Meet Saki

This is the new feline in the family


We are still uncertain of the gender but it is difficult when they are young! It is very "busy" and will bound, leap, hide and attack endlessly (sounds more male don't you agree)? The vet will soon proclaim the long awaited announcement of gender, leaving 2 kids jumping with excitement and the other 2 claiming a refund.

Saki is the name of a Japaneese liquor made from fermented rice but no, our 12 year old boy did not choose the name based on a beverage from the East but merely shortened the word KAWASAKI. Boy? Girl? Name it after
a dirtbike.

Blogger Quiz

Ok, you clever blog followers....time for some good, clean online fun.

Here is the $1,000,000 question:

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY LEG?

A. I fell into a drainage ditch while training for another marathon?

B.Nathan ran into me with the snow plow while he was learning to drive the truck?

C. The Kitchen Aid mixer went into orbit trying to knead my Garlic Rosemary Braid?

D. I fell off the 12 pitch roof I'm helping Doug to shingle (my new day job)?

E. The line to vote last Tuesday got a little out of control?

F. The horse bit me?

NEED A CLOSER LOOK?

I know there are some of you who are pretty darn smart out there so SOMEBODY has to get it right. Put your thinkin' caps on now!

Do do do do, Do do do- Do, Do, Do, Do, Dododo (Jeopardy song)

The Letter K

Solomon was working with the letter K and needed to find a picture of something that begins with that sound, cut it and glue onto his sheet.

He decided to draw one instead.

He told me this is his Aunt KT and she had been out in the wind.

A Time For Everything

Sweet Blackberry didn't survive....

What Now?

This precious thing came to us yesterday before we realized that she just wasn't well. After winning the heart of everyone, she fell gravely ill and went back to her Mom to (hopefully) recover.

Nathan's cat Ellie was not here when we arrived back home from Florida in '06 and the girls have always begged me to let them get him a new one, fully at their expense. This last Saturday I relented. She has amazing eyes and razorlike teeth and claws. I really hope to have more pics of her up here in the future.

Haddie had her braids removed yesterday, Franchesca felt certain that she wouldn't want them in for too many days in a row as they would itch and sometimes a girl just wants to let her hair hang down.

I know, I know, it's beginning to look like a zoo around here. The Zebra is coming next week.

Warm Weather Snow Day

Yesterday we took the day off most homework, declaring the last (?) warm day of the season a "snow day". Since travel and busing are not problems for us during the winter, we are often doing our work when the school kids are snowed out of their work. We like to stack up those days and use them for when it is lovely out instead of trecherous.

We enjoyed the warm temps, raking the leaves in Grandpa's backyard, our animals and each other.

Queen Esther has arrived!

Her name is really Haddie, which reminds me of Hadassah (Queen Ester) who saved her people from demise.

I like to think that Haddie was sent, for such a time as this: To save my children from horrific scenes in their minds of ponies kicking their Mother. So far, she is off to an amazing start.

She is a real beauty, inside and out. She is gentle, smart, obedient and is quickly adjusting to her transition to our home.

In her short time here, she has encountered Lily, the tractor, new water, loud boys on bikes, strange cats, new grass, a pond, a lawnmower, a new place to sleep at night and the neighbors puppy (Diesel) bounding at her in a scene reminisent to David and Goliath. She never batted an eye.

Franchesca and I gave her a day of beauty today. We braided her mane in what we call a Country Braid, nothing too stuffy and stiff for showing...just an informal look for everyday grazing.

She is restoring the idea that mere size does not bring with it brute force.

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow (?)

Or: Bye Bye K.C.

K.C. is the first horse that has ever stepped foot on our property. We picked her up 2 weeks ago. She is a pretty paint (white with chestnut markings) and a beautiful bi-color mane but...Pretty Is As Pretty DOES.

I battled with K.C. for 6 days trying to convince her that I was indeed in charge. She really needed to take an Emily Barnes manners class and I should have picked up on that when she took over an hour to load into the trailer.

