Okay, day 2. First things first. I had to edit my first post because I made two spelling mistakes, and the one didn't bother me much, but I thought about the other one in bed even before I checked if I was right: Jergen's lotion, NOT Jerkins. Apparently I spell with phonetics :) I will admit that spelling is not a high priority with me, which is not good because I plan on homeschooling and I know that homeschoolers always win the National Spelling Bee or something, so I should probably start caring about spelling. But for me as long as my point gets across, I don't mind what method. It's a "pick your battles" thing, even though that's not really the right context since spelling isn't a battle with anyone, unless you're an English teacher...

But seriously, the pie experiment turned out bad. My sour cherry pie should have been perfect, I followed it to the "T," I know I did. But it was more like soup. And I wasn't sure if the neighbors want soup or not, and they weren't home when I called, so now I have to figure out if they'll remember that I offered and feel offended if I don't bring some over, or if they won't mind and I'll save myself the embarassment of handing them the whip cream container with cherry pie soup.

On the other hand, the crisp, which only had sugar, flour, butter and the extract as a topping (nothing mixed with the fruit), was delicious. I don't know if it made any difference that the sour cherries were fresh and the pie I made last year used home-made (from mom) canned ones, and half of the pie was with store-bought canned that is pie-ready, so I added less sugar, and it was a GREAT pie...

Well, today was the 4th of July (I know, I know, it's still technically the 4th) and we went to the in-laws for the day. It was great weather, very warm but not too warm. Not humid, nice breeze. A little hazy here and there. We sat by the small pond my FIL built last year and even though the rye (not grass, but rye, planted because it's quick growing) was sparce, had already grown to seed, and the ground was hard and slanted toward the pond, it all worked out.

Rugger (whom I'll also refer to as "Buddy" because that's what we all call him) did fine being held or playing with toys, which is good because I was afraid he'd fuss without being able to crawl around, which he tried some, but it just was too hard on his little knees.

Pumpkin also did well, and actually let us pull her into the water (well, at first she laid on the raft like she was tanning, sunglasses and all, I wish I'd had my camera) which is one step ahead of last time when she screamed for dear life and refused to stay in the water, even on the raft. But her "suedo" cousin (son of her uncle's girlfriend) who is the same age was swimming just fine with his "daddy" so she felt she could do okay, too. Eventually I got her off the raft and into my arms in a tight hold, and then I convinced her to go in her own floaty, which she loved and didn't want to get out of the water, then. Rugger did let me hold him in the water, though he kind of wimpered until his attention was grabbed by the other people (uncles, friends of uncles, grandpa and grandma.) But that's further than he's ever got, too. So in all, a success.

I got to talk to Boom's (or Boomer, which I should also mention) youngest brother's girlfriend at the end of the day. I really like her and get along well with her. We have more in common than the other brother's girlfriend, I think. And his other brother (I know, I'm sounding like the Newhart show) hasn't had a girlfriend so I'm not sure what that will be like.

Anyway, they (the brother and his girlfriend) go on vacations all the time because her parents have money and foot the bill, I guess, and they gave us some shirts from Hawaii. Mine is cool since is has those "cave-like" stick figures and drawings, kind of like a ruin. I love that kind of stuff. I always feel odd when people spend money (even at a garage sale) on me and I don't like the gift, so I'm glad I genuinely liked this one.

I'm the kind of person who has to find the "right" gift for someone. Which is why I hate Christmas...too many people and too little budget to get them all something I know they'll like. So we end up giving the same amount of money per gift, and get them stuff we don't know if they'll like, or worse we just give the cash in a card. And after we all open all the gifts, and my MIL has spent way more than I know her budget allows, and we have all these gifts that most of them don't even "fit" us, and I wonder why we do it, anyway? But I know that at least my MIL would be sorely disappointed if I ever suggested a name drawing or other forms of Christmas cheer that some families adopt (like charitable giving instead of internal giving,) and that's because she loves giving gifts, too. Too much, which is why it's even worse when you know she spent money she doesn't have getting you a gift you won't use. *sigh*

But back to July, I can vent about Christmas get togethers later, and I'm sure I will. But that's another story for another time.

Today was good. That is enough for now. Tomorrow won't be so good. I have calls to make I don't want to make, things to do I don't want to do, and not enough time before Friday when I leave for Ohio for a good friend's wedding (he was in Bible Quizzing.) While there I have two new babies to visit (my cousins gave birth one day apart) and planning for the kids' game time at the reunion in two weeks.

Let alone I'm not sure how to deal with Rugger wetting through so many diapers at night, because I am now taking cloth diapers with me overnight, since he wets through disposables, but the amount he wets through now is such that I'll have to wash the bunch at least once while in Indiana...The only other option is to not nurse him as much at night, but I don't know that I'm ready for that fight, yet, or that it's best for him, either. Oh, that kids would come with an instruction manual!

So, Ta-Ta for now!