You just know your going to have a bad day when...

The washing machine stopped working yesterday and the power was out all morning. The cell phone died but has since come back to life. Just as I was ready to call for technical support (yeah, love when that happens). But you know your going to have a bad day when the bathroom light goes on at 6:00 AM and you hear crying. Crying because your 8-year-old is battling the flu and has poo-ed his bed. Did I mention the washing machine that is not scheduled for repair until tomorrow and is less than 2 years old. But we've got poo TODAY. Yeah! I must go the youngest is crying with an ear ache and we are still flooded in. Good times at the Boyd house today.

Flood tour continued...

Yes I'm bored out of my mind...the kids are ripping the house apart and who said spring break. I think that really means breaking things while you get to spend quality time with your parents in doors during the last few days of winter. Yep that is what it means to me and my children who have somehow managed to use three whole rolls of tape and a couple of glue sticks in less then 24 hours. Who knows on what...I'm sure I will find out eventually but for now no one is talking. NOW WHAT DO I DO? Oh let's go for a little drive and continue our tour. The first photo is our neighbors farm. He passed away last year...he was 97 years old his wife is in a nursing home. They were supposed to auction this farm last weekend but couldn't because of the snow and rising water. Ummmm it's not happening this week either but is scheduled for next week. Any bets on whether or not it will be dry enough? I'm thinking not.














Some alternative routes...honey, I think we need to turn around. Actually about an hour before this DH drove through the water with two of the wee ones to take some supplies to the ambulance they are now keeping on the other side. The water was much lower then the guardrail he assured me.
















Finally some photos down by the barn. We'll be moving these guys to higher ground in about 7 more feet of water. For now they are safe. We'll also need to move the cows that are in the barn and the goat oh and the stud horse that we board for a friend. DH will think it funny that I said "we" but I'll watch and help if he actually needs my help but he won't.

When it rains it pours

Well it looks like the kiddos will be home all this week since they just cancelled school for the rest of the week. They are supposed to have spring break next week but that is not looking promising either. I'm thinking we'll be in school until July. Now if I was a homeschoolin' mom this would not be a problem at all. It would just be business as usual with some extra credit studies of the power of mother nature. But that idea got shut down by the man so as it is they are all driving me crazy including the man who has been stuck inside all day because of the rain and insists that wrestling with the children all day is the very best way to entertain them. Did someone say vacation? I need one but it looks like a little rum and coke and a jacuzzi bubble bath is going to have to do for now. I'm counting the minutes until they konk out for the night! Anyway this is what it looks like in my neck of the woods. Let me give you a little tour. The first photo is from the flood of 2005. I find it really funny that the Army Corp. of Engineers have upgraded their living quarters so extremely in two years. The poor freezing guys in Jan. of '05 went to Lowes to build this little shanty. I guess they figured it out in two years and decided that this nice grey office would be much better suited for the elements during this flood. I knew last weekend when I went out for groceries before the snow storm that this was coming. They had a bull dozer leveling and dumptruck loads of gravel dumped here preparing. They don't do that unless they are serious and ready for the long haul.

So lets continue the tour... photo three is the flood gate below our house. They close the gate which runs under the railroad (a natural dam) and pump water through those culverts just under the tracks. See those blue pipes in photo three? They are using those to pump the water over the tracks to prevent our only way out besides through grandmas field (literally through John's grandma's field) open to traffic.















You can't really tell in photo 4 but the Corp. of Engineers is doing a fine job of keeping this road open...it must be their shiny new office (see photo 2).
















Photo five is of the sign at the bottom of Somerdale Road. I think you can see it a little better in my last post.

Lake Front Property

It's a typical day here. We're flooded again. It's no surprise really with the rain and snow that we've gotten this year. I actually think the bus has had to go around the lake more this winter than it's been able to travel down our road. It's a good thing that the bus drivers are great and can swing into our driveway. I'd hate to have my kids go across the railroad tracks or out to the state route that is in front of our house. The view of our lake is just gorgeous. Those are not shrubs or bushes sticking out of the water. They are full grown trees. You can see the sign at the bottom of the hill behind the road closed sign. When it comes across this section of the road it's getting bad. Right now they've shut the flood gate that sits below our house and are pumping water through a pipe under the railroad tracks. The last time we saw this was in 2005. The kids didn't have school for two weeks because of the flooding and my poor sister-in-law who was 8 months pregnant had to get across this lake by boat. They were completely flooded in...it was January cold but not frozen like the photo with the horses in the foreground. We're waiting and hoping that it doesn't get that bad this time. Down the road from our house the water is at the edge of the road. I've got the pantry stocked and seriously don't mind being stuck here. The kids hate it. Especially since we don't let them go outside when it's flooded like this. It's just too tempting to try and get a closer look and that scares me to death. I know spring is right around the corner and soon that field/lake will be planted with corn and soybeans just like every other year. We will most likely flood again and lose it but theres always the chance that it will be a perfect year with no flooding. If I could only convince hubby to plant rice. Or if they'd just make this permanent then we would have lake front property year round.

Egads I've been tagged.

I think this is the first time and I also think Aimee was not subtly telling me it's time to update my blog (thank you very much). So here are seven (gosh I hope I can think of that many) random things about me. Here's the dealio I've been tagged by the amazing Aimee, who was tagged by fantastic Paula, who was tagged by the wonderful Celeste, who was tagged by the awesome Tina, who was tagged by the fabulous Angie and that's as far back as I know. ;)

Here's what I have to do:* Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.* Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.* Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I have five children. (Why was that the first thing that popped into my head?) I think because my 16-year-old son is getting his drivers license tomorrow (Lord, help me).
2. I started a diet this week but I'm motivated this time. Seriously, I've been riding the exercise bike every morning for 30 minutes and 400 crunches every evening. I hurt but it feels so good :)
3.This weekend is the home and garden show at the mall. John has his booth with all the new mowers set up there as I type. Nothing says spring like the home and garden show or the robins in my front yard yesterday or the fact that one of the cows had a calf yesterday. Yes indeed spring is right around the corner!
4. A year ago I was in Florida visiting my parents and having a great time with my sister. *Sigh* I wish I was on the beach with an umbrella drink RIGHT NOW. Especially since it's supposed to snow this weekend (reminder to put some food out for the robins)
5. My little kids are sick. Johnathan is home from school today terrorizing his little brother today. He's going to school tomorrow and that is all there is to it.
6. My youngest has kindergarten registration on Monday. The kid can't write his name but if I tell him to print out business cards on the computer he can do it. Is this a problem? Maybe he'll be my computer whiz kid. I am seriously freaked out about him going to kindergarten...can't I keep him home just one more year. I'M NOT READY!
7. When I was 16 I ran over my little brother dropping him and my other younger brothers off at school (his leg got stuck in the car and I thought all the doors had closed). Poor kid just got a sprained ankle but when I put the car in gear to stop to see what I had done he yelled DON'T BACK UP. Imagine having to go home to tell your mom that you had run over your little brother when you are 16 and had just gotten your license. Please see my #1. Once again Lord help me.

I'm tagging Tiare, Dawn, Pat, Michelle, Becky, Adriann and Margo :) I just know their going to LOVE me LOL Oh and sorry Michelle I see now that you were double tagged.