Grasshopper Days

 

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday September 30, 2013

Outside my window...  rainy and windy, brrrr!  The trees are bending in the wind and I realize how much drag the leaves create - more branches blown down now than there will be on windy days later when the trees are bare.

Hearing...  the wind (!) and the washer.

Pondering...  I caved.  *sigh*  I turned the furnace on.  I always try to wait for October, but darn it, the house was COLD!

Praying...  work for Kerry, and clients that pay promptly and fully.  (grrrr)  My mom's hand continues to heal well, but still a long process.  And I'm always praying for the boys... protection for Wyatt at school - that he would be a good student and that he would have good filters, KWIM?  And for the boys at home, that they would continue to be diligent and cheerful students.  And that they would all see orderliness God put in His world, and bring glory to Him.

Thankful...  for a cozy, warm house!  As I wait for the quilter to finish the quilt, I put the down comforter on our bed... aahhhhhhhhhhhh :D  And so thankful for four healthy babies born in our chapel family this year.

Wearing...  jeans, t-shirt and blue sweater (not the ones with bunny holes, Mom), thick warm socks :D

Creating...  working on some little projects...

Going...  to go for a walk in the wind with Gunnar.

Looking forward to...  eating the stew bubbling away in the crock-pot... it torments me ;D

In the kitchen...  two crock-pots full of stew, one for us and one for the family with the new baby :D  I'll make some bread this afternoon, to go with.  Yummmmm :D

In the learning rooms...  the younger boybarians loooooove to read.  Sonlight could include twice as many books and they would be happy as clams.  (Are clams happy?  Where did that ever come from???  Anyway...)  Wyatt had to work over the weekend to get caught up, so I'm hopeful that he'll stay on top of things this week.  At least he did get caught up.

I like every Monday to be a fresh start. :D

But what are we learning?  Tate is reading about the early colonists.  And what a contrast between Jamestown and Plymouth!  I'm sure Tate would've been in the Plymouth colony - such hard workers!  In fact, Kerry (the genealogy buff) is fairly certain some branch of his family is descended from William Bradford.  I don't know how sure you can be of that, but it's inspiring to Tate :D

Gunnar is reading about ancient Egypt, ancient China, and ancient Greece.  This week, that means lots of mythology.

Around the house...  looking forward to spreading more touches of fall around the house.  With the shorter days and colder weather I love for the house to feel warm and cozy.

The Mother Load...  making progress over the weekend...

• prepare school for the week
• process laundry
• get Wyatt caught up - two tests!
• do Sunday school homework
• make chili beans for potluck
• wash and change our sheets
• finish birthday gifts
• wrap birthday gifts
• talk with Jan about women's Bible study
• change boys' sheets - flannels?
• boys - try on all clothes and hand down or eliminate
•         - reorganize dressers for cold weather
•         - clean bedroom (sweep under the beds!)
•         - clean your bathroom
• scrub and wax kitchen floor

Yes, you'll notice that kitchen floor is still undone.  Ugh.

A favorite quote for today...

O Thou Great Chief,

light a candle in my heart,

that I may see what is therein,

and sweep the rubbish from Thy dwelling place.

    - African school-girl

One of my favorite things...  holding a new baby :D

A Bible verse...  Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

A few plans for the rest of the week...  rehearsal tonight, CAP tomorrow (Gunnar gets promoted!), a youth group activity Saturday, and a family gathering on Sunday to celebrate three October birthdays :D

A peek into my world...

Gunnar and I see this plant in a neighbor's yard when we go for our walk.

He calls it a "Caterpillar Plant", and it kind of does look like

a bunch of caterpillars all crawling around,

doesn't it?

Friday Brain Dump

Friday?  Already?  Yup.

1.  All the baby bunnies have gone to new homes.  Sure, we'll miss them, but two rabbits are plenty for us.  Whew.

2.  I can't wait until the quilter can get to my quilt!  With this cooler weather, it's definitely time for another quilt on the bed.  I don't know about you, but I like to sleep with the window open nearly all the time.  I don't mind piling on the quilts and blankets in order to get the fresh air.  But that's just me.  I have a friend who does the opposite.  She's so busy and active that she feels hot during the day and doesn't use the furnace (central heating), but turns it on at night because she gets cold then.

