The Perfect Score

We spent yesterday afternoon outside in the 92 degree sun waiting for 6 different cross country races. For August it was quite toasty. I felt awful for the runners. That temp is much to warm to be running races in.

On a positive note I was very proud of our high school cross country team, who my son runs for, as they had a perfect score at this meet. That's pretty rare. What it means is that they had all 5 of the first runners. In CC you want a low score, and you get 1 point per place that you finish. So the team scored a 15, the best you can do! Go Team!

Miss 14 had a terrible time at practice yesterday with her heart. She has episodes of supra ventricular tachycardia. She has had surgery for it, but it didn't cure it. It did reduce the rate of heartbeat when she does have an episode, she doesn't have to be medicated any longer and she has many fewer episodes. When she does have one, it completely wears her out though. I felt bad for her, as she still had to go back for another practice in the evening. She was exhausted.

I spent last night helping with homework. Here are the subjects that between 3 kids I got to help with: Algebra, Honor's English, 12th Grade English, Science, Spelling and reading. I think my IQ rose many levels after all that studying!

So much to do, so little time

Oh my gosh, so I completely forgot to post anything here in ages. Not because I don't love spilling my guts to the non-existents who don't seem to be reading it, but because life just caught me up and started whirling me around and now I'm all dizzy and just couldn't remember! What an excuse... try it with your teachers little ones.

Things have changed here in smalltownuppermidwestusa. After Hubby's relatives all left to head home, two a day practices kept us swamped for Miss 14 and Mr. 17. Then just when those stopped, school started. Sheesh, I can't catch a break. Miss 14 started her freshman year of high school and Mr 17 started his senior year. Mr 17 even shocked us to the core and offered to give his sister a ride to school every day. I keep expecting him to drop her off a mile away and make her run the rest of the way or something.

Miss 9 started grade 4. It's going to be a tough year for both of us I'm afraid. She's has several learning disabilities along with ADHD-Anxiety. So... that means a lot of homework and extra's, etc. In a private school, the services offered are sometimes less than stellar; so I end up with a lot of extra things to do here with her. Which is fine, for the most part I like to do them with her.

Hubby is a stressed out weight losing mess at the moment. Harvest was going well, then we had rain, then the contracts we have signed for the durum really messed with his head. So, overall he's been pretty much a non entity here at the house. Although yesterday he was home, and it was great to have him around, but even better that HE MOWED THE YARD and I didn't have to do it! Hooray!!!

Whine, Moan, #itch

So on with the whining! Yawn! And the yawning. I'd like to blame the weather for my tiredness, but I really think it's just the fact that Hubby doesn't manage to come home early enough to be in bed before midnight or so, and then I'm not getting my 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep, and no, I can't function without that for too long, and today it's too long!

Miss 9 has already left for the farm with Hubby. Mr 17 just returned from morning practice (cross country) and has already commenced with more #itching about what the girls have done or what I haven't done. Sigh.... Miss 14 just got out of bed but has been laying in bed finishing Harry Potter, so now I finally have someone to discuss it with! Hooray!

I did get the lawn mowed last night, fortunately it was still 96 degrees outside while I was doing it, so I was able to sweat off a pound or so. But then my sinuses filled up over night and my eyes got swollen and itchy, so HOORAY I was able to get that pound back. I was so worried!

This afternoon I will take Miss 14 with me to the farm for supper and a chance to see Hubby. Mr. 17 will leave after his afternoon practice session. He was able to get a few hours of combining time in yesterday as well, but not without much complaining.

Hubby's family is here from out of state to help with harvest and visit with Grandma. It makes for a stressful week of cooking, cleaning and hoping for interesting topics to visit about. So far teen age boys and their whining seems to be a topic we can bond over, as their teenage boy is 16. Whatever works.

