No sleep tonight...

I never quite understood how anybody could enjoy a thunderstorm. I always hear people say, Oh, I love thunderstorms, they are so relaxing. Are you kidding me?
There is one nasty storm going on right now, Friday morning , August 19 at 12:28 am. I should be asleep. The thunder is so loud, it feels like it's right above my house. I am surprised my kids aren't crawling under my skin! Ok, Sam is up and walking around.
I remember when I was a girl and being terrified (ok, it's hailing now) of thunder/rain storms. I was convinced the wind was going to destroy my house and blow the rickety windows in. I thought for sure the house was going to blow over. The window panes would rattle something fierce. Many times I would get out of bed and crawl under it and pray with all my 8 year old heart out for it to stop. 'Please, Heavenly Father, make the storm stop. Or at least pass by. Please protect the house that we will be safe.'
I would wake up many mornings still under my bed. I was so glad it would be over. Maybe that's why when a storm blows through now and it starts my mind racing: please don't blow my house in, please don't destroy the windows, please don't let the dead willow tree in the back yard fall over on anyone's house, please protect my kids and don't scare them.
My nerves are on edge. I guess I hate being startled. The thunders are clapping so loud as if they are laughing at me. (Very poetic at 12:36 at night).
No sleep for me until I know it's done. When will that be? I wish I knew! I wish I had a forecast somewhere online that I can look and tell me, ok Suzie, it will be completely over at 1:03 am.
Are fears that easy to negotiate?
So...anyway, I feel like I'm rambling on and on and on. Maybe I am. Everybody here is snoring. Sam decided to sleep on the floor of my room at the floor of my bed. He does that every once in awhile. He does that when he has a hard time falling asleep. Poor guy, not very comfortable. I guess he feels safe there.
Drizzling rain now...the hail stopped. Just those damned claps of thunder once in awhile that make me jump out of my skin. Feeling very nervous and jittery.
I hope everyone has a calm night tonight. We'll see if I get any rest. Wish me luck. Good night :)

The boy is driving me crazy.

So i really don't mind Daniel watching Sid the Science Kids on PBS in the mornings. It's a good little show, big and bright and the lessons are educational. Today was about charting and collecting data. I understand Sid was getting a toy and had something to do with charting. Then Daniel gets an idea in his head that if he does a chore chart, he gets a dog! Now, I'm not a dog fan. I'll tolerate someone else's dog (usually from a distance), but I will not have one in my home. I worked too hard to get my house (somewhat) together for a stinky and noisy dog to mess it up. I have avoided the requests that have been ALL day from this little boy. So, he made up his chart and commenced in doing 'chores', all 4 of them. Then he gets his stickers out and stickered his chart when the chore was accomplished. He wants to go to the mall to looks at the pet shop there and then suggested the pound. I tried to explain that dogs poop and I'm not cleaning dog poop. "But Mom, they poop outside", me "Sam and I are allergic to cats and dogs and they make us sneeze. Cousin Chris and Aunt Marina are very allergic to animals." Daniel "The dog can stay in my room when family comes over." Oh yeah, there's an answer to everything.
We call Daddy because at 10 am, I'm ready to pull my hair out. Daddy wouldn't mind a dog. He would like a big on because little ones are too yippy. So he's no help.
I get a reprieve from 12:30 until 3:30 while Daniel is at school. I enjoyed my Target shopping in silence and enjoyed my alone time.
As soon as he gets home from school, it starts all over again. Dog, dog, I want a dog, I want to get a dog now. When can we go to the mall???!?!?
Finally, I had to get stern....NO MORE TALKING ABOUT GETTING A DOG!!
While I am checking email, Daniel writes me a note:
If you don't get me a dog, I leave this day.
Signed, Daniel

I ask where are you going? Outside in the woods (with a grin and he soon realized how silly he sounds).
Ugh, maybe I can try to divert him with a fish...wish me luck.

Best day of my life...

A part of getting my mission call, coming home from my mission, my wedding day, the birth of my children, and moving into our house...today is gonna be the best day of my life!
We're getting our first new DISHWASHER!!!!!!! No more sitting dirty dishes! No more stinky dish water, No more dried out hands!!! Can I get a huzzzzahhhh!!! The installation guy is coming between noon and 1. Yeah, ok Daniel maybe a little late for school ( he's suppose to be there at 12:30), but it's a holiday in the Minnich home!
Pictures to follow.

Attempting to Make links

Suzie has mad several posts recently that haven't been showing up as links on Ricelandia. So she has asked me to fix it. Now I am attempting to fix it.

Now I have fixed it. ( I am editing this post after the fact. )
It appears that if you don't title the post there will be no link.

Matt

After a very busy day visiting family....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Minnich Cousins

Suzie and Her Doofy Husband