Frank-o meets real-life Bob the Builder, 1st time couponing/comparing/ad shopping pays off

There is still an abundance of lounging, crying, complaining, fluid-sipping, relaxing, whining, television watching, and couch potato-ing taking place around our house; though I have to believe it has peaked and is on the downhill where these drained little guys will return to their regular, rowdy, rambunctious selves, I hope.






We did return to the pediatrician today. His words, "Frank-o is on the mends and recovering nicely". Buck-a-roo has developed a nasty, moist cough and continues to run high fevers around the clock. He was prescribed a new antibiotic that I just know it is gonna give this a swift kick in the get-along.





--------------------------------------------------



Here's the timeline for the Sinkhole Saga that unfolded in our front yard yesterday and provided hours of much needed entertainment for Buck-a-roo and Frank-o:



0800





1000






1200









1400











1600

1800

2000

2200

0700 (this morning)

Aside from the shear magnitude of having a whole dug in your front yard spanning the course of 15+ hours that is 20 ft long x 20 ft deep and large enough to house a small SUV overnight; the greatest part of the day was the fact that Frank-o truly believes he met Bob the Builder, live and in person in his front yard.

--------------------------------------------------

Perfecting the art of chapstick application with the aid of your mom's pressed powder compact...

{their dad's gonna get me for these, i just know it}

----------------------------------------------

As I have mentioned previously on this blog, I have committed to making an honest effort at comparison shopping/advertisement shopping/couponing. And I have. Not too extreme. Just clipping coupons on items that we routinely use or shopping sales at stores that I frequently shop. I'm not trying to devote my life to slashing our grocery/toiletry budget in half; I am, however, thrilled at the thought that I could pocket an extra $15/trip, $20/week, or even $50+/month.

Last night I had to run to Walgreens to pick up another prescription for the boys. Of course, it was not ready! I did not have my clipped coupons in tow (note to self...improvements needed in coupon organizing in an effort to have them on hand in moments like these). While waiting a ridiculous amount of time for my prescription that had been called in 4+ hours prior, I decided to go to the front of the store and pick up their weekly advertisements and search for bargains...here's what I found and purchased:

Sweet-n-Low (120 packets) - Reg. $2.49 each , On Sale 2/$400 (limit 4)

**savings $1.96

Kleenex (110 count) - Reg. $1.29 each, On Sale $0.89 each (limit 3)

** savings $ 1.20

Walgreen's Training Pants (2T/3T) - Reg. $8.99 each, On Sale 2/$15.98 + coupon $3/1 (limit 3)

** savings $8.00

Total Savings....$11.16 with very little effort at all :) I think I could get really good at this!!

Score!!

Sinkhole Saga

As a rule of thumb around our house, we watch very little televison on a regular basis. However, over the past six days....the routine has definitely been {ahem} relaxed, shall we say?

We prefer to spend majority of our time playing PlayDoh, making art projects, playing outside, playing with Matchbox cars in our rooms, playing outside, playing games, reading books, listening to music, playing outside, playing computer games, playing outside....you get my drift!

The boys did have a shortlived burst of energy this morning where they broke out the guitars, drum, and radio....and {ahem} "busted a move", shall we say?

And since we (or at least ME) have had our fill of televison-watching...why not stare out the dining room window and watch the saga as it {ahem} unfolds, shall we say?

The sinkhole saga that is.... if you are a frequent follower of this blog, you will remember this post where I introduced you all to the sinkhole and this post where I jokingly addressed the fact that the sinkhole had been {ahem} repaired, shall we say?

Repaired....it was {ahem} NOT, shall we say?!!

For two outdoor-lovin, recovering boys that haven't been outside with their tractors and tools in the dirt themselves in 6+ days, this was the next best thing. Why not pull up a chair, prop up your feet, and watch the {ahem} show, shall we say?

We are off to take naps and dream about what we will {ahem} awake to, shall we say?

