Ramblings

It's been a quick morning here.....it always seems to go by quickly when we're in and out of the house, playing outside, and feeding the cows, calves and heifers.  The kids just go with the flow....it's so nice that they're flexible.  Even today, we didn't get in the house until 1:30 and the kids weren't overly crabby (to my relief!).  I fed them quick and sent them up to bed....

The only problem is that Clarence isn't sleeping yet (it's about 2:30)....He fell asleep for five minutes in the tractor, so now he's probably just too wide awake.  I hate when that happens!  It means he'll be tired and ready for bed by about 7:30 - I know, not so horrible, but it just seems to screw up the day somehow. 

Anyway, I'm really enjoying this spring and staying home with Matt and the kids.  Our babysitter just had her baby and I don't really have someone to bring my kids to (or at least I've been using it as my excuse so that I can be home and help out here).....That's ok...I got plenty of subbing in over the winter - now I can help feed cows, be outside and get some exercise, and work on cleaning out my back entry so that it's ready when Mark is done with college.  (It needs to be ready because we're tearing it off and adding on an addition out back.)  I can hardly wait.  I just picture how I want everything to look, then change my mind and picture it another way....I can't wait to decorate it!  (I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, though, because then I'll just get impatient with the slow "building" process.  I guess that'll just motivate me to help whenever and wherever I can.)

I've been thinking about my garden.

I'd like to start planting it, but the days have been kinda chilly.  I wonder if it'd be a good idea or not.  I think it would be safe to plant my potatoes....and maybe onions?  And the kids and I planted cucumber and pumpkin seeds last week (which, miraculously, are still in the dirt, in the pots we put them in - don't ask me how we've managed it this far!).  I can't wait for fresh veggies from my garden and to can and freeze everything so I'll be all stocked up again!

I've been thinking about my addition (which I already told you about...I won't bore you again....but it's always on my mind!).

I've been thinking about the summer.

We've got some planned things happening, but I feel like most of the summer will be relaxed and enjoyed here at home (I hope!).

• So I wonder about what the kids and I are going to do to keep busy....what are some fun activities I can do with them?
• We've got a little pool - they'll play in that almost every day, I'm sure.
• and the sandbox
• and the animals
• and the stroller to go for walks
• work in the garden
• the bikes to go for bike rides
• plus the usual check cows and  check on daddy routine
• go visiting
• ride horse
• etc.
• however, I feel like all that will bore me after the first few week.....any other suggestions?

Do you have any suggestions for fun things we could do outside/inside that don't cost a fortune and would entertain the kids?


Anyway, this is a really random post - sorry!


_______________________________________

Today, Clarence and I were in the barn talking, and Adina had left.  I said, "Where did Adina go?"  Clarence said, "I don't know". We looked outside the barn and she was looking through the gate at the cows mooing at them.  She didn't notice us at first.  It was adorable watching her.

Then we went out back for a 4-wheeler ride and to watch Matt show us his expert roping skills.  There's a calf out back that's not being claimed, so I think we'll be having another bottle baby to feed.  It was out with the big herd, so Matt wanted me to drive him out there and help shoo it towards him so he could rope it.  He got it, after four or five attempts. 

_________________________-

Also, for those of you who read my facebook post about Matt and that he likes drinking buttermilk and that it makes him more athletic, he added oysters and blue cheese dressing to his statement.  Just take his advice, everyone, and you'll definitely be more athletic.  :) 

(I'm not making fun - he's just really random sometimes)


Well, anyway, have a super day and sorry for the jumping around!

List of Supper Ideas

I sub quite a bit over the winter, and it seems that I always get kinda bored.  I bring books and magazines with to read, but I'm usually through with those (or bored by them) before lunch....

So, I make lists.

I make lists of things I should do in my house now, things I want to do in the future, ideas for fixing things up, what needs to be done on the farm, what I want to plant in my garden, what I should can from my garden, baby names (for future reference, of course), and supper ideas to have on hand for those days when I'm feeling uninspired and can't think of a darn thing to make.

