"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. "

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....
I'm behind, like way ridiculously behind, and I have no excuse. I DO have a two min vid from the last week.
and it isn't like we have done a hella lot since I last posted that would keep me away.. I've just been um, busy...yeah, that's it , busy.

Really,I was soo busy , I even called in sick the day I was scheduled to help at station time. I wasn't sick, but I lost my voice- and well I've had this super awesome cough I didn't want to bring to the classroom. I think I have FINALLY shaken the bug, but I still sound like a chain smoker.
....I don't smoke THAT much,
really.
Hey,I still have my ridiculous sense of smell. I swear i smell things that don't exist, and after getting over that cold that is SO heightened.ugh.I am a freaking blood hound.

Anyway..
Normal school week for the most part- Ri and I were both feeling pretty run down.I sort of hid and got hermity.. which was extra weird because I felt like everyone dropped me a message and wanted me to call them- but I didn't and couldn't if I wanted to.I am still feeling pressed to connect with people. i will climb that mt eventually. ..just don't hold your breath, or call me if you want to talk.

- Wednesday was pretty busy though, I took her to school, ran the dog- then decided to stop in and check on Ri before he opened,got an hour of exercise in on the wiifit- then picked up the kid
..She gets off early Wednesday and likes to go to the park, so we stop by and see her dad too:

(Ri's buddy Phil was fixing the sign and put her name on it for a second )
We went to the lighthouse park instead of the playground we usually stop at
She liked the trees more than the playground equipment there
Ri's friend ( who was changing the sign earlier ^ ) works at alligator farm, and reminded us that now that the time has changed and it gets dark earlier we should come watch the birds. So we decided to stop in to see after Ri got off work:



-Oh- the swans will beat those ducks down if the ducks so much as look at the food.

CROC!

We hung around wasting time til twilight ,




Rory and Ri got to hold a snake. Rory was a bit scared at 1st, which is really odd. At 2 or so snakes where her favorite animal- the last few years she has been a bit skittish of them.
One other park goer was quiet scared as well, this sweet older woman .. and together they faced their fears to hold the snake- it was too sweet.


Rory said she loved the snake's camouflage. and the handler talked a bit with her about why it has the spots it does and why it is called a ball python.(look it up, ok- I am lazy :p ) .

Sunset- time to watch the bird fly in


I am not the best photographer.. and my cam has had trouble focusing lately.

It was really hard to try and get the vid I wanted of the birds flying to rest over the gators.










Lets not talk about the white stuff all over the trees..

These pictures are so pathetic. Watching the birds fly in to the alligator farm is AMAZING. Hell, watching the small groups of them head that way at sunset (from anywhere in St.aug) has always amazed me- so seeing them here is really crazy.

They let us stay a bit later to see their gators eyes in our light-


Check out the stars!
..look close

Not stars.
Not at all.
That is the reflection of the alligators eyes:
She is counting the reflections. You don't wanna know how many.
Insanity.
Ri's buddy let her keep the flashlight too- she rode home with it, as we took the long loopy back road back to our house on the bikes.
She pretty much passed out after dinner.

Thursday Rory had the day off for Veterans Day (which was weird because i don't remember ever getting Veterans day off,especially not midweek if we did- but ok)- It was really nice to have that break, and we spent it being completely lazy. We even canceled Rory's checkup dr appt so we wouldn't have to run all the way to themiddleofnowhere.
A friend of Ri's from out of state did stop in on his way through town, and it was great to see him
- Ri spent the day hanging out with him, sharing his love of our new town-or olde city?

Rory and I have been reading,
a lot.
Rory is really starting to pick up words, insanely fast- and still interested in hearing me read longer stories. We are reading Despereaux together (actually- I am reading her a few chapters a night.. I already finished it) and now she says she likes the book better than the movie.
but , the book is a bit dark. "Mom,leave out the parts about mouse bones next time,K? "

Thursday was busy for my sis Lissy too- Boo left again. Deployed to DC.
she spent the day saying goodbyes. They let her stay the night at the hotel there before he got on his flight
, and on her way back through Friday early morn she stopped in. She helped me drop Rory off at school.- Nico did not understand that. He hugged her bye, but he couldn't believe we'd just left her there.. but we let him ride in her carseat to Lissy's house, and he thought that was pretty cool

I spent the day out there with them, Lissy dog is looking much healthier- and almost cute.
and her cat decided I make a great seat.( aww I miss having a kitty). I made Lissy watch some of my fav shows and youtube channels. I like to spread my addictions.

Nico was more than ready to go pick Rory up from school
He is a peacock!
We came home and order pizza- and flew a kite a little.


Saturday Lissy came to pick me up again,
We decided to tag along with mom to Cassadega ,Mom wanted to get a reading, and Amy wanted to do some shopping.
So we piled into Mom's car




we went on a little picnic



Then walked around the little neighborhood- and shops while Mom went to the psychic.
Pretty neat little town... but the kids were NOT very entertained amidst all the stores filled with fragile items though.
So we stopped at BK for coffee, ice cream- and to give Amy her birthday cake
Even little Allura loved the play area.





It was a pretty nice day. we hung out at mom & dad's for a bit chatting and laughing.Rory was passed out and Ri was on his way to bed by the time I got home.


Sunday was spent recuperating from such a busy day. .. Plus, with horrible tooth pain.
I have been clenching my teeth in my sleep.. i think I might have actually put a tiny hairline crack on the back of a tooth. It hurts. I was starting to feel much better.. now OUCH.
Despite it, after dropping the kid off at school, I still ran the dog- then went on a bike ride with Ri all over downtown.

Today.. I get another day off from helping in Rory's class- they have stuff planned with the holiday coming up.We are still trying to figure some things out as far as holidays, schedules , finances, and getting healthy- we are getting there like always though. Day by day we are doing good- I guess that is all that matters.

and again- I will make an effort to keep more up to date here, lest you have to suffer through three thousand catch up pictures and a week-month's worth of rambling.


I also want to say
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

I know a good dozen people with Bdays the middle of this month. (and don't think that i failed to notice it is 9 months form Valentines Day..For goodness sakes, buy your parents chocolates)


... A reward of some webjunk if you hung in here this long


I am gonna go take a crazy long shower.
Somewhere between reading about heartbroken mice and dungeon rats ,and watching The Walking Dead I can't help but feel twice as jumpy and gross as normal
PEACE AND TOFU CHICKEN GREASE,
BABYHELLFIRE