Now we know its spring

We know its spring because the baby is getting so big, she found her feet! She also has started trying to sit up on her own, and has started stiffening her body because she doesn't really like her car seat!
Spring means high school softball. Mallory had her first game last night in Eudora. It was a double header. Mallory started the first game at 2nd base and played the entire second game at shortstop. I have never seen her play shortstop before, but she did a great job! Her team did not win either game, but it was really nice weather for sitting outside! She had several great at bats too! Jim is in heaven, he loves base/softball! I tried to convince Madison she should go ahead and join the team, but she said it was fun to hang out with me. (No really, she totally did).

We also found ourselves at a pig auction today, to get our 4-H hog project off and rolling. I wasn't sure if we would be sitting outside, so I found Saige a sunhat.

Jim stayed home with Harper and Quincy, and they attended the annual Easter egg hunt at the nursing home up the street. Harper didn't understand why if Saige needed a sun hat, she didn't need one also!

Turns out, we were not sitting outside at the pig auction. Saige was a very good girl and kept us all entertained between pigs!

I can no longer say that I have been to hundreds of auctions and never bid. Today, I did a little bidding, and even managed to get Mallory the Yorkshire she wanted. Well sort of....she wanted a gilt, but I managed to get her a barrow!

He is just a little bitty thing - very sweet and still cute! We literally carried him out of the auction! Thankfully, my sister in law let us put him in the back of her truck, because originally I said well he is so small we can just let him ride on our laps.....he did quite a lot of pooping, so I am very grateful that he was not in my van!

We are excited to be started on the pig project again, but we still need to get 4 more hogs. I have some options though. We just hope Mallory's little boy who she is insisting on calling Swinderella doesn't get too lonely until we can buy a few more!

I still like them when they are this size.....a few weeks from now, he will be nothing more than bacon to me!

Tigers: a tutorial

The world according to Harper Joy!

We Miss Daddy!

Basically, this is all I have heard for the past couple of days. Is daddy coming home? When is dad coming back? Is daddy going to call us tonight? Can we call dad? Can you go pick up dad?

I miss him too, but I think we have done ok in his absence this week. Although the kids are starting to really make me feel like I have failed them somehow!

I guess life is just better when we are all together!

He will be home tomorrow night. I am glad.....he tends to take on the stuff I hate doing - like tonight Colin had a baseball practice and parent meeting. I really dislike parent meetings! I know he would have happily gone. Luckily for me, there was a pretty good storm so the practice and the meeting got moved to Sunday!

Oh Yes, We Did!

Yes, while Jim is away at training this week, I did let the kids dress up as fairies and witches!
We have also started Saige on eating rice cereal. She seems to like it, and I really like it too since it has bought me a couple of full nights of sleep! Love rice cereal and the full belly that it creates!

We also listed our house this week. I had a hard time finding a photo of the house (its dark outside or I would go take one!). I am excited about moving to the country, it is really following through with a dream that Jim and I have had since we met. However, I would not be being totally honest if I said it is not with mixed feelings. I really love this house. We have brought home babies to this house, started school, and made countless amounts of other memories here. I actually love the neighbors too. My problem is that I want for my kids, what I had growing up! My sister-in-law has a plate in her kitchen that says "on a farm long ago, all my fondest memories grow" I think this is so true for me. So we are putting it out there. We will see what is in God's plan for our family!

And finally, YES! we did call the fire department 2 Sundays in a row! Although it is a hobby of mine to figure out a way to make things be Jim's fault, this time I have to take all the blame!

On Sunday, last week, Jim and the boys decided to burn pasture. It got out of control, and they burned up the entire back side of our land. So this week, when we came home from mass, I told Jim, gee if we were ever going to burn the front part, today would be the day. There was no wind, and since the back is already burned up, it can't really go anywhere. My Jim loves a good fire, and loaded up the car with some shovels and rakes and a couple of lighters and we were off. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Yep, I admit it! One time! We did a good job of burning up the front. Then we decided to burn the pond dam. If we had just stopped while we were ahead! The dam went wild, the fire spread onto the neighbor's side and we fought as hard as we could. In the meantime, the wind came up from the other direction. Needless to say, we got to meet our new neighbors! Luckily, he said that although he did not plan to burn his pasture this year, it really didn't bother him that it got done! We probably burned an additional 30 acres that we didn't intend to burn! Oddly, we met another neighbor when he showed up with a gallon of chocolate milk, and then stood there telling me that he didn't think we wanted the fire to go any further (yes, I needed his help!). The fire department in Overbrook really is pretty good. They did not say one single negative word to us. They put the fire out and then gave Jim a little razzing about what he would be doing next Sunday!! You have to remember that Jim works with these guys! All in all, we are DONE with pasture burning for this year!!