Here you go (in no order whatsoever):

Use as you like, or discard as you like.  I like this because it's all things I like to make, but can never think of at the last minute.

hamburgers/hotdogs/brats/polish
pizza burgers
bbq's
funeral sausage
fried potatoes
potato wedges
hamburger gravy over potatoes
swiss steak
tacos
chicken enchiladas
roasts, pork or beef or both
ham and scalloped potatoes
quesadillas
pancakes
waffles
eggs
pizza
spaghetti
hotdish: tator tot, cabbage, hamburger-noodle, pizza-noodle, etc.
taco pie
spaghetti pie
chicken pot pie
chicken thighs with noodles
creamy chicken and veggies
sandiwches: with lunchmeat, chicken salad, egg salad, pb & j
wraps
grilled chicken salad/sandwich
steak
pork chops
fried egg sandwich
pasta - with marinara sauce or creamy sauce
mac and cheese
bbq chicken
cheesy hashbrowns
fried rice
pineapple chicken with rice
stroganoff
stir-fry
shepherd's pie

Soups:
chicken noodle
chicken dumpling
beef and barley stew
ham, bean and dumpling
chili
taco soup
wild rice with bacon/chicken
chicken with rice and veggies
chicken tortilla - creamy or brothy


Well, there's my list - in no way complete - it's just nice to have something like this handy to get ideas.



And, if you're a breakfast person, here's a list of fun breakfast ideas:

toast
eggs
pancakes
waffles
bacon
sausage
egg bake
caramel rolls /maple/cinnamon/orange
muffins
tea ring
coffee cake
oatmeal
granola
french toast
smoothies
waffles with peanut butter and honey

maple nut butter (for spreading on waffles or pancakes)

• butter wipped with syrup and pecans

berry butter

• butter whipped with berries, then wrapped in a log and refrigerated/frozen until ready for use

Anyway...there you go.  Hope this helps you think of something fun to make for supper/lunch/breakfast!

Ahh!

The days are just flying by.

It seems like last week, but it was really last month, that my cousin Shannon asked if Ruthie and Guilford could come and spend the night this weekend while she was away at a conference.  I said absolutely.  And they've been here all day. 

In fact, they're upstairs sleeping right now.

We've had a fun/long/busy/exhausting day.

#1: We woke up....it seems like I'm always tired....even when I get enough sleep.....I guess the days are so filled and busy that I don't really catch up.  Oh well.

#2: We had to run out and check cows (the four kids and me)....No new babies today.....kind of a relief since we had 11 or 12 yesterday.    Matt was out spreading fertilizer on the hay fields right after he ate breakfast because of the rain that was headed our way....
         This (checking cows) resulted in something we wouldn't discover until three hours later......

#3: Matt finished, came home, and we all headed into town to run some errands.  It all turned out fine...the kids were pretty good.  Ruthie has proven may times today that she is a LIFESAVER! What a great kid! She's so awesome and always willing to help...whether it's me or to occupy the kids.  I love her!

#4: Our trip to town resulted in Clarence crying because I let him pick out only one can of pop at the store - he wanted "lots of root beer", which I wouldn't give in to.

#5: We drove into the yard to find about 75 cows running around the yard, most of them eating beet pulp.

(This was the result of checking cows this morning...Clarence is the "main gate man", but his double-checking hasn't quite kicked in yet, and he missed latching the gate correctly....which resulted in the mess of cows running everywhere.)
#6: I almost died because of this.

#7:  Mostly because of all the running and yelling I did trying to chase them in.  This was the most exhausting part of my day. 

It's not something I'd like to repeat every day.  It took about 45 minutes to chase the cows back in.  Which brings me back to Ruthie.  Have I mentioned yet that I love her?  She brought the kids into the house (where it's safe) and played with them until I came in to feed the kids - about an hour later.  I don't know how I would've ever managed to help Matt chase all the cows back in and worry about the safety of my children.  Obviously, I wouldn't have been much help to Matt had Ruthie not been here.

#8:  Ate dinner.  All three little kids napped.  So did Matt.  I thought about it.  Then finished washing dishes. 

#9: We baked cookies.  Delicious peanut butter/oatmeal/choc. chip cookies. They're my favorite!  I shouldn't really say "we". Ruthie pretty much did it herself; I washed dishes some more, then gave the little kids snacks and such....

#10: We made homemade pizzas for supper.....one of my favorite meals!

#11: I got my "Pioneer Woman Cooks" Cookbook (#2) in the mail today.  I'm loving it.

