Ramsey's Down on the Farm

This is the name of my building contractor who is starting tomorrow!!!!!He came out yesterday and showed us the plans and we added another 2 feet to our bedroom (because we can). Today he came out with an estimate, and we could live with it. Of course, being country folk, we are planning to do some of the work ourselves and he took that into consideration. We are all very excited and Jon has been outside digging a trench around the sidewalk. He is going to dig it up in the morning. I am going to have to dig up my bushes and move my potted plants but that's a small price to pay for a new bedroom with two huge closets and a wrapping porch. I wish I could have a bathroom too. It's just not going to happen right now. We want to put it where the computer/dining room is but I don't have anywhere to put all of bookcases, china hutch, computer desk, ect....There will be no bathroom until we build a den and a barn comes before that. It will years and the kids will be gone and we won't need one anymore. I'll take it anyway.

Petersburg's homecoming is this week and I am ready for it to be over. Sage is class president and Reese is class treasurer so they both have to go to numerous class meetings for homecoming projects. I've been frantically trying to find post paint and come up with ideas. I am not the most creative person so I told them to call Nana, sorry Nana. The junior class is making mums (we dont' have a flower shop in town) to raise money for their senior trip so they asked for parental help. Guess where I'm going tonight while Reese is at band practice? I went to a band booster meeting where they asked for volunteers to work in the concession stand. The band director looked straight at me so I put a piece of paper in front of my face. I will help at the band suppers, I will give them money but I will not work in the concession stand. I don't know why this sounds so horrible to me but it does.

Reese had another game Thursday night and we won again. The score was 50-0. In 6-man football when one team is 45 points ahead of the other team the game is over. They call it 45-ing, which we did our 1st and 2nd game. YEA! Then on Friday night the high school ended up 45-ing the team they played. It's always nice when you have to drive for an hour and a half to get there and then you get leave early. We still didn't get home until midnight, imagine if the game had gone the full length. It was over at the end of the 3rd quarter. Reese complained about last weeks pictures of the band but the ones this week were worse. He had warning and still wouldn't smile. We did get the weekend off from cross country but next week is homecoming so I expect to be busy. He looks so thrilled, I've embarrassed him again. My life is complete.

I have been fighting with Blue Cross Blue Shield for a month trying to get our health insurance taken care of. We had to get coverage for the kids and I have been on COBRA with Randall Co. since I quit working there last November. We know someone from church who sells insurance and he got us a good deal but no it could not be that simple. It has been 3 1/2 weeks since I sent them the premium and I have still not gotten my insurance activited. They said that the quote I got wasn't enough so I sent them another check which they have already cashed and I still haven't gotten the policy activated. I have been calling them everyday and they keep saying any time now. INSURANCE COMPANIES SUCK!! Thank you very much for letting me vent I feel much better now.

I am as addicted as the rest of my family. I have a house to clean and clothes to fold but what am I doing: blogging about Pioneer Woman and reading while these things are loading. It's like a great book that I can't put down.

Reese has been working on a project for English class that has been quite interesting. He had to read a book called "The Giver". It is about a utopian society, so they had to create their own planet. Some of his classmates had some weird ones, marshmellow people, military societies and religious compounds. He made his the green planet and had some very strange rules. The government picked out your spouse and you were not allowed to get divorced. You could only have 3 kids or you could sign a waiver to not have kids, ect... It was very innovative. I had to help him with the sentence structure and typing, then we went to Nana's and she helped with the organization on the board. He also has a pamphlet to go with it. Thank you Nana for your help.

Reese did not have his first game Thursday night, it got rained out. I guess 7 inches in 24 hours will do that. He said the team was mad because they didn't get to play their first game but all of the fans were happy to not sit in the stands in the rain. The Friday night game however did not get rained out. We were playing our rival, Lorenzo, and we won 42-8. Yeah! The band did not play at half time so I still don't have pictures. The cross country meet for Saturday got cancelled. Sage was so happy she and a classmate screamed as quietly as possible in class when it was announced. I heard that from her and her teacher. He said they seemed very excited. We are all planning to sleep late in the morning.

