The View From Here

 Grace being silly

This is what Grant looks like when he discovers

 

 THERE ARE PLACES TO EAT BESIDES MCDONALD'S!

Some of those restaurants even serve food we all enjoy eating!!! 

 

No one in our family likes McD's except Grant.

He doesn't like it either.  He LOVES it.

This is what fourteen ducks in a dog crate looks like. 

 I'll leave it up to you to imagine what it sounded like.

And this is what it looks like when your newest horse has not personal boundaries.

 

He's sweet, but he could use some manners lessons.

 The bridge leading to some family farm ground near Golden Gate is now closed to traffic.

Call me sentimental, but this makes me sad!

Soccer!

Soccer season is quickly coming to a close.

By some small miracle, Grant's team is undefeated this year with only one game left to play.

The tongue sticking out is a sure sign he was giving it his best effort!

 

 High fives for another winning game!!

Thanks, Cale, for tagging along.  

We enjoyed your company at the game!

Food and Furry Friends

When Grant wants to cook, he goes all out.

 

 

This is his version of dessert.  A nine year old boy's favorite foods all put together...

mint oreos and snickers candybars.

The toothpicks are for effect.  I think they work.

He's pretty serious about this too.  He will carry a plate around to make sure everyone gets a chance to try his latest creations.

And when he isn't in the kitchen finding new ways to create desserts, he is off finding new ways to give me a heart attack....

like hiding hamsters in my office drawers.

Once I was over the initial shock, we had a little fun with the hamster.  He got to type his very own composition on my keyboard.

 

This didn't last long.  Hamsters aren't potty trained.

Hope you've had a good week!

Fifth Grade Field Trips

The highlight of fifth grade is the spring trip.  Students had a choice of what trip they wished to take.  Some students signed up to visit Washington DC.  Others chose a trip to Chicago.

The remaining group, including Grace, spent two days visiting Cincinnati and Indianapolis.




The great part about her trip was it did not involve any overnight stays.  We made a day trip to Cincinnati and then the next day we made a trip to Indianapolis.


Day one was at the Cincinnati Museum Center

I spent two days with this group of girls.  I couldn't have asked for a better, sweeter group.  We had a lot of fun together.

They volunteered to pose for this picture.  I wouldn't have imagined this being fun for them, but they wanted to do it.

Day two was spent at the Indianapolis Zoo

And the highlight for every fifth grader on both days was dinner on the way home.... 

In both Indianapolis and Cincinnati we stopped on the way home to have dinner....

at Golden Corral.

Now this in itself is not a bad thing.  

Golden Corral offers serious dining for those interested in packing away a good meal.

The problems arise when sixty students ages ten and eleven discover a chocolate fountain.

 

 A. Swarm. Of. Locusts.

I kid you not.

I've never been much interested in eating items from a chocolate fountain.

But after watching sixty kids go after this thing, 

I certainly won't have need for a chocolate fountain in my life. Ever.

Yuck!

DC - Spring Break Trip

The best thing about spring break happening in the spring?

It might be the flowers.

Probably not.

But it might be a close second.

Waiting to go to the top of the Washington Monument

John pondering a portrait of Lincoln pondering....

Presidential Portraits on display at the National Portrait Gallery


More pictures from our trip coming soon hopefully.  I'm finally getting through the last few files of pictures I downloaded!



We promised Grant and Grace that we were bringing them each a bag FULL OF MONEY from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

 We failed to mention that the money was shredded.

They were both very excited to get their bag full of money

Until they realized they had been duped.

Grant might or might not have thrown his bag of money at David when he realized the joke was on him.

We are terrible parents.

Eating astronaut ice cream from the Air and Space Museum...

I think we all prefer to stay on planet Earth and eat real ice cream from now on.  

That stuff was weird.

Stuff

Machine Shed Progress 

  

Trusses On

We didn't make it to the farm to work this week since it rained almost every day. I don't know if the guys were able to work on the shed any more or if it still looks like this.  Maybe Sunday we will get to go see it.



Still finding old pictures in files on my computer....
Coloring Easter eggs this year.  David helped Grace and Grant.  John and Emily were more interested in going out with friends.  I don't blame them.