#12: All three kids got baths; Clarence was quite naughty off and on throughout the afternoon.  Which resulted in no pop after supper while the other kids got to drink theirs.  He wasn't happy.  Neither was I.  We'll both live, though. 

#13: It's only 10-ish and I'm so ready for bed.


Goodnight, all.

Sleep tight.

We've got another wild day again tomorrow.  My cousin Savannah's bridal shower in the morning and a benefit for the baby daughter of my kids' babysitter in the evening.  I'm so happy Ruthie's here to go with me, especially since I'll be trying to help with the shower, and I'll definitely be more help with her there than if she wasn't going to be there.  She's so helpful, and I'm so thankful!

Sleep tight!

Salted Caramel Cappuccino Cheesecake

It's delicious!

Wonderful....

Scrumptious.....

Heavenly......

You should make it....but only if you have people to eat it...otherwise, you might eat it all yourself....

And that could or could not be a bad thing.....

I made this cheesecake for Easter Sunday dinner with my family.  It turned out very well, considering this was my first time ever making cheesecake. 

I got the recipe from the latest Taste of Home magazine.  It's got 12 wonderful cheesecake recipes in it....

Here's the recipe:
(Make it. I don't think you'll be disappointed!)



Salted Caramel Cappuccino Cheesecake

1 pkg. (9oz. ) chocolate wafers
1 c. semisweet choc. chips
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. instant espresso powder (I used about 1 1/2 Tbsp. instant coffee crystals)
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 c. butter, melted

Filling:
3 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. Kahlua (coffee liqueur....I used 2 Tbsp. instant coffee and added water to make 1/4 c. liquid)
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. instant espresso powder (I omitted this since I added coffee crystals above, and there really ended up being enough coffee flavor)
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Topping:
1/2 c. hot caramel ice cream topping
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square).  Place the first five ingredients in a food processor; cover and pulse until fine crumbs form.  Gradually add butter, pulsing until combined.  Press into the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of prepared pan.  Set aside.
In a bowl, beat cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth.  Beat in sour cream, Kahlua, flour and espresso powder.  Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.  Pour into crust.  Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of boiling water to larger pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until center is set and top appears dull.  Remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil.  Cool on a wire reack for 10 minutes; loosen edges from pan with a knife.  Cool 1 hour longer.  Refrigerate overnight.
Pour caramel topping over cheesecake.  Refrigerate for at least 15 mintues.  Remove rim from pan.  Jus tbefore serving, sprinkle sea salt over caramel. 

Enjoy!

 

The Clarence Daily

Matt's off at an auction sale today, so it's just the kids and me at home.  We've been watching Little House, folding clothes, making lunch, and out checking cows.  While we were on our trek out back to check cows, I noticed an old Hereford was calving, so we drove away a little to give her some space, then stopped, turned around, and watched. 

Me: Hey, kids, should we stop and watch the Hereford have her baby?  Clarence, can I have the binocs? 

C: (hands over the binoculars)

Me: Oh, there she's laying down.

C: (I hand the binocs back)...(he puts them up to his eyes...backwards...and looks straight out the front window at some cow grazing)  Oh, there's another cow calving.  She's having a calf.

Me:  No, that one's just eating...look over here, out my window, at the cow that's laying down.

C: (puts the binocs back up to his eyes and looks in the general direction of the Hereford, but is looking way above her...into the sky)  Oh, I see her.

Me: Are you sure?  See? She's having her baby!

C: I need go pee.

Me: Ok, hop out and go; hand me the binoculars.

C: No, I want use these.

Me: No, honey,  I'll just use them while you're outside.

C: Ok. (hands them over....hops out.....goes pee.....comes back in)

Me: Oh, Clarence, you missed it...the calf is out.  Should we drive up and go check on it?

C: Yeah!

Me: (drive up close, right beside the calf to make sure sac is off its nose, which it is...) Isn't it cute, you two?

C: Yeah!

Adina: Baby....which sounds more like BeeBee.  (She just repeats it over and over while we're out with all the babies.  And she gasps, points, grunts and gets really excited every time she sees one.  She's really cute.)

Me: Ok, let's head back now and see if there are any more new babies. 

Me: (once we're at the gate) Clarence, will you open the gate for me? 

