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Pics
We made the big move and we have been busy. If you remember, the house was very white with lots of stained wooden trim. There is still painting to be finished on the steps and I haven't begun the upstairs. Appliances were mismatched, there was a lack of ceiling fans, the lights were outdated, there were huge boxwoods in the front and there were 34 trees in the backyard. We still have a bathroom we would like to redo and the yard we will hit hard in the fall. The back is a huge dust bowl now but with 3 truckloads of topsoil grass will grow. Kevin and my dear Dad built a fence around the entire backyard. It's a 6 ft privacy fence except next to the yard where city ordinance required it to be a 4 ft fence. We found a huge play set on Craigslist and we need to mulch around it. The garage is still a wreck but we have furniture that needs to be sold/trashed and when that happens we'll have more room.
We love our new home. The neighbors are wonderful and we have received muffins, cookies brownies and one even made us a lasagna. These people are awesome!
Judy has been wanting pics so here are some and the rest will be on the photo page.
Saying Goodbye
The following obit was copied from the KC Star. Mike was a great man, one of the absolute best and will be missed by many. The sadness is suffered by those he left behind but there is comfort in knowing that one day they will all be together. Another blow to the family was that a long-time good friend, died one week later. I know Mike secured his place in heaven long ago. I know he is surrounded by friends and family in heaven and I have a feeling that when Mr. Myer joined him in passing, Mike was seated at a big table shuffling cards. I can hear his big booming voice greeting his old friend- "I always said cream rises to the top! Are we going to play cards or what??"
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Michael J. Furey
Michael J. Furey, 68, of Kansas City, Mo., passed away Monday, July 21, 2008. A Rosary will be said at 6 p.m. followed by visitation at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11822 Holmes Road, on Wednesday, July 23. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 24, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, with burial following in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The family requests no flowers, but memorial contributions may be made to The Cristina Furey Heart Foundation, or St. Thomas More Building Fund, or a charity of your choice. Mike was born on Nov. 7, 1939, and spent his entire life in Kansas City, Mo. He graduated from Hogan High School in 1956. After attending college, Mike worked for Melody McGilley Eiler Funeral Home for 10 years. He then went to work for Allied Concrete Products which he and his wife Judy purchased from Barney and Rosemarie Maguire and then headed the business for 30 years. Mike and Judy are also co-owners of Residential Sewage Treatment Company. In 2002, Mike and Judy retired to pursue their love of travel, the Lake of the Ozarks, relaxation and family. Mike was a long time member of the Knights of Columbus, the National Precast Concrete Association, Missouri Concrete Association and the Missouri Concrete Industry Board. Mike was a very active participant in parish life at Coronation of Our Lady Catholic Church, Grandview, Mo., for 28 years. Mike is preceded in death by his parents, Norris and Mabel Furey; brother, Joseph Furey; sisters, Betty Lutz and Martha Stoerman. Also preceding Mike in death are his children, Mickey Furey and Amy Furey; and his granddaughter, Cristina Furey. Mike is survived by his wife, Judy, of 50 years; his children, Bernie Furey (Kristi), Pete Furey (Amparo), Tammy Beatty, Pam Thurman (Doug), Kevin Furey (Maria); 15 wonderful grandchildren, which he cherished; sisters, Sister Jane Ellen Furey, SCL, Leavenworth, Kan., Mrs. Norrine Baggett (Frank), Shreveport, La., Sister Roberta Furey, SCL, Denver, Colo.; and sister-in-law, Faye Furey- Comeaux, Houston, Texas; mother and father-in-law, Barney and Rosemarie Maguire. Arr.: McGilley State Line Chapel (816) 942-6180.
View/Sign Guest Book
Michael J. Furey
Michael J. Furey, 68, of Kansas City, Mo., passed away Monday, July 21, 2008. A Rosary will be said at 6 p.m. followed by visitation at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11822 Holmes Road, on Wednesday, July 23. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 24, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, with burial following in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The family requests no flowers, but memorial contributions may be made to The Cristina Furey Heart Foundation, or St. Thomas More Building Fund, or a charity of your choice. Mike was born on Nov. 7, 1939, and spent his entire life in Kansas City, Mo. He graduated from Hogan High School in 1956. After attending college, Mike worked for Melody McGilley Eiler Funeral Home for 10 years. He then went to work for Allied Concrete Products which he and his wife Judy purchased from Barney and Rosemarie Maguire and then headed the business for 30 years. Mike and Judy are also co-owners of Residential Sewage Treatment Company. In 2002, Mike and Judy retired to pursue their love of travel, the Lake of the Ozarks, relaxation and family. Mike was a long time member of the Knights of Columbus, the National Precast Concrete Association, Missouri Concrete Association and the Missouri Concrete Industry Board. Mike was a very active participant in parish life at Coronation of Our Lady Catholic Church, Grandview, Mo., for 28 years. Mike is preceded in death by his parents, Norris and Mabel Furey; brother, Joseph Furey; sisters, Betty Lutz and Martha Stoerman. Also preceding Mike in death are his children, Mickey Furey and Amy Furey; and his granddaughter, Cristina Furey. Mike is survived by his wife, Judy, of 50 years; his children, Bernie Furey (Kristi), Pete Furey (Amparo), Tammy Beatty, Pam Thurman (Doug), Kevin Furey (Maria); 15 wonderful grandchildren, which he cherished; sisters, Sister Jane Ellen Furey, SCL, Leavenworth, Kan., Mrs. Norrine Baggett (Frank), Shreveport, La., Sister Roberta Furey, SCL, Denver, Colo.; and sister-in-law, Faye Furey- Comeaux, Houston, Texas; mother and father-in-law, Barney and Rosemarie Maguire. Arr.: McGilley State Line Chapel (816) 942-6180.
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