Thank you!

For all the feedback on soap, it reeeeeally helped me decide what to do!

too...hot...can't....blog...

It happened. It hit 100. That sends us Washingtonians scrambling like desert lizards racing for cool rocks. The roads are quieter, the stores are quieter and everyone is 40% slower. To quote Larry the cucumber again, "Not happy Bob....not....happy."

The heat also does something for the black flies...or is it a country thing? Maybe it is the cowpies 'round here, I don't know but my house is suddenly inundated with black flies and they bite. The children woke this morning with little red bites and red eyes from shooing flies during the night. I felt so bad! Tonight we will run the fans on high and it will keep them from landing.

Is that enough complaining? Like you want to hear it...but I feel better ;)


We leave for our church campout in 4 days. I wonder how many countdowns are posted in homes of church families? Ours has been going for a few days already, put up out of necessity for Mamma's sanity. "How many day's until the campout?" "Are we leaving tomorrow?" "I hope Henry has his bike packed" "Huckleberry pancakes!" "Can we go fishing?" "What time of the day are we leaving?" "I get the top bunk!" "How are we gonna fit in the trailer this year?" "Are we going to leave on TIME?" "Can we bring the goat?(me)" "When are the church Olympics?"

Coming up...pictures of a large family slip-n-slide & G-pa moved in!

Soap

Of all the recipes I am sorting through, I need help deciding which are the most practical.

When I say "homemade soap"...what scent sounds most wonderful to you?
Would you prefer a body soap, hand soap or facial soap as a gift? Could you list them in order of how you like them? Exfoliator, or not?

Please leave a comment.

Robins are friends, not food.

O.k., we are so redneck. Here I am minding my own business cleaning house. In walks a sober Jessica, two concerned siblings in tow, something cupped in her hands.

Mother "What's up sweetheart?"
Jessica "We need help. Daniel shot this robin with his BB gun. He thought it was a starling"

Mother "Let me see(gasp)...oh...um..I don't think he will make it"
Jessica starting to choke up "Can we do something?"



Mother "You'll need to take it outside honey, it looks like it just died. I'm sorry Jess."


Funeral procession starts out the door...mother motions to Daniel to stay in the house.



Mother "Dan."
Dan "Yes Mamma?"



Mother "Dan, you knew that was a robin."
Dan "Well, he had his back to me and I couldn't see his face."



Mother "Dan."
Dan "Yes, Mamma?"



Mother "Dan, you knew that was a robin."
Dan "Yes, Mamma."



Mother "Be a good man and go bury the robin at least 8" so the dog doesn't dig'em up. And Dan, we don't shoot robins, we shoot starlings, pay attention to what you shoot or the gun becomes Daddy's....again"
Dan "Yes Mamma.....5 sec pause....Mom?"



Mother "What?"
Dan "Ummm...Could I skin him, make a fire to roast him well, and eat him?"



Mother "Umm....sure Dan, just make sure he's well done o.k.? No pink."
Dan "Yes, Mamma."

Emma "Dan, that was awfully good aim Dan, way to go."
Dan "Thanks Em."

(For the record, the robin was not eaten)

Oh the joy...

Of raising animals...

I noticed this little girl in the incubator yesterday morning. The egg was pipped, and there she sat. This morning she was still there, no progress. We took her out and gave her a hand. She just wasn't positioned right to make the circle.

Out she pops!

Nice and dry 5 hours later....Can it get any better?

It's Simple...

Big girls do not use diapers. I have discovered a somewhat quick method of training(I have had plenty of practice subjects) It is not perfected in 24hours, but it has worked amazingly well up to this point. I will not tout my method until I have proven it successful once again, then I will share secrets if anyone cares.

I start my girls on the Monday following their 2nd birthday, and my boys after their 2.5yr birthday. Yes, I know, you can train them earlier, and guess what? It is preference. Yes, I know, you can train them later, and guess what? It is preference. There is no good mommy, better mommy, bad mommy status earned according to when you train your children...well....if your child is 12 and still not trained I might think differently. I am no better a mommy than the mommy who still has an untrained 3 yr old. Got it?

You train when it fits your family and don't think less of yourself when your friend boasts her son/daughter was trained at 16 months.

So, without further ado,...the ongoing saga of potty training hurricane Grace.

Day 1.

Two wet pants and counting...

One hit target, no bombs dropped.

"There. I did it.", "Indians" - plus bonus "Scary Picture"

Here is my small, but bountiful, harvest of lavender this summer.

There. I did it. O.k., my husband and I did it. Aaaaall those warnings on using lye got to me and intimidated me a bit so in steps hubby. He looked so cute in blue nitrile gloves and safety glasses ;) We made our first batch of (drum roll please!!!!) SOAP.

Intoducing Lavender Oatmeal Goat Milk soap.

It smells and looks heavenly and we'll see how it cures. The bars are now curing for 6 weeks. So don't despair those of you who have soap coming, it will happen, maybe it will double as a Christmas present?

Next batch, Castille. Unscented, smooth, natural, one of the mildest soaps used on babies.

Any takers?

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My little brave. My boys have often asked for mohawks when I cut their hair and I have declined because, well, I don't like what they represent in the world. However, that is not what my sons think of. They think of the old black and white movies with Mohawk Indians galloping to and fro on their spotted horses, which had slipped my mind.

Yesterday, after church(yes, i had to get that in) Daddy said he was taking the boys out back to cut their hair as they were hot and I admit, I let their hair fall a ways over their ears. To my shock and horror, he shaved mohawks on them(hear my gasping?)!!! They are BALD with the exception of a strip of long blond hair coming to rest in a point at the nape of their neck. Daddy was happy to give his boys mohawks and his boys love him for it. Daddy said they may keep them as long as they stay home this week, but as soon as we go out in public, out come the shavers again. I wonder if they know that to make the mohawks go AWAY their heads must be shaved totally BALD. I gotta admit it is awfully cute watching two bare-chested little boys with bows and arrows running around the back forty. Oh, and guess what my 4yr old son asked for this morning? I have some bribing to do.

