Sprouts!

Some time ago Handsome put a raised garden box in the back yard.  It is raised for two reasons.  One, it is easier to weed, and two I can train Four Legs to stay out of it.  Once the dirt was in it was fairly easy to sit outside all day and remind Four Legs to stay out of it.  After the first couple reminders he did pretty well. 

Though it did take nearly a week of catching him about once a day to get him completely trained.  After Four Legs was ok with staying out of the garden, we planted.

 Not much, just a few things that we like to eat.  Beans, lettuce, and zuchinni.  Amazingly, even with the near constant rain we have had, there has been just enough sun to allow our garden to begin to grow. 

Thankfully we don't need to replant this year due to our seeds drowning.  As we watched in fascination each little green shoot break free of the soil and sprout leaves, I thought of something. 

There really isn't a much uglier plant then a bean plant.

The Official Beginning of Summer

Ring around the rosy

Pocket full of Posies

Ashes, ashes

We all fall down

Cows in the Meadow

Eating buttercups,

Thunder!  Lightening!

We all stand up!

And then lay down again.

Adventure on the High Seas

Today was more or less our little family's official beginning of summer.  Handsome somehow convinced me that a boat would be a good asset to have.  So a while ago, we found a nice small boat that would fit our family perfectly (at least until we have teenagers).

So it being a lovely day, we set out.  With our cooler full of peanut butter and honey sandwiches, boat on the trailer, life vests, and fishing paraphernalia.  We were off!  To get to the lake where we wanted to go fishing was a beautiful drive.  The typical country road with few houses, lots of trees, and glimpses of the snow capped mountains through the gaps. 

The sun was out sending lovely shadows onto the road, and making it very hard to see the pot-holes.  We got to the lake all in one piece and set out on our adventure.  Everyone buckled into their vests with poles in hand.  The motor we were using was an electric motor and was virtually silent.  Having a quiet motor was wonderful!  We could hear the birds calling to each other, the splashes of fish jumping, and the slap-slap of the little waves against the sides of the boat.

Oh it was beautiful.  Sunny enough to keep us warm and breezy enough to keep us cool.  I was first at the tiller as we cruised Handsome prepped two very excited kiddos fishing poles for trolling.  Having done most of the prep here at home, all that was really needed was to tie the hook on and add a weight to the line.  Mr O and Peaches were nearly bouncing out of the boat with excitement.  Away went the first line, then the second, both with spinners, hooks, and weights attached. 

Mr O, being who he is, thought that every little bob of the end of his pole meant that he had a fish on the line.  I think he may have spent more time looking at his hook then it spent in the water.  Peaches was a little more patient.  She would let it be for a while, and then bring it up to look.  Each time either one had their hook up they would announce (as if we didn't already know) that they didn't have a fish.  On and on it went, all of us totally enjoying the time together, listening and just being together.  Suddenly, when Peaches was almost done with sandwich #2, her pole tried to dive off the boat.  Oh!  Oh my goodness!  What do I do? 

She tried to grab the pole with her hand still full of sandwich, it didn't work.  Hurredly dropping the last few bites into the bottom of the boat, she grabbed the pole and began to bring in the line.  Thrashing about on the hook was a nice little trout, about 10 inches long.  Peaches was grinning ear to ear.  Handsome was grinning pretty big too.  After removing the hook, the little guy was released back into the lake.  The rush of excitement over, both kids decided they were done and it was time to go back.  Days like this are wonderful.  To be oft repeated.

Some of the Craziness

One of the several reasons that I have been not quite so good about posting lately is that a close friend and I organized an event at our elementary school.  Like any typical event, there was food, lots of people, and a big mess to clean up afterwards.  This event was a little different in a couple ways.  It was quite large, needing to accommodate roughly 500 people.  So we went about planning.  We had been given a few tips from the lady that organized this event the past couple of years, and so we went from there.  The Spring Carnival. 
We started with the basics, determining what games to have.  Deciding those we moved on to the next step, the prizes.  An online order guaranteed the prizes would be delivered in plenty of time for the big day.  On to food and other activities.  There was pizza, soda, chips, candy, water, cotton candy, snow cones, and popcorn to eat.  A Pie Eating Contest, Cake Walk, Face Painting, Pony Rides, and Inflatable Rides rounded out our Carnival nicely.  Back to the games.  We decided on a few old favorites, and a couple new ones that became instant favorites.  You all know what a dunk tank is, right?  Well, think of that shrunk down to hold a large rubber duck instead of a person. 

That is one of the new games we introduced: Dunk-A-Duck, where you win a small rubber duck if you dunk the duck.  Another new one was bowling.  Typical, and easy with bumpers instead of gutters.  But the contestant only got one shot at getting a strike, not two.  We also had Pop-A-Balloon, Ring Toss, Basket Ball, Ping-Pong Toss, and a Button Maker in lieu of an art table.  So, with all this going on, my friend and I clearly had some last minute organizing to do.  It was totally insane, but also a lot of fun.  We learned a lot about what might work better for next year and some things that worked perfect and were very popular.  So, now back to normally scheduled (or unscheduled) life.  Yay!

Once Upon a Time

There was an old truck.  When I was introduced to it, it was old.  Older than dirt, as the saying goes.  Well, this old truck helped us move several times, was our vehicle for a little while, helped other people move, and in general was one of those good old trucks that just keeps going.  Well, it won't be going anymore.  It met a few trees, and some dirt, and won't be bouncing back like it has before. 

We are very very thankful for the way this truck was built.  Because even after rolling over and over and taking out a few large trees, the people riding inside were completely unharmed.  They walked away (and called Mom).  So there you have it.  The good old truck is no more.  This morning I will lift my cup of milk in toast to that good old truck. 

My New Alarm Clock

I love when I wake up (or in my case I'm totally awake, but refuse to get up until a certain time) and I come downstairs to my kids playing the piano. 

Really, the double rendition of Twinkle Twinkle was a little bit off.  Not all the notes were correct, and the song was fast in some parts and very very slow in others.  But all in all, it really did sound like Twinkle Twinkle. 

And That is why I have a piano.  To help Mr O and Peaches learn fun things like that.  Absolutely Wonderful.

For all the Fathers, uncles, grandpas, god-fathers

And any other man who has a positive role in a child's life.  Thanks for being there! 

Happy Father's Day!