Buckets and buckets of blueberries

Usually when we go picking, we are paying for the berries so the children have learned to use the utmost self control and NOT EAT THE BERRIES, it’s stealing.

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But THIS time, the berries were FREE. I still had several children questioning me “Is it really o.k. to eat them?” They ate a LOT more than they picked, but hey, memories right? We picked eight gallons in an hour and a half which is pretty good for a Mamma, Grandma, Jessica, Jacob and six other munchkins to look after in the field.

 

The berries were organic, overgrown and HUGE.

See the blue teeth?

 

 

 

It was hot, hot, hot.

 

 

 

 

Lydia does not like picking berries. She needed a constant companion to rock her or she let everyone know blueberry picking does not suit her.

Yum! Thank you N.S!

Daddy’s Monster Tomatoes

So he built this greenhouse for me…

 

I didn’t show the interest he would have liked as I was pregnant, managing a household of nine and busy making goat milk cheeses(one hobby at a time). So he planted everything, his favorite being tomatoes thinking it would keep them from blighting early. Little did we know they’d grow much higher than the eight foot ceiling. He has already topped them.

 

I picked two of “his” tomatoes this afternoon, one of them weighing 1lb 5oz.

 

Then there’s the lettuce. Four feet tall and growing faster than we can eat it.

Mmmmm jalapeños. Mmmmm saaaalsa. Thank you VB’s for your greenhouse inspiration!

Northwest Washington Fair 2011

Another successful family NWWFair adventure. I’ve been going to the Fair since I can remember. Being born, raised, then raising my own children in this same community is a rare and wonderful thing.

 

This year was Ride Year and that is all we did. Paul took the oldest four and they went into the adult carnival while I took the younger four and we did the kiddie carnival. I big thank you to Grandma who made it possible by purchasing the wristbands for all the children!

 

Gracie rode the Carousel over and over and over. She liked a certain horse and she named it Calarlie. Elijah and Gracie rode in the stroller, Micah walked next to the stroller with a strap attached to his wrist and Lydia was in the Bjorn. It worked very well and I was able to carry her all day without getting tired or sore, I was impressed!

 

 

The Big Kids would ride for a couple hours, then chill for a half hour. Once the green left their faces they’d go right back for more with my husband leading the pack. I am amazed how much riding he did! What a cool Dad!

 

Jessie offered to ride with the little ones to give them the oomf they needed to go on the “more scary” rides ;)

 

 

 

I let my children in on a little secret , I would get sick on the Ferris Wheel until I was in high school. Such a wimp was I. 

 

“Jessie, Gracie!!” yells the crazy woman on the ground “Wave at me! I want to take your picture!”.

 

Gracie on “her” horsie, Calarlie.

 

 

 

Emma, her freckles, and her glowing blue eyes.

 

Micah eating his(ack) footlong hotdog(ack).

Everyone enjoying their nasty processed footlong hotdogs. Ewe, ewe, ewe. The sacrifices parents make…

The cherry on top was that Jess ended up with motion sickness(but no regrets!) so I took Elijah, Gracie, Micah, Lydia and Jess home at about 9:45 pm. Upon arriving home I remembered Jacob had just replaced the doorknobs…and locks. I had not taken a new key. We were locked out at 10pm with an over stimulated baby and two very cranky toddlers. Long story short…for the FIRST time in my LIFE I had locked up every window in the house. At 11:45, Paul finally pulled in the driveway. We had all given up and fallen asleep in the van. Within minutes Daddy had us in the house. After disinfecting the children, off we went to bed and slept happily ever after.

Rabbits gone wild…

So, if you’ve ever wondered, and I know you have, this is what happens when your children accidentally leave the doors open on the baby bunny cages. We now have many large white rabbits wild, running around our property. No one can catch them. Rabbits are crepuscular(sp?) which means their active awake periods are at dawn and at dusk.

Early this morning I was getting a cup of java and when I looked out my kitchen window there were 5 large bunnies in my driveway. I have no idea how many more there are around here, we lost something like twelve…boys and girls…. <sigh> Oh well, we couldn’t sell them on the Craigslist for the life of us, food was getting to be nuts, so maybe this is a good thing? On the bright side, I guess we created our own controlled hunting grounds for the boys.

And yes, that is fog you see. FOG. F..O..G. Fall fog. Cold fog. Summer is ending fog. So sad.

Exceptional Usborne Deal

Last night at the NWWF, I went to the Usborne booth as I received an email from a friend about a deal they had. Over $375 of books for only $69. I couldn't believe it, I came home with a catalog and I am going to put an order together. It is crazy cheap, again, the Lord provides for our homeschool in an amazing way! I love it. Thank you Karen for the heads-up, this is going to be so much fun.

Visit Jackie Broadbent at the NWWF Usborne booth(straight south of the 4-H craft barn) email Jackie@UsborneStore.com or call 425-923-4098 for details. The deal is until July 29th.

We’re alive…really

<knock, knock, knock>

 

Anyone here?

 

Something needs to be done about this blog, this is just too quiet.

 

I think school needs to start, life needs to slow down and these 9 little puppies need to get OUT of here. This just isn’t right. 

 

Today I spent many hours doing dog business. Grooming, photographing, deworming, cleaning, weighing, all that fun stuff. Jessie spent the day with Grandma at the NWWFair and came home with a NASTY case of hives, poor girl. Paul and Jacob removed a large cross from behind the pulpit at our old church and reinstalled it behind the pulpit at our new church building. I still have orders to nurse Lydia every two hours, but I’m loosing the battle. Attacked the laundry monster. Found the source of that smell permeating from the storage room. Some person, eh-hem, punctured a can of chopped clams and left it on the shelf. Oooohh it was baaaaaad. Two days it took to find that can, two looong days of sealing off that part of the house and leaving the back door open. That was my blessed day summed up. 

Article - Facing the Community College Fad

“When you are considering community college, don’t see it through rose-colored glasses, and think it’s a perfect educational utopia.  Keep your eyes open to the fact that it may be more “Rated R” than your student is ready for.  If the crowd seems to all follow the community college route, that doesn’t mean you have to follow along yourself.  Consider carefully, know your child, and trust your own judgment.” Written by a homeschooling mother here in Washington. She has a wonderful website on how to homeschool through college.”

http://www.thehomescholar.com/community-college-fad.php

A thought provoking article. Now don’t run off proclaiming I am anti-CC , I am not. BUT I do agree we need to go in with eyes wide open, asking about others experiences with teachers, classes etc.