What we did yesterday...(Part 2)

So maybe you were wondering what the kids were up to while Barry and I were working our tails off. I know I was wondering. But then again, I'm always wondering what's going on in those little minds I'm supposed to be shaping.

Noah had asked to be released from mowing and I wondered where he and his sister (who had been tending to her baby chicks) had gotten off to. I took a break from the garden and wandered up to the deck to peek in to the house, but what I saw instead was this...
Now keep in mind that it was NOT that warm. Maybe 65. But it was sunny, and the back of the house gets a lot of sun, but not a lot of wind. They assured me they were not cold at all, in fact, they were HOT. Apparently.
So hot, in fact, that they started begging me to get the inflatable pool out so they could swim. I told her she was looney-toons if she thought I was going to let them swim in 65 degree weather. "But we're so hot, we're boiling!" she said. Whatever. No dice. So I went in the house to start making lunch. I heard lots of questionable noises outside...doors slamming, water running, footsteps up and down the deck stairs, giggling...you get the idea. Finally, I walked out to see what the heck was going on out there, and this is what I saw...
Kendall had filled this 5 gallon bucket with water and plopped herself right in it. I guess she WAS hot! See those 2 popcorn tins sitting beside her? Those had water too, and Noah was standing, one foot in each one. These kids are such stinkers. Desperation breeds ingenuity...or something like that.

Then Noah started doing "yoga". I'm not sure what pose this is supposed to be, but he was cracking me UP!
Ahh, here it is...the final version of his pose. What do you think it should be called? Just wondering. 1500 bonus points for the most creative answer!What does THIS say about those minds that I'm shaping? I'm just wondering. I spend a lot of time wondering.

I'm tellin' ya, folks...it's shaping up to be one interesting summer around here!

What we did yesterday...(Part 1)

On Saturday, we took part in the big community garage sale over at the lake. Shawn and Deetra were nice enough to let us participate in their sale, and boy, did we work hard! I took 11 tubs of kid clothing as well as various toys and household things that just needed to go. It was worth it, as I sold nearly $500 worth of things I needed to get rid of anyway! But we were all completely exhausted by the end of the day, so it goes without saying that I didn't plan on being very productive on Sunday, even though there is plenty around here that needs to be done! However, by late morning, we all rallied and actually managed tp get quite a bit accomplished...

I headed out to get my garden started. I usually have it in by now, but our weather has been kind of skittish lately...and I've been too busy. So I decided Sunday was the day! We headed out and I got busy making a plan. I ordered all seeds except for the tomatoes...I just need my tomatoes more quickly, AND I've never started them from seed before.
I started with my herb garden. See my chives in there, already all big and bushy? I also planted cilantro, garlic chives, curly parsley, flat-leaf parsley, sweet basil, oregano, thyme, and garlic.
I turned these little pots upside down to mark what was planted where. They were already marked, as I had used them to get my kitchen herbs started. Then I wandered over to check out my strawberry patch, which is already completely taken over with by weeds. That's what happens when you refuse to use chemicals, I'm afraid. But look at the blossoms! Organic strawberries are on their way, peeps!
While I was working in my garden, Barry and Noah started mowing. This is normally a job Noah and I do together, but I had bigger fish to fry.Oh yeah, and guess what Scout was doing while we were all working? LAYING IN MY HOSTAS!!! The evidence is right here...he is totally busted! And they were so big and perfect too...And of course, while all the other work was being done, we had this fire going. Barry has been slowly but surely whittling away at the big scrap pile that was left over after we built the house.
Those logs take a long time to burn, let me tell you. But we're getting there.

Definitely NOT a weekend to rest!

Preschoolers Love to Party!

On Saturday, we had Noah's birthday party for his friends at Galaxy Games & Golf. Those preschoolers sure were excited! They played in the play gym, ate pizza and cupcakes, and played games all in the spirit of earning the highly coveted "tickets"! There was lots of screaming, laughing, and playing going on... that much I know FOR SURE!

I just can't believe my baby is turning 4! Seems impossible. I swear it was just yesterday that I was a week overdue and just waiting for him to be ready to meet us...and now here he is, FOUR YEARS OLD! It was such a happy day, seeing him play with his friends and have such a good time. He even remembered to thank everyone. I was so impressed!
I apologize for the short post, but I have a few more I need to get up...and more birthday celebrations too! I hope you enjoy the pics, and remember, a picture says a thousand words! HAHA!!

A Field Trip

Today I was lucky enough to be able to go along on Kendall's field trip to the Franklin Park Conservatory. We had a beautiful day for such a trip, and it was nice to go along. Of course, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to knock the dust off my camera and see if I could get any good shots, especially since the butterflies were there. Turns out I could! Check it out, peeps...And last, but not least...my favorite. Didn't realize what a great picture it was until I reviewed it. Don't you love it?