Breakdowns

Hubby and Mr 17 have really been putting in some long hours as harvest has started. They typically leave around or before 9 a.m. (Have you ever tried getting a teen out the door? Don't judge until you have a teen up, running about 5 miles for Cross Country and then try to get them showered and fed and out the door, it is really not an easy task!) and they return sometime after 10:30 p.m. Things were going fairly well with only minor breakdowns in the combines, things that could be fixed in hours or a few moments. That all changed on Friday. Mr 17 had moved on to the old machine and was combining a lentil field while Hubby worked feverishly in the heat and humidity to clean out all the barley from the new machine. (Never worked with barley dust/chafe/filth? It's incredibly ITCHY!) Hubby kicked in all the systems to check over the working parts and a huge banging greeted him. I won't go into details, but so far the bill for parts without labor costs incurred by having a mechanic come out to help (it's really a two or three person job to fix this breakdown) is over $3,000. So the new combine is sitting still waiting for the remaining parts so it can get up and running.
Saturday evening Mr 17 is running the older combine. (thank goodness for this machine; nothing fancy, and really old, but she keeps plugging away) Mr 17 is on his last pass on this field so Hubby leaves the two way radio out of his earshot briefly while he moves something around. As Mr 17 tries to turn a corner with the combine THE FRONT TIRE FALLS OFF! Seriously! Can you imagine. Without the two way radio on Mr 17 can't reach Hubby, so he has to run a mile back to the home farm to get Hubby's help! Good thing Mr 17 is a runner and a mile was a piece of cake for him, oh wait, he was in untied work boots, jeans and running through lentil stubble in 95 degree heat and humidity you normally see only in Florida. Maybe I exaggerate when I say a piece of cake.
So, now the old combine is down as well. It is in need of serious repairs as well. So on a beautiful harvest weather day, Hubby and Mr 17 are stuck at home because no one works here on Sundays, so no parts can be had to fix the machines. An unexpected and very frustrating day off for them. Me, I feel a bit selfish, I was glad to have them here to help with the daily mundane. I feel bad that the machines are broken, and that Hubby is so frustrated he throws his hat around, but still, glad to have him here for a day.
(PS What was with all the parenthesis in this post? Heh!)

Crabby

I'm not sure what started it today, but I'm feeling really crabby today. No, it's not PMS, so I can't even use that as an excuse. Pretty much everything set me off- a bug flying at my face while I watered plants outside this afternoon pulled a good old fashioned cuss word right out of my mouth. Miss 9 sitting around "being bored" was enough for a rant about cleaning your room and doing some reading instead of staring at the floor. She did do some cleaning and some reading, so I guess the rant was worth it in the end. Overall though I can't put my finger on the reason for the grumps. Perhaps just going to bed will solve the problem. Maybe tomorrow morning I will wake up as Miss Mary Sunshine. HA! Like that would ever happen!

Dread

I know the time comes every year right around now. And I know that without it, we would have no money to live on throughout the year. But in spite of all that knowledge, I still hate harvest.
I'm selfish I guess, and I feel like Hubby has to work much too hard, and I rarely get to see him. I know, some of you are thinking, "well get your lazy butt out there and help him." I would, but on top of awful allergies this time of year, I have 3 kids who are involved in a ton of different things. I don't want to deprive them of those things. If we were at the farm 35 miles away, they wouldn't get to do as much. I missed out on those things when I was a kid, and I don't want the kids to miss out as well.
Still I am here whining about it. I feel like a single parent for at least 6 weeks this time of year. When school starts (in a mere 3 weeks here) it gets pretty crazy as well. I should feel lucky, I get to stay home while the kids are in school and get caught up. Sometimes I work (substitute teacher) but usually I don't get too busy until cold and flu season kicks in. Hubby goes to work in the a.m. and if we are lucky he is home by 10:30 p.m. That's an early night for him during harvest, usually I'm in bed and he doesn't get home until 11:30 or so. It doesn't make for much of any husband/wife time.
So for a while I am going to sit here and feel sorry for myself and selfish, and wish that he had a 9 to 5 job, even though it would make him miserable. But I'll also hope for all the good weather and few breakdowns that he will need to finish. And I will pray for a good harvest this year, we'll have to start paying for college in less than a year for Mr 17. Yikes!

Teenage Boys are Slobs

Am I right about this, or is it just my teenage boy? Here are a few questions, redundant and perhaps not needing actual answers but... whatever...

1. Is it really impossible for teenage boys to shut their dresser drawers? Out of 6 drawers why must 5 of them be left open with clothing hanging out of them at all times?

2. Why are keys constantly lost? Why, every day, do I hear, "Has anyone seen my keys?"

3. Are wet towels on a bedroom floor a fashion statement for teenage boys?

4. How many times can a teenage boy step over a pair of their own dirty socks without picking them up?

5. Must a teenage boy's bedroom have dirty laundry, garbage and an unmade bed as decorative objects in them?

6. When a teenage boy says, "Can you pick me up a _________?" does the item always have to be expensive? As though I can run out to the store and just come home with a $200 item and not think twice about it.

7. Does leaving open cereal boxes out, cracker bags strewn on the counters, dirty plates, utensils, and glasses make teenage boys feel more manly?

8. If I post more of this will I bore you? Because this list could go on, and on and on...

What in the world have I done wrong with this spawn of mine? Miss 14 picks up after herself. Miss 9 knows she should pick up after herself, and she does, 80% of the time. What the h*$% is up with Mr 17 and his inability to see the mess that apparently just flies out of his rear as he walks through a room?