Only a girl would pick a caterpillar off of a tansy flower and come inside to make it a home that includes a pink bed for the tiny thing to take a nap on!
And yes we did return it to its brothers and sisters on the tansy!
*****
We are leaving on vacation today so unless I run across some internet floating around, only Monday's and Thursday's KinderGARDENS posts will be new...the rest will be reruns. But not to worry I will pick some good ones!
Welcome to the Friday Funnies.
A funny (or strange) photo from my life!
Why the kitchen counter is the choice for a place to converse I will never know!
But when it happens these things are certain...
Baby Boy is always animated,
#2 son is always attentive,
and Sweet Girl is usually moving too much to get a clear photo when she is telling a story!
Happy Weekend all my blog friends!
I am getting back into the swing of blogging regularly...and this was a Friday tradition that I completely enjoyed and missed.
So without further adieu...
Come back next week for the full story of the Dandlion Pirates!
So are you ready?
Do you have your boots out and your slickers at hand?
I hear its gonna be a loooong wet winter.
Bleck!
DOUBLE BLECK!!!
Sometimes life is just exhausting...
When I was making Baby Boy a late afternoon snack I looked over and saw this...
A little one fast asleep on the kitchen counter...
Of course being the cautious and caring mother I am I would never leave my precious youngest child precariously perched on a kitchen stool so I could go grab my camera.
No that would not be prudent or wise to leave him there unattended so I could get a photo of him asleep in his Big Bird underwear.
I am a better mother than that...ahem
Welcome to the Friday Funnies...
Remember this photo?
I had titled it Love Hurts
It was actually my Christmas card photo that year.
Well some things just never change...
Much to the little guy's irritation!
Taking a Bath...
Well sort of!
And since you already have the song stuck in your head you might as well hear the original!
This is the scene I found when I walked around the corner of our house onto the side patio.
Baby boy along with his trusty motorcycle were hanging out by the pool.
Hey baby, watcha' doing?
Playing.
What's with the boots?
Me don't want my feet to get dirty.
So you're wearing your boots while playing in the swimming pool?
They not boots...they my muck boots.
OK...you're wearing your muck boots while playing in the pool?
Yep.
And where are your pants?
Don't know...
The conversion seems complete, we've now officially gone from regular people...
To farm folk...
To complete hicks.
Baby did you know that wearing muck boots and just your underwear makes you a baby hick?
Huhhh?
Never mind...carry on.
*****
What makes it funny that he's wearing boots to avoid getting dirty is that just a couple of hours before he looked like this...
As you can see he avoids getting dirty at all times!
*****
Are you just regular people, maybe a city slicker? Or are you a country bumpkin...maybe you've gone completely hick too?
So what are you?
Although not as 'out there' as the marinaded mice...
I still am issuing a warning on this post.
Just a small warning...
If you are squeamish about slugs.
Especially those that are impaled.
Then you might want to go to yesterday's posts with the lovely strawberries...
Those are not dirt clods on my pitchfork...
They are not even bits of manure.
Yes I'm raising her right! A good Pacific Northwest farm girl taking care of business.
And if you're from PETA...I don't want to hear about it.
It is them or my beans.
I side with the beans.
Now if I could just train Chester the Cat to be as enthused about catching slugs as he is mice I would be set!
But as you can see I'm not getting very far with that...
Girl right side up...
Girl inverted!
Right side up...
Up side down!
So tell me...
Are you right side up today?
Or is every thing inverted and a little upside down for you?
I am without a doubt...
Must be the full moon or something!
When it rains all day, pretty much every day throughout May and June the kiddos have to be creative in the ways they entertain themselves...
May I present to you the classic mud pie...errr mud cake, as I was informed. Chocolate mud cake to be exact!
One day the kids had been out playing while I was doing dishes. I heard a knock on the back patio door and there they stood with cake in hand singing happy birthday to mama!
No, not even close to my birthday...but sweet anyway! They decided it needed more 'frosting'!
Thanks guys...that was the best mud cake I've ever had!
So even though all this rain is rotting my seeds in the ground at least its keeping the kids amused!
*****
Don't forget to comment on yesterday's kinderGARDENS post to enter to win
'Who Grew My Soup'!
*****
QP2WG2UQ7349
Chocolate!
Life is indeed good...
Every human being is unique.
No two are the same.
But I have a son that is more unique than most...
I handed my 22 year old a piece of chalk the other day and asked him to change my calendar.
This is what he did...
Why did you do that? Why didn't you just erase April and write May?
Because this is more practical
Huh?
Well think about it...now it works 11 out of 12 months.
So now when I go to look at my calendar I know it is 'Not April 2010'. Thanks that is so helpful.
You're welcome, I knew you appreciate it.