C: Yeah! (and jumps out to open the gate while I drive through, then shuts it again)

Me: (I jump out to feed our sick cow.)  Clarence, will you get her some hay while I get her some water?

C: Yeah...(grabs a few handfuls of hay, then comes over to help me carry water.)  (As I'm sure you can imagine, he's so strong, so he was very helpful.  :)  )  (Actually, I put about a coffee-can's worth of water in a pail and he carried that over to her.  While he was dumping it in her tank, his gum fell into the water.)
Mom, my gum fall out.  Get me some more. 

Me: I will after nap.

C: (tries to reach in the tank...the water is too cold....he starts crying)  I'm going to the car.

C: (when I get back in the sub to drive back to the house....says,) You mean, Mommy.

Me: Why?

C: I want more gum! 

Me: (I told him to keep his gum in his mouth next time....he didn't really like that response, either.)

(And the conversation was pretty much over with because he was crabby and needed a nap and I wasn't going to give him gum.)


From time to time, I'll give you a "Clarence Daily"  and maybe an "Adina Daily", but she's not vocal yet, so she only DOES funny things (like: collect nail polish; puts on lip gloss; requests lots of gum; has cute, cheesy smiles). 

Have a super day. Hope the weather warms up soon!

Clarence-isms

Tonight, while we were eating supper, Matt was asking Clarence some questions.

M: Clarence, did you go into the chicken barn today?

C: Yeah.

M: Did you feed the baby chicks?

C: Yeah, I feed those.

M: Did you put the cover back on the tank?

C: (stares blankly, thinking)

M: Clarence, did you put the cover back on the tank?

C: No, I a yittle guy. I no lift it.

(So, therefore, Matt needs to run out and put the lid back on...we've lost a couple chicks and ducks because we didn' t have a cover on the stock tank they live in and something got in.  Clarence doesn't really remember stuff like that, though...he's more worried about feeding and feeding and feeding some more)

Our next supper conversation:

Clarence and Adina were talking a little...he said something about pancakes.

C:  I like pankees.

A: (starts snorting like a pig)

Pretty soon, Matt and both kids were snorting, laughing, and snorting some more.  It was pretty funny to watch.

______________

Our after-prayers conversation...

C: Mom, I go Nikki's house.  I have to help fence.

Me: Not tomorrow...

C: Next week?

Me: Maybe...but you'll see her tomorrow at church. We're going to church and there's going to be a potluck.  I love potluck.

C: I no yike potluck. That yucky.

Me: No, you'll like it...I'm bringing a salad and maybe meatballs.

C: Meatballs? Yummy! I yike meatballs.  I have Sunday School morrow?

Me: No, not for like a week and a half.

C: Next year?

Me: No, in two Sundays.

C: Next week?

Me: yep.  Then we'll have three more times of Sunday School, then have a break for the summer.  You'll start Sunday School again next fall.  And, you'll also be in school next fall - pre-school.

C: pre-cool?

Me: Yep.  And Kiefer and Anna will be there with you, too.

C: No, Kiefer too yittle.

Me: He'll be able to go next year because he'll be old enough.  But not yet.

C: Me a yittle guy.  I no go cool this year. 

Me: Nope, not until next fall. 

C: okay...

Me: Ok, time for bed.

C: I go feed cows tomorrow?

Me: Yep, if you're good.

C: I be good.

Me:  That means you have to be good for me, too.  No being sassy or talking back. 

C: I be good, mommy.  I talk nice.

Me: Goodnight, Clarence. I love you.

C: I yuv you, too.



________________


We had a fun day today.  We spent all morning out with the cows....feeding, taking twines off, tagging calves, feeding a sick cow, helping the blind calf suck...

Clarence helped me with the blind calf and Adina helped Matt feed some bales.  Clarence kept busy with me by carrying handfuls of straw to put in the calving pen where I was helping the blind calf.  He kept coming up to pet the calf while she was sucking.

Me: What should we name the baby calf?

C: Ruby.

Me: No, not Ruby...Ruby's our dog.  Pick another girl name.  How about one of your friends...how about Marlyee?

C: No, Marlyee's mean. (She's really not - they probably fought once last summer.)

Me: How about Payton?

C: No, Payton hit me....(like 7 months ago...!!!)

Me: How about Courtney?