The fire photo above is NOT our fire - just wanted a photo for emphasis!!!

If you nag long enough....

big brother will take you fishing!
I have no idea why big brother is wearing shorts and a t-shirt and the girls are dressed in winter coats! I am fairly certain that although it was very wet and sort of rainy, it was not that cold!

Harper's attention span did not really allow for actually catching any fish, and I am pretty sure she was just happy to go outside after several days of rain!
Well, that and just being included is important when you are 2!


I am very proud of the work that the kids did this week. I know it has not been a fun week at all. We have painted, scrubbed, replaced, cleaned out, purged, and basically overhauled the house. We are not quite finished, but it is looking very good for the realtor that is coming on Monday. I separated them into teams and had them doing lots of odd jobs, cleaning out closets that I am certain have not been cleaned since we moved into the house! What the kids call child abuse, I call productivity! Once in a while, even though I think the kids are working hard, and doing the things that I ask, someone shows up looking like this.


Me: Preston? Why the heck did you draw on your face?


Preston: MOM IT WASN'T ME! Colin did this!


Me: Colin, WHY did you color on your brother?


Colin: Well, mom I was in the closet downstairs cleaning like you told me to, and I didn't have any paper to test the marker I found to see if I should keep it, or throw it out.





Of course, I should have known that was it!
Saige has been a little impatient with the whole process, she would like a little more attention than what she has been getting! Maybe next week little girl!

More from our house on spring break

The girls are happy to have slept in their own beds. The little ones are happy that they are home.
Cameron 'found' this certificate after several days of being out of school. He forgot that he made the Principal's Honor roll. I do not know how you forget something so important, but apparently he was blindsided by the promise of spring break free time!

Harper wants to go fishing. Harper wants to go fishing. Harper wants to go fishing. Harper wants to go fishing. We explained that it is raining, and has been for a few days now --- she was very indignant and pointed out that she has on her boots.

I got the downstairs bathroom painting done. I am much happier with the paint this time. Its not so white! Now I am concocting a mixture of leftover paint to put in the laundry room! I refuse to do any more bright white!

Two closets cleaned out yesterday, more being worked on today -- God is looking out for me - it is much easier to motivate kids to do indoor work when it is not nice and sunny outdoors!

spring break 2012

Its officially spring break here. The kids are excited to have a little down time!

My little travelers returned from New York. This is the only picture of them together that I saw, so I had to use it! They both said they had a good time. They both took tons of photos. I had to laugh at how different the photos are. Mallory took tons of pictures of everything.....the buildings, the landmarks, the airplane, made an effort to get photos of St. Patrick's Cathedral, because she knew I want to go there someday etc. Madison took photos of a prostitute, some homeless men, a guy with hot pink lipstick, and tons of funny signs including Butts Real Estate! By looking at the photos, I would not have guessed they went on the same trip! I am very happy that they had a safe trip, and that they had a good time. Their band got a silver -- which is very awesome! Both girls also reported that street vendor hot dogs can, in fact, change your life!!
On Monday, we went to Augusta to see my grandma, and I went into Wichita to see my friend Grace. I somehow failed miserably with the camera, though. I took the camera because I really wanted a photo of my grandma with Saige, and I thought it would be fun to have a photo of Grace holding Saige Grace. The only photo I took all day was of Saige with my cousin's baby. I don't know what I was doing, but it certainly was not being a good event photographer! It was fun to see everyone, and I know Quincy really enjoyed seeing my cousin's little girl....and they played really well together for the afternoon! I had a great time visiting with Grace too, and am still not processing how big her boys have gotten! It may be a while before I make that journey again, because little Miss Saige did not enjoy the ride at all. She cried halfway down, and most of the way back. The only time she quit crying on the way home was when we stopped at McDonalds, and when Madison jingled her keys above her head. I really cannot tell if it is more annoying to listen to a baby cry, or jingling keys!