*****
Happy Friday all...I hope you find something interesting and unique in your today!
Before we bought our cabin on the lake 2 years ago it had been owned by an elderly couple. They rarely used it....
As its new owners we use it all the time. We have done major construction there. We have had big parties there. We bring our kids and dog up there all the time...completely disturbing the peace of the old place.
I'm sure that has annoyed the local residents completely, the four footed kind especially!
So over the winter they exacted their revenge...
Our lovely arborvitae hedge has had it knickers eaten off! They now stand there like tall willowy models in dresses far too short!
So instead of looking like this...
It now looks like this...
I bet the deer are laughing their hairy little rear-ends off!
So what does one do to keep deer from eating a whole hedge? Do I really have to erect a cage over the whole bottom half? Any tips would be greatly appreciated for this all new to me.
You see I'm used to dealing with elk and camels...not deer!
Yep...talking about you big guy!
What are you doing mom?
Taking pictures of some eggs...
Wow, that is one big egg...I feel sorry for the hen that layed that!
Yeah, it reminds me of you...
Son looking very puzzled.
This one is your oldest brother, this one is your next...this big one is you!
(First son just over 8#, second son almost 8 1/2 #, third son pushing 9 1/2 #)
So feel sorry for the hen all you want...it is your mama that deserves your awe and wonder!
Son grinning and walking away from his crazy mama...
Now we have an issue...that egg fits into that carton about as well as I did into my pants at the end of my third pregnancy. No matter how you try...its never gonna fit!
No matter what you do you are never gonna get them zipped...I mean closed.
*****
Hold on one minute don't you have 4 sons?
I have such observant readers!
Yes I do have 4 sons...if I was going to add a fourth egg it would have to be a bantam egg. You see at just over 4 pounds boy number four was an itty bitty bit of a baby. So no I did not forget my last son...just no appropriate visual prop for him!
*****
Well what about Sweet Girl? Doesn't she get an egg?
When she was listening to the conversation about big eggs and awe inspiring mamas she said she wanted to be a chocolate egg!
So if I had a chocolate egg, that would be my Sweet Girl...
But I don't have a chocolate egg...
Chocolate does not last long enough in my house to have photo shoots.
Which has no bearings on any zipper issues I may or may not have...
None whatsoever.
Last week I showed you the birthday cake with car wreck and sink hole in it.
I left the same group of young adults in charge of decorating the birthday packages.
And since there was none of your typical wrapping paper involved they come up with some creative and interesting designs on my plain brown paper...
First there was a fish! "Here fishy, fishy..." (name who said that, here is a hint)
A ferocious dragon! Grrrrrr....
A beautiful duck on a peaceful blue pond...
There was even custom lettering!
And finally there was...
Ummmm....huh?
*****
And thanks everyone for the compliments on the header, yes I did sketch it with the help of my 20 year old...the one that drew the heart and the duck above.
I'll tell you all about it next week!
For those of you who left a comment on yesterday's kinderGARDENS post I will announce the winner of the Gardening With Children book at the end of this post!
But no peeking you have to read the post first...
*****
Baby Boy's 3rd birthday was this week. All of the siblings and two of their girlfriends were here for the festivities. After I made and frosted the cake I left my 22 year old second born son to decorate it.
Hmmm what is one to expect from a young adult male child?
Oh my there is a car wreck on the cake!
Mom its a sink hole...
Only a guy would think to make a car wreck involving a sink hole on the top of a birthday cake.
I'll take that as a compliment.
You would...
Bet the birthday boy will like it.
Yes considering his older brothers, I suppose you will.
We sang happy birthday and the little man blew out his candles.
When I set the cake aside to cut a little later I looked back and saw this...
My 20 year old third born son was playing with the cake...
What ARE you doing?
Popping wheelies!
Me rolling my eyes...
*****
So here are the results of our random basket grab...
Our Random basket...Sweet Girl was not thrilled I cut up one of her picture, sorry sweetie!
The grab!
The winner...Grace from Life Under a Blue Roof!
Congrats Grace...contact my prize department with your information.
Wait...I don't have a prize department...silly me!
email me at [email protected] with your address and I'll get your book in the mail.
Erin over at Garden Now - Think Later! needs to do the same.
Thanks everyone...this was fun!
Now go and get dirty this weekend...
In your gardens of course...
What did you think I meant?
Your know that its spring when your open the door
And your youngest of children eat lunch on the floor!
All laughter and smiles with tons of great fun
All thanks to the rare thing 'round here called the sun!
So welcome dear springtime I'm glad you've arrived...
So my dear little children keep their messes outside!
PS...
Your know spring has sprung when again I am seeing
A little boy hero from the porch who is peeing!
Happy Friday all!