I wanted it to work out with K.C. I worked for hours each day with her. The children were excited to have a horse on board and Franchesca loved every minute of the day including scooping poop and working in the pouring rain on raking out the (mud) path that K.C. wore in front of the gate. She and I would rise early and greet K.C. with cheer in our voice and coffee in hand (well, me anyway) but she just didn't have that thankful spirit.

That Friday she kicked me. I'm so glad it was me and not anyone smaller. As it was, she got me in the knees and I knew that my first instincts about her was indeed wisdom speaking.
Her name was spelled Casey but we changed it to K.C. and very fitting as the kids now refer to her as Kicker Casey.

It was a great lesson about charm being deceitful.

Note the nifty new holding compartment for shavings that Doug made. The tractor bucket pours them in at the top and they are "served" (Solomon term) out either of the 2 doors at the bottom. He is a great helper when the stall needs cleaned.

Adult Leadership

The troop needed to find 3 adult leaders to participate in the lock-in to make it a go. In their words "we picked the ones who are the most fun".

So...the girls, Solomon and I were here alone while DOUG and Nathan stayed up all night. Needless to say, he is still recovering from a rotating mix of football played in the concrete parking lot, dodgeball with 14 teenage boys, late night movies, endless games of electronic car racing, lots of pop and very, very little sleep. He DID fall asleep sitting up for the movie so he didn't "officially" make it : )

Where is Nathan?

Scouts had a lock-in last Friday night. The idea is to come for fellowship, fun, food, electronic games, movies and lots of pop and stay up all night.

Planning was left to the boys and as things sometimes go, the Annual Popcorn Sale began Saturday (get your checkbook out) so the boys stayed up all night then at 9am went out door to door selling for 3 hours, then after a quick lunch, they went to Rosa Parks park where they helped work on someones Eagle Project (painting, fixing, planting, cutting, etc.)

I picked him up at 4p.m., at which time he was looking quite well, eyes and speech clear-even a chipperness about him.

He took at 50 second shower and sat at the bar to watch me make homemade pancakes at his request. I think he lasted 15 seconds before he was laying across the bar asleep. I had to drag him to the couch as he is taller and heavier than me, where he stayed for 4 hours until I told him we were going to bed and strongly encouraged him to join us. He heated 2 pancakes (which he couldn't remember the next morning) and went to bed until 9:00 Sunday (although it seems as if he really just woke up today). He looked very rough all day, much like he does when recovering from an illness.

He was sorely disappointed in missing out on the hot, fresh chocolate chip pancakes as he had been requesting them for weeks. When I asked him what he had for lunch the day before he said "Well, a Mom brought bologna sandwiches so I just had 2 pieces of bread and the potato chips". Nothing like a few carbs to keep you going after staying up all night.

Literal Thinking

Last night I was telling the kids about a small horse that we are considering taking a look at. After explaining that she would be a great beginner horse as she is currently a "school horse", Adrianna looked up questioningly and asked "is that one that someone just rides to school and ties up and then rides back home after school"?

More beauty recommendations from Solomon

So, today I was laying in the patch of sun streaming into the great room with Solomon, who had a headache. As I was rubbing his back, his face was toward mine and he asked "Is there any way for people to trim all those hairs in their nose?"

Nice.

Do horses like doughnuts?

With all the excitement in the air about horses, there is much banter flooding the air in our house, much like in our nation. Both sides convinced that they are correct, having forgotten (or never having learned) that the truth is somewhere in the middle. The boys have been ruthlessly raising points in favor of dirtbikes-trying to sell (anyone) the idea that somehow bikes are more virtuous than horses.

Yesterday I overheard Solomon say "Oh yeah, well horses can't do donuts in the driveway. Someone? answered, well they can eat them though.

The campaign trail continues....

This was on our last (but not THE last) trip to the beach

A few more details to tend to

With SOMEDAY just around the corner, Franchesca is finding it difficult to sleep. As I walked out of my room this mornint at 6:30, she was already up as was AJ and it takes a LOT to get that girl up.

Focus, my boy

Solomon is one of those easily distractable guys, who prefers to pick at his fingernails (socks, etc.) during math. This can turn a 10 minute lesson into 30 or more.

