August???

Are you like me?
Are you wondering where the summer went? How it went by so quickly?
Did you start the summer with a long to-do list only to see very few items checked off?

Are you like me? Are the few projects you did start about 3/4 finished?
Yesterday I was contemplating the "loss of summer." I realized that even though it didn't seem like we'd had much summer, we sure have fit a lot of activities in. The kids have had fun, I've had fun, I think Robby has had fun (although several more rounds of golf would have made it more fun.)

So, what is the point of summer? Is it to cram as many activities and projects in or is it to rest and relax and enjoy? I think our summer has been a fairly good combination of both. Maybe we can fit a little bit more of the rest and relaxation part in next year.

And, hey, I still have one week before I start my new (gasp) job, so maybe I can at least finish the one project I started...in between all of the Happy Days Celebration activities, buying shoes for the kids, shopping for school supplies.....

Oh well, there's always next year.

Waiting...

Before we left on our trip to Hico, T.S. and I planted pumpkins. We planted the mini variety directly into the garden. I don't have the spot ready for the other varieties, so we went ahead and started them inside. We planted three different kinds: Big Max--these are supposed to get really big, Jack O'Lantern, and Lumina--these are white pumpkins. Last count was 27 seedlings. Right now we're waiting for the garden to dry out so we can transplant them.

Hopefully we'll end up with a lot of pumpkins and either be able to sell them or share them with our friends.

Garden Curiosity

Sunday evening, after a hard day of work in the garden, curiosity got the best of me. I've been wondering just exactly how the potatoes are doing and how big the onions are. So, I dug a few potatoes and pulled a few onions.

I washed everything really well; chopped it into big chunks (added in some yellow squash I'd picked earlier as well as some garlic), put it on a baking sheet, seasoned it with salt and pepper, added some olive oil and put it in the oven at 375 for a while (at least 45 minutes; don't stir it, just put it in and leave it alone). The roasted vegetables were great--the best part was, we grew everything but the garlic.

What a Day!

Several interesting things happened around here today.

• First, when I went out to collect eggs, I found this one:

It's hard to see in the picture, but it doesn't have a shell. After looking it up on the Internet, it is not uncommon for this to happen periodically. This is only the second one we've had. The little bump on the top of the egg is actually part of the shell. For whatever reason, it just didn't make. Some people say you can go ahead and use it--I think I'll pass. FYI--we do offer free-choice oyster shells, so it shouldn't be a calcium deficiency that caused the shell-less egg.

• Next, the kids decided they wanted to earn their slip and slide today, so Sadie cleaned the office and both kids picked up the living room. Maybe the bean jar will work after all.

• Finally, the kids and I have been observing a small, green orb (for lack of a better word) on the back-side of a leaf. We were pretty sure it was an insect egg, so we put it into a bug jar to watch. Tonight Sadie noticed that the egg was clear. Upon further inspection with a magnifying glass, you could tell that something had broken out of it. Unfortunately it must have been smaller than the holes in the jar, because there was no insect to be found.

Overall, it has been an exciting, educational (but don't tell the kids that) day.

I wonder what will happen tomorrow.

The Bean Jar

Last summer, I realized very quickly that when two kids who are not used to being around each other all day are, it can become very touchy (to put it mildly). My kids are huge fans of filling in charts for tasks and earning a prize when they fill their chart. T.S. is really hoping they have charts in Kindergarten. So, last summer we came up with "The Bean Jar."

Our bean jar is actually the jar Nonnie used to store her pinto beans in. I love the label. Please note the ironing hanging in the doorway in the background. I just wanted to point out that I am domestic from time to time.
It is really quite simple. We took a jar, drew lines at different intervals, assigned a reward for each line and then begin filling it with beans. When the kids do what they are supposed to do (without fussing) and are kind to one another, we add beans. When we don't quite meet expectations, beans come out.

Last summer, they earned:

• a snow cone maker--which was probably one of the best investments we've made
• a trip to Jump-N-Jive to bounce on all of the inflatable stuff
• a trip to Wonderland--Amarillo's small amusement park.

This summer we are working towards:

• a slip and slide for two people to race down at once (complete with boogie boards)
• another trip to Wonderland
• a visit to Mr. Gatti's or Chuck E. Cheese

The best part about the whole project is the kids learn to work together towards a common goal.