Happiness is...

Washing all of your bedding and hanging it out on the line...I LOVE the smell of line-dried sheets, don't you?

Ziplining fun

One of the reasons I have been MIA for the last couple of weeks is that my favorite Canadian in the entire world was here for a visit. I cleared my schedule (as much as a mother can) so that I could spend as much time with her and Sheri as possible. If you remember, last fall Sheri went to Calgary for a visit, but I couldn't make it happen for me...so it had been 2 years since I had seen my friend. And though we didn't want to fill her short amount of time with us with too many "scheduled activities", our little Ms. Sarah, fireball that she is, was more than happy to indulge us in a day of hiking and ziplining down in Hocking Hills. We had great weather (it was 89 degrees that day!), and really had a wonderful time!

Here we are, at the end of the tour...we were hot, sweaty, and ready for some ice cold beer! BW3, here we come!
Here are Sheri and Barry on the way up to the first zip...
Me, waiting to get unhooked after a long zip...The view from across the zip. Barry went first and then took this pic of us coming across...And last, but certainly not least, our friend Sarah, who was so thrilled to go home and tell her boyfriend that she had gone ziplining. This is especially important because Torben LIVES the ourdoors, people. He does it all...kayaking, skiing, mountain biking, camping, etc., etc., etc. She rubbed it in every chance she got...and we all know how jealous he was!! Right, Sarah? :)And this is Silly Sarah, pretending to be scared as she leans back over the edge, trusting her harness. We took this picture just for Torben, so he could be so very proud of her. Are you proud Torben???We had so much fun, people! If you live close to Hocking Hills, you simply must try the Hocking Hills Canopy Tours! And Sarah, we've been missing you since you got out of the car at the airport! Can't wait for the next visit!

Lots of Excitement...

So, I'm finally getting around to getting some things posted!! It has been a crazy few weeks around here, and it's not looking any better until the end of May. Maybe we'll get some R&R over Memorial Day weekend! Goodness, let's hope that's true!

First off, do you remember how Kendall was DYING to have her very own flock of new baby chicks? And remember when I told you that we actually had a hen sitting? Well, last Monday those precious baby chicks started hatching!! Kendall was literally bouncing off the walls! Noah was excited too, but not like she was. She positioned herself right in the coop and wouldn't leave...she had to be there for everything! By Monday afternoon, all 5 chicks had hatched, plus one that had hatched, but died in the night. Monday morning before school was rough, since Kendall found the dead little chick...she thought that somehow it was her fault that it died. We had a rather lengthy discussion about natural selection, and how this is just "life on the farm". She was especially concerned with the fact that the mother hen didn't even seem to care that her baby had died, and of course, took that one step further to wonder if I would care if she died!! O.M.G.!!! So, another lengthy discussion followed about how humans and animals are very different. I think we're good now...on that front anyway!

Look at these little fuzzballs...aren't they just as cute as a bug's ear? Noah corrects everyone who calls them "chicks" and tells them, "They're NOT chicks...they're PEEPERS!!!" He's too cute!Kendall cannot get enough of their softness...
And here's the little "maternity ward" Barry built for our mama hen...he made it out of an old end table (handy guy, isn't he?)
And there's even a chicken story here for ya. The other day, we were outside checking on the chicks and feeding & watering the chickens when Noah decided to start chasing some hens that had escaped the fenced-in coop. One particular surly rooster named Speary decided that his hens shouldn't have to put up with that, so he came after Noah. Barry was up at the house, filling up the waterer, I was in the pen collecting eggs, and Kendall was in the "maternity ward" tending to her babies. All of the sudden, we heard Noah screaming, and I came tearing around the coop to find Noah and Speary in a stand-off. Speary definitely had the upper hand. He kept charging Noah (who was just standing there screaming for me), and spurring him. Now, in case you don't know, roosters have large spurs on the backs of their legs. They use these to defend themselves and their hens...and that is exactly what Speary was doing. Noah got spurred really good 4 times before I got to him. And then Kendall took charge of the situation and reminded Speary who ws boss around here by giving him a swift kick in the pants. He simmered down quite a bit then.

Now, we have been saying for a few weeks now that Speary may be getting ready to go "live in the freezer" because he's been getting so aggressive. He routinely starts cockfights, comes after the kids, and he even came after me today. THE NERVE!!! But here's where it gets funny...

We came in the house and got Noah's wounds all washed up, covered in Neosporin and bandaids, and got him settled down to watch Wall-E. Barry and I sat down with him to ask if he understood why Speary came after him...and to explain that we don't treat our flock like that. But all Noah kept saying was, "Yeah, that Speary got me real good, didn't he? Daddy, I want you to cut Speary up into pieces and throw him in the freezer so we can eat him all up!!"

Clearly, we have no issue with Noah understanding the way things work on the farm.