One happy, chubby little Mohawk brave.


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WARNING:

A VERY SCARY PICTURE FOLLOWS.

STAY TUNED...

For you dear Cynthia...

How time flies. Paul's birthday and Gracie's birthday were this week. Baseball camp at our pastors home last week, dentist appt's, newborn puppies, a crying baby, new chore system and a bunch of "issues" that took time. I'm not complaining, I'm justifying. July is always like this, isn't it mothers? Everyday, it seems, the calender has SOMEthing on it and this is the point I start looking forward to September...did I say that out loud? I love my summers, but man, they can get busy and I function best when life is simple.

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July 15th

Something clicked.

My hurrica...I mean my baby girl turned two this week ....Oook at dat...a seepy?(he's sleeping?)...o.k., fine...a ho'em(can I hold him?)...heso cuuuuute...bebee toy...dere dee go(there you go) two, fee, five, six, seven, two, five, six! Every household common noun is remarkably stated with clarity, she knows most her animals, too, and this week we can understand her! Where did this come from?!

Last week she'd stop, turn to you and babble out a long serious sentence and we'd all pat her on the head and say "Yes Gracie, that is right!" We knew there was something to her madness for if asked to say it again she'd repeat the exact gabble from the previous sentence, so SHE knew what she was saying.

"Baf gen mom?" Yes, Gracie, a second bath today.

Cake! Cake!

Happy birthday to meeee.....

Do not ask what the purpose of that metal thing in her right hand is for.

And that , my dear, is how you ended up in the bath twice in one day.

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I'm four months old today!! Still crying, but I'll kick that bad habit any day now. I'm 16lbs 1 oz - 26.5" tall and mamma's back is starting to hurt when she carries me in the Bjorn...go figure. I'm growing faster than her back muscles can strengthen. I can roll both ways, hold and chew on my toys, drool like the dickens, and I am ready to start sitting up. I just wish my body would cooperate. Mommy says I still have a couple months before I can do it, but I don't believe her. I must be the most adorable child that has entered this home in a long time becuase I can make any child turn around, no matter how grumpy they are, and come back to compliment me on my looks.

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July 14th
My husband is 38, hokey pete, that is old.

I can't believe I am married to a 38 year old man.

I mean, like, I feel I am still 25...

that is the problem, I "feeeeel" though I'm not.

Sigh.

They did it again. The night of Paul's birthday the V's called and said they were coming over with cake to celebrate his birthday. After driving 30 min they "popped" over with their two beautiful daughters and brought all the fix'ens for strawberry shortcake, including the trick candles. YUM!

After a dinner out with the whole family, text messages every half an hour from each child and a few other little things, we celebrated his birthday quietly, without much fanfare...but in two more years, you better hang on to your britches.

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How is that Cynthia? ;)

Productive Days

…Are nice sprinkled throughout the month. A friend called and offered us a #30 box of frozen sliced rhubarb. It is one of those veggies, like okra, you know it is good for SOMEthing, but what? If the Lord is going to offer it, I can’t turn it down. Well, I decided on making rhubarb/blueberry jam as I need to can a minimum of 104 quarts of jam for the year. The next week we got two #30 boxes of frozen blueberries. How nice it is to be married to a man whose job is working in the berry processing plants in the summer! We have been given over 120 lbs of frozen fruit in the last two weeks!

This is from the Lord’s hand and we are so thankful. Along with the berries came a friend who spent the day with me making jam. She kept things going when the baby had to nurse or the children needed my attention. We canned 43 quarts of jam! To top things off dinner showed up on my doorstep, totally unexpected. I am sitting back tonight just praising God at his care for our family.We are truly rich.

Happy Fourth of July!

Oh, I wish I had the time to write what my country means to me! We shot out of bed this morning, ran downstairs and I gathered everyone up around the piano. We threw open the windows and all sang out every patriotic hymn we could find the words to in the hymnal. After that we ran to the flagpole and recited the pledge of allegiance. Thanks be to our eternal God who has given us a free country to raise our children in! As freedom is fading we still rejoice and make it known our children are blessed to live in this country at this time and to praise the Lord for every day we live in freedom! God bless America... Off to celebrate!

Farmer Eli

Hello, my name is Elijah and I'ma farmer. Us rednecks can't afford those fancy smancy 4wd farm vehicals so we buy golf carts on Craigslist and put flat beds on the back and call them our farm vehicles.

Hop on with me and my brother Daniel and I'll show you a typical day.

First you check the corn, it is almost dog gone taller than I am!! Man that stuff grows fast.

The secret to assessing yer garden is to taste everything. Yes, even the foliage of the plant itself. It may make you pull a funny face, but you must try it. It will give you a good feel for the health of yer crops.

Then grab your shovel and dig up them weeds. Do everything as unto the Lord, with a smile on yer face and a song in yer heart, just like my Daddy and Mamma teaches me.

Go find them chickens and toss them a little food. Be careful, them critters love little piggies.

Feed the goats some leftover corn leaves that you grabbed, slobbered on and gummed.

Don't worry, the goat isn't a picky eater.

Make a pass or two with the tiller between the blueberries. Always wear ear protection, that is what my Daddy taught me.

If you drool a little in the dirt, no worries. Just look both ways and if Mamma isn't looking swirl it around in the dirt a little, make mud and eat. Use your imagination and enjoy yer meal.





Check on the last of the animals who wanna get in on the fun then...




It's off to work! See ya!



Before long it'll be naptime and you'll be enjoying that much needed rest.