Sunday night, Jim and the boys went out to burn off our pasture. The fire got a little out of hand, and we ended up calling the fire department. We now know that the fire department can get to us in 4 minutes when we move to the country! I thought Mallory was taking pictures, but she wasn't. I am pretty sure Jim is ok with not documenting the fire trucks putting out his handiwork!

It would seem to me that we have had enough excitement for spring break, so we are spending the rest of the break cleaning house, painting the downstairs bathroom and sorting junk for city wide garage sale day. It is not going to be much fun, but it all has to be done, and doing it when we are all home is going to be important!! I am hoping to get a real estate agent in here next week.....first week of April at the very latest. We shall see!

Regional 4-H Club Day

Colin and Preston both danced at regional 4-H club day this morning. They have worked very hard, and all the practices paid off - they looked great! This was Preston's first year of line dancing, and he did such a great job! He was the grooviest kid there!! Colin was a little harder to get photos of, because he was in the back row.

Note to moms- if someone gives your little boy a 4-H pin to put on his shirt, help him put it on the right way! :)

I'm telling ya, Preston has some groove!! :)

UUUUMMMMM....Colin, Why are you standing flat footed while everyone else is dancing??

I am very proud of these 4-Hers.....they did a great job!!

Of course, I never said they weren't a bunch of goofballs!

With regionals over, I proclaim the end of all winter activities! Never fear though, because base/softball sign ups are this week, and Mallory has already started practices for high school softball. Madison has decided not to play this year. Madison, Jim and I are taking on a new adventure with a new job. We will be lining fields, and running the concession stand here at the ballpark this summer. Madison is going to do the bulk of the concession stand running, and Jim and I are going to help her. She needed a summer job! Mallory is going to help some too, but she had already accepted a summer job babysitting across town. She plans to pitch in when she can! This job starts the week after spring break, with high school baseball playing here in town. I figure we are at the ballpark every single night all summer long, we might as well get paid for it!! :)

I am hearing great things from the girls in New York. They seem like they are having a ton of fun. I cannot wait until they get home tomorrow, so I can see all their pictures and hear all about it! Plus, the littles really miss them. Harper has asked about her 'Mad son' every hour since she left!

Cameron is attending a beekeepers meeting today. Luckily, some friends were willing to take him! Hopefully he will not get stung because I just could not bring myself to send the other epi-pen!!

Shots

NY Band Trip 2012

Madison and Mallory left before bright and early this morning on their band trip to New York. Notice the clock? That is the correct time - and it was AM! I am thankful that grandma was driving the bus to the airport and was kind enough to stop and pick them up on the way to the high school - I got up long enough to remind them of their manners, make sure they had their money, and kiss them goodbye! That is definitely not a time of the day that I function very well!! Jim somehow managed to get up, make some wise cracks and kiss them goodbye - apparently he functions better than I do at that hour - although I never knew this until now!

The girls already texted me to say that their plane made it, that the cost of eating fast food was a little more expensive than they thought it would be, and that they already encountered someone digging in the trash for lunch. At this point, I am wondering how our parents sent us off into the world on trips like this without the convenience of texting?

Oh and yes, I did really take their photo as they were getting ready to go - at 4 AM. They were not thrilled with the idea, but its amazing what handing out spending money will get for you from teenaged girls! Mom of the year -right here!!!

Guess who is 4 months old?

No, not you, Your Highness!

Saige Grace is now 4 months old!
She is the happiest, sweetest baby I have ever seen - well maybe not ever seen, but she is extremely happy and sweet!

She just grins at everyone, coos, and tries to talk, and she loves to be held!

She also started rolling over, which means I have to pay a lot more attention during diaper changes!

I recently found some baby pictures of Colin, and was amazed by how much she looks like he did as a baby! Colin was sure to point out that this means she will be incredibly good looking as a teenager! (No he isn't full of himself or anything).

She is really loved by all the natives!! In her short life, she has learned all the basketball rules, wrestling rules, listened to multiple concerts given by her siblings, learned about line dancing, fund raising, band practices, started worrying about spring piglets, picked up a few interesting facts about dam rehabilitation, and started attending Religion Ed for First Grade! I am sure that all this knowledge will set her way ahead of her peers!

She may also know a thing or two about wrapping daddy, mommy and a lot of siblings around her little fingers!

Signs of Spring (at our house)

Some people know spring has arrived by the daffodils blooming, or the trees budding out.

We just aren't that kind of a family!

Thanks Cam, for helping your sisters discover the joy of snake hunting!