Yesterday I asked him what 9 + 3 is and he sat staring at me intently.

His eyes became huge and he said "You need to clip those things with that silver cutter of yours (my eyelash CURLER). Those things are HUGE".

I wouldn't trade what I do for all the money or freedom in the world.

A Dream, Coming True

So, Franchesca has wanted a horse since she was born.

We always planned on having them SOMEDAY.

With the economy like it is, SOMEDAY didn't seem to be looming on the horizon when, over the summer, she began saying that ALL she wanted for her birthday was a horse.

I began looking into 4H for both of the girls and had several conversations with people I didn't know, all around this horsie business. Someone suggested that since we have the land, we lease a horse just to try it out and see if it sticks. She told me about this horse camp that uses lots of horses all summer for their programs, then leases them out (for FREE) from September through May to good homes who will love them (and keep them fed).

SOMEDAY felt a littler closer.

I ran the idea past Doug, sharing with him my clever thoughts of rearranging the white wood fence that runs down our drive into a pasture and throwing a stall up in our barn overhang (where all his ladders are). He quickly countered with the idea of a dirtbike.

Franchesca didn't bite. Where to begin listing the differences???

Housing aside, this horse still has to eat. Proving her steadfast devotion to the idea, FGJ suggested that the only thing she wanted from everyone for her birthday was HAY.

Hmmm, SOMEDAY could be coming.

When things are just destined to happen, the details just fall into place. Craigslist helps too. We have picked up a metal gate, fence posts, wire, wood for stalls, stall doors and many extra's for either free or next to it.

Here she is in her green breeches (yes we will be riding ENGLISH) that I bought off Craigslist, giving Solomon a hay horse ride.

After another long day, we should be ready.

SOMEDAY is a comin'.

September 17, 1997

11 years ago- right about NOW,

this gorgeous young lady was born.

My Dashboard!

I finally take the time to blog and find that I have to spend 45 minutes reading about how Blogger has changed and updated, then have to sort through all my options available (and WHAT THEY MEAN).

Life didn't changed this quickly when I was growing up.

One of THOSE Days

I wish every day could be like last Saturday.

To begin with the weather, it was sunny and hot.

D. woke me a bit too early as he was taking Solomon out to breakfast and to a few jobs. I have a love/hate relationship with getting up early. At the time, I hate doing it but after that first cup of black, unsweetened java, I relish the quiet time I have before anyone or anything bombards me. Then, after that 2nd cup, I LOVE waking my children and being the one who is singing the wake up song, laughing, chatting, and AWAKE. I then feel that I'm one step ahead.

By 8:30 a.m. I had flipped 2 loads of laundry, watered all my growing things on the front porch, taken the pup for a long walk, tested the soil in the vegetable garden and had the sprinkler running for a long soak.

The warm, quiet beginning to the day had me feeling so full of possibilities, but was it just the coffee or what is it about sunshine and being in flip-flops and a tank top that brings with it true optimism and genuine gratefulness?

I even had a rare opportunity to catch the naughty puppy and his twin (cat) in action and caught it all on film (digital) but more on that in the next blog.

Sometimes (more often than not) the simple brings such satisfaction.

The soil test revealed such results that I am unsure how ANYTHING is growing in The Garden. And I already returned all those organic gardening books to the library.

Even the wind didn't agitate me that day, it felt more like a friendy, warm summer breeze rather than an opponent to be stopped or at least challenged. An amazing homegrown lunch, some poolside time in my fav green zero gravity chair with the puppy on my lap and an evening of mowing the fragrant grass readied me for a cool shower, my book and my bed.

Chicken Burger

Solomon has always been a meat eater, the only one of the children that actually eats beef. He and his Daddy have been enjoying ground sirloin on the grill this summer, with Sol adding only lots of ketchup and of course a bun.

He only recently made the real "connection" when AJ told him that he was literally eating cow meat. Feeling confident with his food choices, he was quick to reply very firmly "Adrianna, this is NOT cow meat. This is a CHICKEN BURGER!" He was quieter though after that.