August

It is hot, I mean really hot... with five o's and three t's. 104 is not my idea of a good time! Ethan got a haircut people - and I'd love to show you but I can't find the cord - still. We took it down to 1/2". Yes! a buzz cut. It will be much better for his cool factor (I mean temperature ya'll) since he can't tell me that he is sweating and icky and way too hot on his own. This way I can dump a bucket of water over his head and it will actually reach his scalp. It would otherwise have to find it's way through the thickest hair I've seen on a three year old. I miss his hair but it looks really cute.

The dog is getting ginormous and she found a friend in the neighbor's dog, junior. The older dog, Cajun, puts up with her but she knows he's in charge of the yard. She is truly a german shepherd. She keeps getting staph infections on her belly though - costs us $45 everytime we have to take her to get it looked at. At least the kids only have a $20 copay for the doctor.

Life is good, the kids are healthy and we miss everyone in Ohio bunches.

This is why...

I'm not a good blogger. I don't update on a regular basis and well I really don't have much to blog about. I just try to get through my day without someone cracking a skull or knocking themselves out instead of cracking a dome. Really, that is what my day consists of besides making food and trying to get to whatever cleaning I can with two in tow. I never thought my days would be a constant alertness to the whereabouts of two munchrats and whether or not they were standing on a couch or chair about to fall off onto their beautiful little noggins. I don't have to worry about Katie too much unless Ethan is right there with her, he has a tendency to take her down with him or throw her off balance just enough.

Thank God for naptime!

In other news - who am I kidding? There is no other news! Have a beautiful day everyone.

My post from the other day...

I wanted to let you all know that Ethan was approved and put on the waiting list for a therapeutic tricycle. It is called an AmTryke and if you follow me on facebook you have already heard me talk about it. Basically it is a special trike for kiddos with special needs. No we are not getting one with a motor - although, now that I think of it, that might be a lot of fun. We are saving up for it and if you would like to (shameless request for money inserted here)donate you can find all the info at http://www.ambucs.com/. Go to the AmTryke tab, wish list and click on grant a wish. For some reason I can't post the link directly. You would have to earmark it for Ethan or you can just donate in general if the mood strikes.

I was happy to read that Ambucs was chosen to recieve one of the $50,000 Pepsi Refresh Grants for the month of April. They were ranked #4 of 360 campaigns vying to get the cash. It would have been nice to be #1 or #2 and get the $250,000 so that even more kids could get their AmTrykes but I'm sure the 100 recipients will be super pumped about getting out and about on their new toy.

Another little blessing this week ~ We are trying to be more aware of our grocery budget, which got a little thrown off by visitors this month, and we decided to eat what was in our fridge/freezer/pantry (I know, novel concept right?) until the next budgeted grocery $$ was available. All was well until Tuesday when the last of the peas, carrots, and corn from the freezer were finally put to good use, we ate the fresh stuff last weekend. I look at my ceiling and ask God "what vegetables are the kids going to eat now?" They don't do so well with lettuce and that is all that remained in the fridge. I tend to stay away from canned vegetables, mostly because I can't recycle the cans at my friendly neighborhood Met. When I went to the garden I came across two of the largest zuchinni I've ever seen in person and one yellow squash the size of Katelyn's arm (slight exaggeration, but it was BIG). I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank Him for providing the food on our table in a more than average way this week.

If you've read my previous post on Gardens you will know that getting a yield from anything is a big blessing to us. Oh and to date we have lost all of our Mulberries to the birds and plenty of tomatoes to who know's what... I find them all over the ground half eaten so at least something is enjoying them. I actually got to 10 or so before anyone or thing else and Katelyn ate them for lunch today. They are cherry tomatoes so no, she didn't throw up from eating too many. I finally got "a roundtoit" and staked them today they are "tied" with masking tape because I couldn't find any string. We also have had a pretty decent yield from our thai dragon peppers - not that we have a use for them since I didn't get to planting the larger variety tomatoes. Good thing they are so cheap at the market this year. Salsa - here we come!

Now that you have gotten two posts in one - enjoy the Lord's day!

I have a post

I really do - but I'm not ready to put it up here yet. It's in my head but that thing is so full of other stuff that is in the way of my post. So when I empty the rest out I will get that post up here right quick in-a-hurry. It's the weekend soon so the other stuff has tomorrow to get worked out and then it will have to wait until Monday so look for new post-age tomorrow or, more realistically, Saturday. Unless we get the pool out and then it will be Sunday or next weekend. I didn't ever realize that a $10 blow up pool could be so much fun at my age. Ethan is the pool master and Katie tries as hard as she can not to sit or lay in it. All very comical.

Anywho - just thought I'd let you all know that info about our lives is forthcoming - after life gets out of the way.

Have a great weekend and stay cool southerners!

Gardens

They seem like such a good idea at the time. We have spent about $200 - $300 on the garden and supplies this year and we have gotten two yellow squash, a zucchini, two serano peppers and some thai chili peppers (which Noah tried raw for the first time last night - he he he). I just didn't have the time to devote to it that I thought I would and with all the rain every attempt to get out there was thwarted by thunderstorms and a flooded garden. I didn't realize it was the lowest point of the yard and that all the water migrates to the front of the garden. Fill dirt here we come. My broccoli was a complete and total waste of space and money. We didn't get any edible heads. It all went to flower before I got to it. It was pretty but I didn't pay for pretty. Have I disclosed that I have a total brown thumb when it comes to indoor plants? I wonder if that is why I am not doing so hot with my garden. Anyway, I think I will try to seed some lettuce for the fall. I can still get some melons, corn, peas and tomatoes going. I also have some winter squash to plant as well.

We are hopefully going to get to the orchard this fall. Canning applesauce is a favorite thing to do and it tastes better as well. My mother brought us up on homemade canned applesauce, pears, peaches and tomatoes. We had frozen beans, green and yellow, peas and corn from my grandparents garden too.

Here's to a better fall harvest. For all you northerners good luck with your gardens this summer. It has been a crap shoot for me in Oklahoma - goofy weather all season!

Did I Mention

that my mother bought us a dishwasher? Thank You, Thank You, Thank You mom! This has already made my days so much easier. I finally feel like the bottles and sippy cups are clean clean. It also gives me more time to do other things like play with my kids or spend a little more time cooking without having to worry when the dishes are going to get done.

Last nights dinner was phenomenal. Noah doesn't usually like alfredo so when he suggested it I was shocked and unprepared. No cream, no fresh parmesan - off to the internet to find a recipe using ingredients I already have in the fridge. May I say that alfredo made with cream cheese is very very tasty ~ add some shrimp, whole wheat linguine and brocolli and it was on like donkey kong!

MIA

My family came to visit and it was rockin' awesome. Ethan got a pool from auntie and uncle for his birthday and everyone, even the grownups, enjoyed that thing. Frisbie in the backyard with the big boys who came and cooled off in a blow up pool from wal-mart = best day of vacation.

It was really great to have them and now it's back to life as usual. As usual I cannot find the cords for the camera to upload pix of the visit. There are some good ones and the pictures from Ethan's birthday are great. You will just have to take my word for it.

More later -