*****
Don't forget to sign up for our kinderGARDENS children's gardening contest! Join the fun...
I was vacuuming my family room the other day...
It is always like a treasure hunt when I lift up the couch...
And if I adventurous I just might find the lost remote control, some marbles and a sheep under the cushions!
When I finally switched off the vacuum I heard a little voice from upstairs...
Mama...I neeeed you!
Mama...where arrrre you?
I followed the pathetic little voice up the stairs and discovered this when I entered Sweet Girls' room...
You see Baby Boy has recently learned to climb on top of his sister's dollhouse.
But had yet to learn to climb down!
So about 20 time a day I round the corner to this little face saying...
Mama me stuck!
What is normal is all relative...
Then again so is what is considered abnormal...
I'm just gonna leave that lying there for you to ponder.
Day at the lake
Play Dough
Children
Dinosaurs?
Trolls?
Whatcha making little man?
Food...
Food for Brachisaurus.
Isn't it hard for him to eat without a head?
It ok mama...me mash him head.
Baby?
Huh?
How do you know what a Brachisaurus is?
Me just do.
Meanwhile our Triceratops has morphed into this thanks to Sweet Girl...
That is a great monster sweetie!
Mooommm, it is not a monster it is a troll. She lives under a bridge with a bunch of fairies and loves to dance!
You mean he doesn't eat goats that pass over his bridge?
Why would he want to do that??? She is a girl troll. She loves goats and invites them to tea. They all dress up in tutus and have cookies together.
I didn't know there were girl trolls
Well of course there are girl trolls...how do you think they get baby trolls?
Oh...never thought of that.
Well he is a lovely troll
She...
Yeah, sorry...she.
*****
Some final thoughts...
How is it that a two year old knows how to pronounce dinosaur names but still says things like "me no wub her...neber, neber, ever 'gain."...but he can pronounce Brachisaurus perfectly?
Why does Play Dough come in a rainbow of colors when it always, always ends up a lavender gray color? Why not just start with lavender gray and save the drama?
Before you think my two year old is a master dino-sculptor...it was my hubby. He did it...he loves Play Dough!
What's with boys(and men) and dinosaurs anyway. They are just big lizards after all. Now give me a warm blooded furry creature every day of the week over a big lizard that can eat you!
While we were eating oatmeal this morning this was some of our conversation...
Sweet Girl to her little brother, "You are really being quite contrary"
Baby Boy in reply, "Noooo, me no fairy...YOU FAIRY...me MONSTER...grrrrr"
*****
A few minutes later...
Sweet Girl, "Mama I don't want to sit next to him, he has fleas"
Baby Boy, "You have fweas, me no have fweas. Mama what fweas?"
Me, "It isn't nice to say your brother has fleas. Fleas are little bugs that cause you to itch."
Baby Boy crying, "Me no wike bugs, make bugs go way mama."
Me glaring at Sweet Girl, "Baby you don't have fleas, really you don't...your sister does."
Sweet Girl laughing, "I'm not scared of bugs...I'm tough...bring 'em on!"
*****
A few minutes after that...
Sweet Girl, "I don't want oatmeal."
Me, "But that is what you asked for."
Sweet Girl, "I changed my mind."
Me, "You can't change your mind after I've already made it"
Sweet Girl, "Mama I can't help it when my mind decides to change"
Me, "Explain that to your stomach later when it is hungry because of your mind."
*****
Almost done with breakfast...
Sweet Girl, "Mama I want a cheese sandwich for lunch today"
Me, "OK, but don't you think you should finish breakfast first before you worry about lunch?"
Sweet Girl, "Well I thought I would tell you now, that way if I change my mind and want peanut butter then you wouldn't have made it yet and it won't be to late to change my mind."
Me, "Ummmm, OK."
*****
The finale...
Baby Boy crying, "Me no wike peabutter...it icky...no, no, no!"
Me, rolling my eyes
Sometimes nothing short of a shop vac will do...
And because I wanted to leave you with calm beauty and not complete chaos, here is a preview of tomorrow's Silent Saturday...Frost!
Have a happy Friday all!
*****
STOP...
Hold the presses people! One of my sweet readers just informed me that one of my pictures made it to the Pioneer Woman's photo posts. Someone get the smelling salts I think I might faint...
Now you all go on over and guess which one is mine...yep is isn't the lovely one, the romantic one...or the stunning one. No it is the one in more keeping with my country life, lol!
I was standing on the shores of the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria minding my own business. I was watching the ships and snapping a few pictures like this...
When in the corner of my view screen was this strange little girl standing in front of the view talking a mile a minute...
Then there was no longer the mighty Columbia...just the strange little girl!
I must say it makes me very sad...
That I have a daughter...
With so very little...
Personality...snort.