It's Baaaack!!

Remember this post where I addressed the sinkhole that formed in our front yard in the days following Hurricane Gustav. And, this post where I discussed the hope that the sinkhole had been fixed.

As the title of this post eludes to....it's back! and this is the site of my front yard this morning.

Let the digging begin....

How many municipal parish employees, dressed like human orange cones, does it take to decide what causes above pictured sinkhole, how to best resolve above pictured sinkhole, actually resolve above pictured sinkhole, and return a family's front yard to some state of normalcy?? That is yet to answered. But, when the number is decided...throw in a couple handful extra to stand on the outside and look in!

Don't get me wrong...these men were incredibly nice, admittedly dumbfounded, and enormously apologetic. Still, little answer as to why?

A rather large hole was dug, water was found, the "larger than last incidence" hole was filled with Mexican Lymestone, dirt was replaced and now we wait and see! Are you kidding me?

Though my front yard did look like a state of natural disaster, mixed with mass confusion, and lots of mud....at least it was a beautiful, full of sun, brisk breeze, 55+ degrees, type of day with several flowers remaining in bloom in this the third week of January.

What's left....

of the sinkhole??

Let the picture do the talking...

The LPC (Livingston Parish Council) workers found the "leak" in the drain, patched it, filled the hole and re-sodded smoothed the dirt over the hole.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

of my dad's fishing camp following Hurricane Ike??

Thanks for asking...its seems as the camp stands virtually unscathed from Hurricane Ike. It stands high & dry!!! He has not actually traveled there yet; this is the "word" that he received from locals and hopefully will be the case when he is able to make his way down there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

of summer??

Judging by the temperature outside today, maybe no more 90+ degrees days. I am lovin' these temperatures....if I am not mistaken our high for today was 82 degrees. Are you kidding me?? If these temperatures continue for 5+ days, I'll be ready to plant mums and arrange pumpkins by the front door ;~)

= Endless Entertainment -or- Dirty Disaster

5 toddlers/preschoolers

+ drizzling rain

+ numerous mud puddles





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


1 sinkhole + 1 backhoe + 4 parish workers

Sinking and Dancing

Check out the sinkhole today!! I swear Osama Bin Laden could be calling this his new hide-away--it is sooo freakin' B-I-G. The cone, sawhorses, and caution tape were placed around the area by myself and my neighbors in an effort to keep the children safe. Note the paint present on the grass now as Louisiana One Call was called-in to locate all utilities in preparation for DIGGING. I spoke to the parish councilman today and he proceeded to inform warn me that his crews would be here Monday and begin the excavation to "locate" the problem and that it could require digging up a large portion, if not most all of my front yard and he would do his best to salvage the sod to be replaced after the work is complete. "It's been a real pleasure speaking to you today, Mr. Councilman. Have a great weekend and I so look forward to seeing you on Monday. Bye now!!"


















Though many of you may not enjoy the music selections that are in our music player attached to this blog...rest assured that Buck-a-roo and Frank-o do!! Buck-a-roo calls it the "Pu-puter Moosic" and loves for me to BLAST it when we get home from school and they are supposed to be eating their dinner which is exactly the scene for the videos below. I will be the first to admit that there are most probably many more age-appropriate songs they could be "getting down to" but, oh well. Also note in the video that it is a rap song in the background, but that Buck-a-roo is playing the rock-n-roll "air guitar". Momentarily, scroll to the bottom of the screen and pause the music player so you can here the video clips.

Wordless Wednesday (in my front yard)

(from Wikipedia): A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the surface topography caused by the removal of soil or bedrock, often both, by water. Sinkholes may vary in size from less than a meter to several hundred meters both in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. They may be formed gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide.
Mechanisms of formation may include the gradual removal of slightly soluble bedrock (such as limestone) by percolating water, the collapse of a cave roof, or a lowering of the water table. Occasionally a sinkhole may exhibit a visible opening into a cave below.