Last night Reagan had her meet the parents at the school. It was great, we already knew all the teachers. All of her grades were above a 95. I know it's only been 2 and half weeks but that sounds good to me. Reese had band practice from 7pm-9pm plus having to be there at 6:45 am. I don't know when he does his homework. Today Reagan got a band instrument-a flute. Guess what she has been doing all evening? She is very enthusiastic about playing the flute which is a change because she didn't want to be in band at all. They just don't have a choice. The school isn't big enough to give them a choice. Reese had to show us how to put it together but after that Reagan took to it right away. She walked out after we signed the papers and said "I'm Happy!" Of course this lasted about 2 minutes until Reese got in the car and they started arguing. Reese was supposed to start running after school for cross country but he didn't have any clothes together. He said that he must have put his clothes on the peg to be washed because that's where they were, being washed. He said that he would start practicing Monday. He has his first football game tomorrow and it's again Petersburgs big rival: Lorenzo in Lorenzo. We have to be there at 5:30pm. He's playing on the black team, which is the better team. He was voted most improved athlete by the coaches. The only problem he has is his friends are on the Gold team and go to Silverton. They are going to switch people around so there's no telling which team he'll be on next week. Sage is still running and practicing basketball. She shot and made 300 free throws on Monday. How do 3 kids have so many activies?

Reagan was very unhappy because I talked about the other kids athletic and band activities and not hers. She loves school except for P.E. They have the girls basketball coach for this class and he is preparing them for junior high. There are not enough girls in 7th grade to make a team so the 6th graders are playing basketball with them. The first week they did basketball drills and on Friday they ran a mile and half. We told her that it was good for her to be prepared. Then Monday they ran a buffalo mile to see if they were true buffs. This is around the track up the stands, down the stands, up the stands, down the stands and then around the track again. They did this 4 times. Then this week they goofed off and playing football and did easy basketball drills. On Friday they boys got in trouble and the whole class got to run 2 miles around the track. I hope that teaches them something. They work really hard for 10 year olds. She says that she doesn't want to play junior basketball this year because she's tired and wants to take some time off.

I feel bad. I completely forgot that Sage had her first cross country meet this morning in the big town of Wilson, pop. 541. I can't believe they have a school. I forgot my camera. I took it in to put the football and pep rally stuff on the computer and left it at the house. I need to wait until Sunday to blog or something before I bring it in. She did good for someone that was not meant to be runner. She even kicked in at the end and passed 3 or 4 people. They make all of the girls that want to play basketball run cross country. I personally think that sucks but then I am a horrible runner and also was not built to run. Jon, Reagan and I went to the meet but we left cranky Reese at home. He did not want to go he wanted to catch up on his sleep, having to be at school at 6:45am is kicking his butt. Jon's not too thrilled about it either, he's been dragging also. Reese may run at the next cross country meet. I liked Sage's because they didn't run until 10:30 so I didn't have to get to terribly early but if Reese runs it will at 9am. Of course junior high runs first. We'll see.

I remembered to take my camera to the pep rally and got some pictures. Reese played in the band and Sage got nominated to participate in a timed event.....wrapping the band directer in toilet paper. Her group didn't win but they gave it a good try. It was all over relatively painlessly. We then got Reese ready and off with the band. The game was excellent we won 47 to 0. The game was over at half time and we got home early. The band didn't get to play since it was over early but hopefully when they get to I'll remember my camera. The football guys need to get it in gear though, they made lots of little mistakes. At least that's what everybody said. I know next to nothing about football and even less about 6-Man. I did get pictures of Sage's boyfriend. He is number 10.

WE FOUND A CONTRACTOR! He will be able to start in 2 weeks, Sept. 22. He's going on a mission trip with his church to Mexico, I thought we wouldn't hold that against him for not being able to start right away. The kids are happy and I'm excited, although a little apprehensive. I keep thinking about drawers in closets and colors for the walls. I hope everything goes smoothly but I won't hold my breath. Jon just wants it to be over already. We are going to add a master bedroom, a porch and a concrete pad for basketball. We go to Nana's to play basketball right now and it would be nice to just walk outside. Our other big news is we are buying a farm. One of Jon's landlords passed away a few months ago and we have been in negotations to buy it from the heirs. Hopefully we should be able to close next week. On another note we have another football game this evening. It's in Amherst, no I don't know where that it but I'm going to find out. The kids told me that I had to go to the pep rally at 3:10 so I guess I'll be there. I am going to make sure and bring my camera so I can get pictures of Reese in the band.

Reagan and Sage are sharing a room while we hope for a contractor that can add on quickly. My brother had a twin bed with a mattress that was in my mother's attic. We set it up on Reagan's room for Sage to sleep on instead of the couch. She was very happy especially when Nana got her new sheets and a comforter instead of queen sheets on a twin bed. Reagan, who has been asking for another child to have a roommate did not mean a teenager, apparantly. Reagan wants to sleep with the t.v. on, Sage doesn't; Reagan likes to the door open, Sage doesn't, ect.... They would both like us to add on as soon as possible. We are meeting with a new contractor tomorrow because the one we wanted won't be available until the end of November. We could wait that long but it might not be very pleasant. Wish us LUCK!