A New Milestone

D is 15 months old this week.  And I've reached another, "I don't know how I'm going to handle this" milestone. Apologies for the blurry pics... but when you have to take immediate pictures, you don't have time to fiddle with settings.

Climbing.  It started with the low things, like stairs.  Now he has moved on to bigger things, like the couch and the school room chairs.  He has fallen too...and scared the you-know-what out of us when he landed in the woodpile.

I'm mostly worried that he is going to fall off the chair with a pencil in his hand (I just can't seem to keep every. single. writing utensil out of reach) and land on the hard floor on his head and stab himself in the eye.

Or maybe I should just worry that he is going to trample everything in his path for the next two years!

New Computer Blues

M got a new computer delivered yesterday.  We are both very excited.  He is excited because he gets to work on a fast, new, spacious, quiet computer.  I'm excited because I get his old one, plus this one.  So now I'm going to have my very own computer lab and an awesome IT guy that fixes all my problems.  After he gets his new computer set up.  My first problem is that I don't know where my digital pictures are.  Which means no pictures of D in the box the computer came in.  My second problem isn't related to computers, but it is completely about D reaching new milestones...and that will be the post after I find my digital pictures.

Happy 4th!

We did what we normally do: visit with whatever family shows up, play at the pond, eat BBQ, play in the pool, eat more stuff, make the kids watch a movie, and then have an awesome bonfire with marshmallows and fireworks!  My favorite part was starting the evening ceremonies with a special 9 year old's version of The Star Spangled Banner and quizzing everyone on their knowledge of history.  Because I now have a third grade history education, including, but not limited to, American History from Columbus to the Gold Rush!

(And that is probably only funny to myself and any other friend that writes SLPs every year)

Turkey Stewart

"If you want my body..."

"...and you think I'm tasty..."

"...come on baby let me know."

A Wonderful Week: VBS

We had such a great week!  We went to Vacation Bible School all week.  And Monday we had the Annual Homeschool Field Day.  I don't have a single picture of VBS, but I have some from Field Day.

E and the Long Jump

I think VBS was the best part about the week.  Every single one of us had the best time.  I made several new friends working in the kitchen, the kids reconnected with the homeschoolers and Cub Scouts they know, and D got to hang out in the nursery without me!

S and His Best Friend

And I'm pretty sure we will be going back to this church on Sunday!  I first checked this church out last Friday, when a new homeschooling friend invited me to their women's worship night.  The music was the same from the churches back in the old town and I was immediately transported back in time...

F crosses the finish line, "I did it, Mom!"

...back to when my friend K used to encourage me to attend her church.  She always sang and clapped and smiled and had a great time during worship...and I miss her so much...and I felt the Band Aid on my heart being ripped off!  Oh, it was so painful!  I still miss my friends back at The Old Place so much!  Well, some of them.  The good ones ;)  And I decided right then and there that I was ready to surround myself with these women and start forging new friendships.

Water Balloon Toss turns to Water Balloon Fight!

Which is slightly funny because a few weeks ago I decided that I was never going to have women friends ever again because they are so fickle and go psycho at the slightest misunderstanding.  And I don't really want to waste any more of my life dealing with psycho-women.  I'd rather sew or knit.  But I don't want to waste my life missing out on great women friendships, like I have with K and C (and I know you two are reading this), either!  So there you go.  I'm still on that path, and quite a bit further, that started when I first joined that club for moms, all those long years ago.  And the journey continues...

First Camp Fire of the Season

D eagerly awaits...something.  What it is, he doesn't know!

Oh man, yesterday was awesome!  The weather was great, I got three load of laundry on the line, I worked outside with my poultry projects (see below) and I got to visit with friends while the boys were at a birthday party.  When we got home, we had our first campfire.

The ceremonial first flame!

We love our campfires.  There is nothing better than feeling like you live in a place where people could go on vacation...in fact, I'm always reminding myself we moved to our vacation spot.  We have wildlife, space, beauty, and peace and quiet...until the kids start talking.

Who wants a burned marshmallow?

As we waited for the perfect S'more making embers, the kids told dumb stories and I read out loud off the Kindle (I downloaded The Three Musketeers while sitting by the fire).  Then we did the best thing ever!

Grandad will eat the burned ones...and all the others too!

We hauled Grandad down to the fire in his wheelchair!!!  M tried to drive him down in the van, but Grandad had a hard time getting in the seat for some reason.  He can do it in the carport, but the backyard is different I guess.  The wheelchair was a bit bumpy, but walking backwards preventing him from pitching forward out of his chair.

After Grandad, M, and D headed back inside, I taught the kids some songs I learned when I was a kid at camp.  We counted stars and made wishes.  We watched bats.  These are my favorite memories.  I couldn't be happier.

Poultry Adventures

Yesterday, as M was siding the turkey house (that they never use), the turkeys put on the display.  Watching them puff up and act all cool is really fun.

The males walk around with their feathers up and blowing air... they act quite intimidating....until you feed them.

Then they go back to pipping little sweethearts that act like they are always starving to death.

They eat out of a planter base because we never got around to getting them a "real" feeder.  We made one from a bucket, but it was too labor intensive.  Instead, I have a section of downspout that goes through the fence.  I simply pour the food down the spout and it ends up in their dish.  The 2x4 keeps the turkeys from flipping the dish over when they stand on the edge.

This is one of the chicks that hatched out yesterday.  You can see the difference between this egg and the egg in yesterday's post.  That egg looked like it had been squished from the outside before the chick was ready to hatch.

Managing the hatching process is almost as fun as having the chicks themselves.  It takes about 21 days for chicks to develop.  You can see the beginning of the embryo when they are only four days along.  I "candle" the eggs every once in a while to check for quitters.  About halfway through the development, you can see movement!  It is almost as thrilling as seeing a human baby on an ultrasound!  Sometimes the eggs get stepped on by other chickens and baby is lost.  This is always a very sad find for me.  People avoid this by either using an incubator or by separating the hen from the rest of the flock.  I haven't gotten around to making my own brooding box, but that is in the plans this summer.  Right when the chicks are ready to hatch, they break through the membrane into an air pocket and start to peep.  I love picking the eggs up, holding them to my ear, giving them a little tap, and hearing the chick peep back at me.