C: (smiles)....(and names our blind girl calf Courtney).


So, now Clarence has another thing to help occupy his time....a blind calf he named Courtney. 

_______________

Have a great day!  I'll try to get pictures tomorrow when we're out with the cows.  I could've gotten a lot of cute ones today, had I been prepared. 

Signs

Last Tuesday, March 20th, marked the 1st day of Spring.  Oh Joy!

This is the first year of my life (and could be the last) that I have ever actually seen spring come so early.

The signs I've seen:

• Rain:  it's raining/sprinkling/drizzling here today.  So, I've been in the house with kids who have been a little on the crabby side. 
• Temperature:  while the temperature today isn't overly warm, it's definitely the warmest calving weather we've been blessed with since we got married. 
• I'm loving the nice spring weather...the kids can run around in fleece coats and waterboots without ever getting too cold.
• Robins:  I've seen a few here and there the last week....that's always a sure sign of spring.
• Geese:  We've had hundreds land in our pasture out back where the cows are.  It's fun to go out and see them up close.
• Green things....the grass is starting to turn green, the evergreens are more freshly green than normal (or so it seems)...
• Matts' been in the field...
• he chisel plowed a former CRP field across the road
• he plowed another field, too
• (which has taken a while because the first day was going well until a wheel fell off the plow...it's taken him a day to fix it, and he was back at it again this morning....he says he's almost done, though.)
• He plowed my garden up, too....
• which was nice - I still had rows of frozen, dried-up plants from last year, as well as rotten carrots and beets that I didn't harvest  before they froze completely
• now it's nice and black, and waiting for the weather to warm up so we can start all over again.
• my kids:  they live for playing outside.....it takes all the patience I've got to make them stay in so I can finish some things up before we all go out to play....they can't be out running around if Matt's in the yard with the tractor, so that's always my big struggle - making sure they don't sneak outside on me. 
• Oh well, though, I'm glad they like to play outside...
• Farm Babies:  the calves are coming...so far, we've got about 25-30 LIVE calves.  Things are going good....
• unless you count the fact that Matt hasn't had much sleep the past couple of nights....
• he's sleeping as I write this, in a kitchen chair with his arm and head resting on the table...
• thank goodness it's a short season!

Clarence stayed home from the babysitter yesterday because he needed to help Matt.  Sometimes when I bring him to the sitter, he tells me that he has to stay home, because "Daddy gonna be mad at me."  Well, Clarence, no he won't, and telling me that won't bring you back home again.  If I tell him Matt's going to be working on machinery, he understands, because Matt's told him that it's dangerous.  I'll say, "Daddy's going to be plowing, or working on machinery, and you can't be around when he does that."  He asks, "Is it dan-jes?"  (I love hearing him try to pronounce words!)

Even as we're sitting here now, he's still in his pull-up because he just got up from his nap, and Matt's trying to catch another minute of sleep, he's talking about being outside.  He just said to Matt, "Daddy, let's go feed cows."  (In the rain....he loves it!)  He's also been worried about the cats, dog, horses, calves, heifers, bulls, chicks and chickens today. 

____________

Adina's been starting to talk lately.

Her newest words are:

Thank You:  koo-koo

Love You: koo-koo

Please: pees

And we've also been working on animal noises.

I'll say, what's a cow say?  oooooo

a pig?  She snorts.

a kitty?  mohw

a puppy?  puppy

She's also good about brushing her teeth - when she can do it.
When we were skiing, Grandma Carmen taught her to sing while she brushes, so she'll take the toothbrush, twist it around on her tongue until she's eaten all the toothpaste (all the while singing "awwwwwww" in different pitches).  Once I take the toothbrush and actually try to brush her teeth, though, it's quite a battle. 

She's really funny right now... She makes all sorts of funny faces, sometimes eats like a princess - other times, not; she can put on her own water boots and hat and carries me her coat so she can go out and play; and she's still attached to her pacifier.  She has also moved from her crib to a big bed, which she sleeps very well in. 

Hope you're having a good day!

Say an extra prayer for a distant cousin of mine - she's 34, was just diagnosed with cancer, and is having surgery today.  She's got a husband and two little boys as well.  Thanks! 