3.  Game nights resume tomorrow... and there was much rejoicing.  Our chapel has a potluck and game night on the last Saturday of most months during the school year.  Sometimes there's a theme (Mexican food, African, soups, etc.) and tomorrow is baked potatoes and salad.  The boys - well, all of us - enjoy the social time whether or not we play games.  (It's pretty unstructured - people bring board games or card games from home.)  I love the mix of ages.  Game night is for everyone :D

4.  I'm making progress on a couple of smaller projects, but I can't show you yet because they're going to be gifts.  Wyatt teased me that I should write a book called "Beauty on a Budget" (he knows my supplies are mostly from the dollar store).  Kind words, my dear son, but I'd have to have original ideas to make any money!  Most of my projects are borrowed or copied from others.

5.  I get to see Baby #4 today!  Have to take Wyatt out to Lynden for a meeting and I'm going to drop in (I called, don't worry) on the new mom. :D

6.  Tomorrow is Saturday - woo-hoo!  I'm going to cruelly force the boybarians to try on most of their clothes (culling the too-small things and handing down) AND clean their bedroom.  Because I'm mean like that.

7.  I feel like there should be a seven...  but there isn't.

Have a great weekend ;D

More Quilty Pics

I did a bit of sewing this spring.  Quite a bit, in fact.  With four chapel babies on the way (and the last one arrived just this morning!), I had a chance to try out some new things.  

I'd always wanted to make a Jacob's Ladder quilt...

... and I was inspired by something I saw online to try this raw-edge applique Crazy Daisy quilt.

I tried an Irish Chain for the baby that ended up coming early, in June.  I may make another one someday, with smaller squares.  This is a double Irish Chain and I'd like to make a woven triple.

I can't reveal the quilt for this morning's little boy yet, but I'd forgotten the extra quilt...

Just because I was in a quilty mood (in other words, my work space was pre-disastered) I decided to use up some scraps leftover from this quilt (of nearly four years ago).

I was able to cut enough tumblers to make a decent lap or crib quilt.  Everything that went into this quilt came from my stash.

I pieced the back together... I even pieced the batting together!

And I was happy with the way it came out.  I like tumblers.  And when you alternate them with white like this, they kind of look like tea cups or cocoa mugs.  Very cozy.

 And it turns out that a sweet friend of mine was battling breast cancer and had a brand new (first!) grandbaby - a little boy.  So this quilt ended up going to her, with lots of love :D

And now, I'm headed off to bed to curl up with one of the few quilts I've made that still lives here ;D

Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday September 23, 2013

Outside my window...  still dark, but surely a cloudy day.

Hearing...  rain pouring down through the tree outside my window and onto the roof and driveway.

Pondering...  it's always nice to feed people who really enjoy their food, like little Mac with his corn on the cob.  We had friends to dinner Friday evening and they're all fun and delightful, but this one showed the most enthusiasm.  (Look at his shirt!)  

The good news is that they took home one of the bunnies - George / Fluff Daddy / Agnes.  I'm sure he'll be well loved by all five of the kids :D

Praying...  work for Kerry (do I sound like a broken record?), good homes for the other bunnies, my mom to continue to heal from her thumb surgery (all going well), and peace in the house.

Thankful...  for fall (!) my favorite time of year :D

Tate is thankful for the three healthy bunnies, though he's going to miss them.

Wearing...  jeans, white T-shirt, stripey socks, slippers, and my oh-so-classy navy blue cardigan complete with two or three holes compliments of Podger.  Our bunnies don't bite, but they will occasionally decide to sample our clothing.  Just a little nip.  I suspect it's not about the taste but the texture.  My mom rolls her eyes when she sees me wear this (she wants me to throw it out) but I promise not to wear it out in public, okay Mom?  Only around the house.

Creating...  I have some fall projects in mind that I'll share if I manage to pull them off ;D

Going...  rehearsals start tonight for our December Messiah concert - excited!

Reading...  Standing in the Rainbow, by Fannie Flagg - a fun, light piece of fiction.

Looking forward to...  getting a new quilt onto the bed (progress!)

In the kitchen...  hmm, must strategize, as rehearsals conflict with dinner time.

In the learning rooms...  Wyatt may not love it, but he's doing a great job with his American gov't studies, as well as his chemistry.  He didn't expect there to be so much math in chemistry - good thing he's a math whiz!  Tate amazes me with his self-discipline.  He gets through his work very steadily without any prodding from me, and seems to be enjoying his American history reading.  Gunnar and I are working through the first of a two-year world history course (Sonlight) and he too is loving his reading.  But he gets through it too fast!  They both want MORE.  Time to order up some books from the library.

Around the house...  feeling very cozy :D

The Mother Load...  got a lot done over the weekend (banana bread, jam, jelly, chili, sewing, cleaning) but did NOT get the floor scrubbed and waxed and it REALLY needs it.  UGH.  Also, must list these little fellows on craigslist...