 

 The Guardian of the Laundry

I know this might not be ideal for some people....having a cat lounging on their clean laundry and all.

I, however, find it quite beneficial.


You see, I have a dog that can't resist the smell of clean laundry.
(Who can, right?) 

Meg loves nothing more than to sneak into my sitting room and make a nest for herself using my freshly washed clothes.  Clean laundry wrinkled in a pile and covered in dog hair does not make the laundry maid very happy. (That's me by the way.  In case you weren't sure.)

So YEAH for cats lying on laundry piles.  Meg is scared of Bella.  She won't even make eye contact with Bella!

Good Kitty!

And who can deny the awesomeness of a cat that lets a boy do this with her?

No matter how or where or when....if Grant grabs Bella, she'll let him hold her until he's done.

She won't do that for another person in this house.

That's a pretty sweet friendship for a boy and his cat.

Moooooving Cow Wash

In the midst of winter, David had to feed hay to the cows.

They were always so excited to see the truck pull into the pasture.

 It wasn't the thought of a fresh hay bale that excited the cows.

Nope.

The excitement was over the lovely sprinkling of road salt on the sides of the truck.

 That's right.  

The cows saw David's truck as one giant moving mineral block.

Cow wash, anyone??

New Things - Lost Things - Forgotten Things

Spring brings new life.  I love this time of year.  I love the anticipation of summer stretching before us with weeks to fill making memories.

I look forward to meeting our new calves at the farm.  Right now we are at four and still counting.  They are all doing great.  Pictures later.  Bees are working away making new honey for us to share.
The garden is newly planted.  We finished it Saturday afternoon.  I can't wait for summertime garden goodies.  New pear, peaches, apples, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are promising flavor overload this year.  So exciting!








Some things that are new don't make me quite so happy.

Like new retainers.

Grant managed to lose his old retainer.  We never found it.  Maybe the dog ate it.  Who knows? This is now his fourth retainer.  We have bought three replacements in the past year.

They aren't cheap.

I suggested we should staple this one to his head so he won't lose another one.  Though I was joking, I think he got the message.  He is taking a new interest in putting the retainer where it is supposed to be kept. 









Also new is our dishwasher. It was installed in April. 

I am now waiting on a repairman to come fix my new dishwasher....my free replacement dishwasher that GE volunteered to give me because they were tired of fixing the dishwasher I purchased last summer.   Yes.  That's right.  After about twelve attempts to keep my dishwasher running GE decided they would replace it with a new one. 

That's not working out so well for them (or me) right now.  I'm hoping they can keep this one running.  Or I might have to shop for a new BRAND of dishwasher.







We had a very peaceful Mother's Day yesterday.  Church followed by lunch at home and a nap.  It doesn't get much better than that.  To all of the grandmothers in our life....I apologize for not getting your cards in the mail.  I found them on my desk today.  So now you have something to look forward to getting in the mail this week besides bills!  (always looking on the bright side of things, right?)

Invention Convention

Helping a fifth grader "invent" something that they can make, demonstrate how it works and explain how to market it is only slightly easier than....

helping a third grader "invent" something that fits the same criteria.

Both projects were about as meaningful as nailing jell-o to a tree.  There.  I said it.




I HATE Invention Convention.

All third through fifth graders were required to complete the assignment.
Let's not kid each other.
That is "teacher speak" for the truth...which is all PARENTS of third through fifth graders were required to complete the project!!


Grace designed a Baby Bubble Bath Bag.

 

The idea was to keep babies warm and covered while bathing them.

I got an A on the project.  She got an A on the project.

Don't judge.

Grant invented the Dock N Lock Device.  It is used to keep teenagers from driving while using their cell phones.

Our resident engineer was called in to consult and advise on the wiring for Grant's project.

David and Grant received an A on their project too.

Working on the presentations....

 

 

Not my finest parenting moment by a long shot.  Maybe I'm experiencing school project burnout.  Maybe I'm getting old.  I did not want to do this project.  With two months to work on the project, we started and finished the entire thing in less than a week. If it weren't for wanting to set a good example for my kids, I would have boycotted the entire assignment!

Actually I'm trying to clinch the nomination for parent of the year.  This should pretty much guarantee me the title.