Something to Ponder

As I was sitting here looking on Facebook, I read someone's status about losing weight.  She said, "Losing weight is not about looking better; it is about feeling better and living longer. God gave us this one life and one body."


What I'm wondering is:

Do you think God gave us a set amount of days on Earth no matter what, or can we live "longer" by improving our health?

Or, do we just improve the quality of the set amount of days of our life?

I think it's the latter....let me know what you think, please.  Thanks!

Three Year Olds

Well, as you can see, this post is going to be about Clarence.

Lately, his behavior has been just crazy. 
One minute he's an angel, the next, a monster. 

He'll be fine helping me do something, then totally tune me out. 

He'll be happy and satisfied playing, then start screaming because he heard the tractor start up and he's not in it.

He tells me he'll be a good boy at church, then when we get there, he goes limp, runs around, ignores me, and does whatever he wants.

I'm sort of at a loss for how to handle this situation.

So, I googled "three-year old behavior".

It's normal everyone....completely normal.

The first article I read said:

• They are more mobile and expressive...they know how to ask for things, how to get things they want, and how to scream when you say "no".  They don't know how to use adult logic, though.
• They want independence...they want to push boundaries and stretch limits.  The article told me this is how a child learns and gains confidence.
• They think everything is the end of the world....as far as rules go.
• They have a short attention span unless they are engaged in some activity (like Clarence when he gets on his feeding cows thing, or corralling Ruby, our dog)

How to deal with it?

• The only suggestion this article gave was to try and enter their world.
• Which means:  if they are whining about a toy or something, try and talk to them about it positively with them to calm them down, then gradually change the subject.  Talk to them like a child, because they are a child.
• In theory, it's probably a good idea....it's just something I need to remember at my most frustrating moments.
• Another article suggested:
• Choose your battles...definitely a big one for me, too. I need to let some things go.  But when and which ones?
• A quote from this article: "Little kids can control little things." 
• That's definitely something I need to remember.  At this age, he still doesn't know what's best for him.  I can let him choose things so he feels like he has some control, but ultimately, he still needs to listen.

Anyway, I've had some struggles lately and an unsure of how to handle them.  Any advice would be gladly welcomed!

Have a super day!

Craziness

• We went on vacation the first week in March. 
• We left March 1st, after we had
• brought the kids to the babysitter in Roseau
• shipped two semis of calves (150 animals)
• paid bills in town
• finished packing
• and we were on the road by 4-ish.....not really the goal dad was hoping for, but oh well, we were on our way.
• We went to Big Sky
• The snow was AWESOME!
• the weather was, too
• the cabin was a great place to stay
• we were so exhausted after every day of skiing....my dad's extremely hardcore
• and Matt's extreme (All the time!)
• we came home and I went to Fargo for my LPM class
• that was fun, too.....I learn so much every time I go there.
• seriously, if you're a church musician and are interested in learning how to improve that area of your church, it's definitely the class to take....
• talk to me and I'll fill you in!
• All last week, I subbed in St.Vincent
• I was quite tired by the end of last week....
• there wasn't really an end to the running
• Friday we went to Fargo to stock up on calving supplies....
• you know, the ear tags, tubing bottles, powdered colostrum, etc.... we were low and needed a lot of stuff, so we headed down to Fargo together....it was fun!
• we stopped at TSC on the way home and bought 8 baby chicks and 3 baby ducks.  The kids are loving the new additions to our farm.
• They have used every opportunity possible to feed and water their new animals. 
• And they (the animals) are all still alive.
• Monday I had piano lessons all day
• Today, we've just been hanging out
• We had our first two "on schedule" calves
• Matt's thrilled that they're alive
• as am I
• (we've had a couple cows abort these last couple of weeks, so live newborn calves are a wonderful welcome!)
• Clarence has been busy helping Matt as much as he can
• he thinks he's an important helper (which he is!)
• Adina likes to help, too, but she's only patient for about a half hour, and then she's ready to find something else to do....she just likes when people actually think to include her.
• We pulled the second one....but it's  alive.
• I sub again next week, but then I'll be done subbing for awhile because we don't have a steady babysitter and I'd like to be home to help with calving when and where I can.
• Anyway, now you're caught up a little....

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful weather!  We sure are!  The kids are loving playing outside....in the sandbox, feeding the dog and cats, swinging on the swings, and building forts.