Killing Frost, Anyone??

Confession:

 

I am sick of garden produce.

I am giving away almost everything from the garden to neighbors.

My neighbors have stopped answering the doorbell when they see it is me.

Now I am ignoring the produce still lying on the kitchen counter hoping it will go away on its own.

It hasn't.

 

 

 

Trip to the zoo with friends right before school started.

 

 

 

Learning about elephant tusks...

 

Our makeshift growth chart...

 

 

For the record,

she did this voluntarily.  I did not make her!

 

Polar bear exhibit looking down at Grant and friend who were on the lower level.

 

 

One last trip to the zoo splash pad for the summer...

 

Friday

Yes, just Friday. 

 

Kinda had a theme going on this week with Miscellaneous Monday and Thoughtful Thursday.  Friday is a bust.

 

Sorry to disappoint.

 

 

 

David and his way-too-big-to-be-held six year old little buddy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grace and Grant (and Emily) read enough books this summer

to complete the summer reading program at our library.

 

 

They colored a name tag to put up on the library wall with the other 'library champions'.

 

 

And they each were given a way crazy neon green hat.

Not the most subtle wardrobe accessory I might add.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The part that had them most excited was the yard sign

proclaiming to all the world (or at least to the casual passerby)

A LIBRARY CHAMPION (OR 2 OR 3) LIVE HERE!

 

Much discussion and debate went in to the most strategic placement of said yard sign.

Grace and Grant wanted to ensure maximum visibility from the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the record....

this is how we travel to the farm.

Meg and Remington snuggle down in the cargo area and luggage goes on the improvised rack above. The dogs love this arrangement.  In fact they get so excited when I have the rear lift gate up for any reason that I have a terrible time keeping them OUT of my car.  They will jump in the back totally ignoring the piles of groceries they are trampling on to do so.

They spent something like four or five hours sitting back there one very hot day in July patiently waiting on someone to close the rear door and take them to the farm.  The contractor working on my kitchen at the time was greatly amused by their patience.

 

 

The shelf was improvised  by my engineering husband to maximize cargo space and to minimize the number of trips he makes with smelly dogs in HIS VEHICLE!!!

 

It is a wire rack wire tied to cardboard cores from work.  Quite a high end design if I do say so.

 

The blue thing is a bat stuck in the end of the now broken cardboard core to hold up the shelf.

Should the rack ever fail, we will have serious doggy issues to deal with.

 

 

Well, enough of our incredibly mundane Friday.

Maybe tomorrow will be more exciting!

 

Anyone for Sensational Saturday?

Thoughtful Thursday

When did my reading glasses suddenly become my

 

sewing-bookkeeping-texting-cooking-ironing-gaming-cleaning-reading glasses??

 

 

 

I found myself getting some funny looks Tuesday night at a meeting at our elementary school.

At one point I took my reading glasses off so I could see the power point presentation on the overhead screen. As an adaptation to my newly acquired blindness, I often plop reading glasses on top of my head (bonus points for doubling as a headband when I don't get time to comb my hair properly.....which is most of the time).

When I pushed my reading glasses on top of my head I realized the reason for so many strange looks.  I had just spent the past forty minutes with a pair and a spare.  I was wearing reading glasses and had a second pair on top of my head.

 

 

Not the first time that has happened, but it was the first time in public I believe.

 

 

 

I look forward to the day when my mind fades as much as my eyesight.

Then instances like Tuesday night won't be quite so embarrassing!

 

 

 

We recently took the kids to eat at the old Dedman's Drugstore in Harrodsburg which is near the farm. 

 

 

It still has the original fixtures from its days as a pharmacy/soda fountain.

 

I guess food and drugs went together well back in 1865 when this place opened.

Somehow I think I prefer getting my drugs from CVS.

 

I don't want to drive up at McDonalds to get my prescriptions filled only to have someone ask me if I want fries with that.

 

The cabinetry was beautiful and all of the cases were full of items from days long gone.

Some of the old drug items on display were original to the store.

Old bottles were labeled with names only suited for a witch's cauldron.  There were some pretty bizarre items used for medical purposes in the late 1800's.

 

 

I enjoyed the sights more than I enjoyed my lunch.

And the lunch was spectacular!!

 

 

 

More horse riding pictures....

And

 

our MEGA SWING

because we want the kids to swing high enough to do serious damage when they jump from a swing.

We don't want some wimpy swing where they only get bumped and bruised when they jump!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Physics lesson

 

learning about load forces and fulcrums....two kids against one.

 

Happy Thursday!!!

 

Miscellaneous Monday

 

We found the weinermobile at the mall one day.

We ALWAYS have to stop for a picture when we find it.

 

It wouldn't matter if we were racing to the hospital with a medical emergency,

I am certain everyone would still scream to stop and see the giant hot dog first.

 

 

 

 

Speaking of hot dogs....

 

Grant loves him some Steak N Shake hot dogs.

 

 

 

 

He also rocks the paper hat pretty well too.

 

This was taken for the sole purpose of embarrassing Emily.

 

 

 

It worked so well, I did it again.

Aaaaand again.....

Thank you, Emily!!

 

 

 

If I had a hammer....

 

I'd give it to my children

 

 

so they could hammer in the driveway

 

 

hittin' lots of nail head

 

 

and maybe not their hands!

 

 

They had lots of fun .....

 

 

at least it was fun until they DID mash a finger or two.

Nothing a kiss didn't cure though.

For the record....

Here you go J A Littleford!!!

 

 

This one is for you!

Letters from Grant

 

He could write anything he wanted.

 

 

 

It says...

 

 



Dear Mom and Dad,

Welcome to open house.  Look at my super work in first grade.  I like making friends.

I love you.

Love, Grant

 

 



 

I love this boy!

 

 

Pink - Pandas - Pools

Today's lesson is brought to you by the color pink.


As in pink eye.



Spent yesterday doctoring the sick and infirm.  Oddly, there was not one word of complaint over taking the medicine. 






There was, however, quite a bit of mooing

Here's the story....the short version anyway.....

 

 

Neighbor's cows get out and wander onto our fields.

Neighbor's cows eat our deer plot of corn.

Neighbor's cows say howdy to our cows.

Neighbor's cows stay a few days to visit before neighbor decides to take them home.

(well fed may I add)

 

A few days later, our cows have pink eye.

 

the end

 

 

 

There is a reason for the saying

Good fences make for good neighbors.

 

 

I know where the next fence needs put on the farm!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grace went to Kroger with me Sunday.

She did not know the momarazzi was stalking her.

 

 Did you know Kroger sells extremely large pandas?

Yeah, go figure.

 

Grace wanted this thing.  I told her she had to pay the twenty-five dollars to buy it.  She agreed, so Mr. Panda hopped aboard the cart for his first shopping adventure with the zookeeper (me).

 

 

 

When the cart was full, Mr. Panda hitched a ride with Grace through the rest of the store.

She had no idea I was taking pictures.

 

 

 

Well, obviously she knew I took this one as we prepared to check out.

 

When the time came to pay up for Mr. Panda, she gave him one last hug then decided she liked her twenty-five dollars too much to part with it.  Mr. Panda was unceremoniously tossed back into the bin with the other overstuffed creatures awaiting adoption.

 

Wise choice, Grace!

 

Pandas eat too much.  We can't afford him.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the momarazzi at work again this week.

 

 

This is the new location of All About Kids where Grace and Grant do swim lessons.

It is only a few miles from home, saving us a lot of time getting to and from lessons each week.

Yay!

 

The owners opened this facility in an old Wal-Mart building.  It makes pretty good use of the space if anyone is looking for a new business endeavor.

 

 

Grace working on her fish impression...

 

 

 

 

Mr. Manatee, Grant, making his lap of the pool...

I think he surfaced twice the full length of the pool

confirming my suspicions that he is full of only two things...

blubber and hot air.

 

There's only four kids in the class so they do lots of laps in a twenty-five minute lesson.

He is pretty tired by the end.

Grantisms - #2,567,302

Best thing I heard yesterday.....


Grant - I wrote my favorite color was green because I wasn't sure how to spell yellow.







I give him a 'B' for honesty and an 'A' for creativity.  For the record, he did know how to spell yellow.  I made him spell it for me.

Critters (and flowers)

Emily picked these at the creek.

Gotta love when nature supplies you with floral arrangements

in your high school colors!!

 

 

The Bulldogs are purple and gold.

 

 

 

 

 

Bunny

 

 

Tinkerbell-Grace is doing great for a six year old bunny

that was only supposed to live four or five years.

 

 

I feel so lucky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They love the bunny.

The bunny doesn't share their sentiment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and Grace informed me the other day I should refer to the bunny as HE

since the bunny is a boy, not a girl.

Grace is the one who insisted with crocodile tears streaming down her two year old face

that her bunny was NOT A BOY.

So poof, HE instantly became a SHE in all conversations from that time forward.

Problem solved.

 

 

Don't know when her thinking evolved,

but Tinkerbell-Grace is glad to now be recognized for the manly rabbit he really is.

He is searching for a new name to go with his new male identity.

 

I'm sure that will be a doozy if Grace is picking it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ducks are waddling along well.

The duck that was sitting a nest did not succeed in producing any baby ducklings for us.

 

 

We found the crushed egg shells nearby.

Mr. Coon must have needed a midnight snack.

 

Maybe next time.

 

 

 

 

Happy First Birthday, Snickers!!

You are quite a big girl.

 

 

I'm not sure who has learned more the past year...you or us.

 

Our kids learned the meaning of

NEVER give up.

 

 

 

 

They saw what sheer determination

and a lot of love can accomplish.

 

They also saw how fragile life really is.

 

 

I love happy endings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So thank you, Snickers, for making our lives a little bit richer with you in it.

 

 

 

 

I should mention too that

we have already taken a vote and it was unanimous.

John gets to ride her the first time.

 

 

We woke one morning to find this cute little guy on our front porch.

He hung around most of the day before a neighbor came looking for him.

 

The kids had fun loving on him.

Of course the answer was NO!

We don't need a new puppy!

 

 

 

Emily riding with me

 

Grace, Daddy and me on a ride

Yes, that is Bella's head stuck up Juliet's rear end.

Taking pictures while riding leave the horse to pick where she wants to go.

She picked Juliet's butt.

 

Emily bringing up the rear on Whinny that time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

And once more....

 

GO BULLDOGS!!!

 

 

Photos courtesy of the Shupe Farm

 

 

 

 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 

 

Good seeing everyone this weekend.

The time together always goes by so quickly.

 

I am sure Grandma and Grandpa would be pleased to see the crew they are responsible for!

 

 

Goodnight!