Noticing that...  it's getting dark a lot earlier.

Something to remember for later...  the way Gunnar uses the word "fond".  Very cute.

One of my favorite things...  FINISHING something...

A Bible verse... 

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23, a comforting thought for the start of a new week.

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Monday - rehearsal
Tuesday - CAP
Wednesday - youthgroup (and there was much rejoicing...)
Saturday - chapel potluck and game-night (and there was more rejoicing...)
And in between all that we'll be schooling as usual.
And did I mention that Gunnar got a baby-sitting job?  I think I did... he'll be watching little Sammy on Tuesday for about an hour, and is quite happy about it.  I promised him I'd help with diaper changes, but other than that he's the point man. ;D

A peek into my world...  well, it's not actually FINISHED, but the top is finished.  Now it's going to a quilter (too big to horse through my sewing machine) and then I'll need to bind it.  But it's progress!

And I suppose colors read differently on each computer/screen, but I think it's a little bluer than it looks in the photo.  *Happy sigh*

Saturday Brain Dump

1.  With all three boys in CAP now...  I get some quiet Tuesday evenings and the occasional Saturday or weekend.  They were all off volunteering at the Heritage Flight Museum today, and having a great time.

2.  Lucky them, they get lunch there.   Which means chili, three times in two days.  I made a big pot last night for dinner with enough for leftovers tonight, and guess what they were served for lunch at HFM?  Lucky them, but maybe not-so-lucky me, know what I'm saying?  (Chili for dinner, musical program to follow...)

3.  Lucky me, I've been quilting all afternoon.  Getting back in the saddle and making progress on my larger version of this,

Inspiration, here.

4.  I can tell the grapes back by the garage are ripe.  Guess how?  Purple bird poop all over the driveway.  Awesome.

5.  The boys are growing into young men right before my eyes.  So why can't they eat without dropping food on the floor?  Seriously, we have to sweep after nearly every meal.  You?

6.  But they're great helpers.  Had friends to dinner last night and the boys jumped right in with the clean-up afterwards.  Hallelujah.

7.  I'm trying really hard not to start any new projects until I finish the aqua bed quilt.  But, oh, it's soooo tempting to do some fall sewing!  

Must.  Finish.  Bed quilt.  First.

You?  Do you have five projects going at once?  Or finish one before you start the next?

8.  Mending doesn't count.  I guess I have done some other sewing.  I've fixed the hole in Tate's shorts, hemmed up Gunnar's BDU pants, since he took three steps before they started moving (I guess there's no point in asking why the Air Force doesn't have uniforms in children's sizes), and - much to Wyatt's joy - sewed his new flight wings insignia (which he earned with his solo flight, last month) onto his BDUs.  But that isn't exactly fun sewing.  BDU's are tough like denim, and some of the patches go on the chest pockets.  I've been 'cheating' and sewing right through the pocket so I can do it on the machine.  They've got lots of other pockets :D

9.  One of the bunnies went to his/her new home yesterday.  Friends from church took George aka Fluff Daddy aka Agnes (as in, He's so fluffy I'm gonna die!)  Time to put the others on craigslist.

10.  And, it's time to go pull dinner together.  Hurray for leftovers :D

Just Because

Just because it's Thursday, and not quite the weekend yet, and I could use a little weirdness in my day.

You?

First up, it's September 19!!!  What, you don't know?  That means it's...

Arrrrrrgh.  It's time to sprinkle your speech with pirate words and pirate sounds.  Join Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket in practicing public pirattitude.

Find out all about it here.

But, even weirder...  We have a lot of friends that are in the baby-rearing stage of life, so even though we're on to the teen years we still get to be around lots of babies and hear all the latest trends.  Funny how things fall in and out of favor, y'know?  But here's one that isn't likely to come back around any time soon, 

The Boggins Open Air Sleeping Compartment.

Okay, it's just a joke, right?  I mean, no one would actually do that, right?  Right?!

Wrong.  Here's one, way up high!

Yah.  He can't figure it out either.

Now, if you really want a challenge, tell me what he's about to say, but put it in Pirate Speak!

Happy Thursday ;D

From The Mind Of Gunnar

Gunnar made a (benign) comment about a friend of his, prompting me to ask a question about this particular friend.

Gee, I don't know, he shrugged, I'm not nosy...   

I prefer observant.

Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday, September 16, 2013

Outside my window...  after last evening's thunder and lightning (love it!), rain has been dripping, dripping, dripping all through the night.  I love falling asleep to the sound of rain.

Hearing...  more rain (I'm sure I'll get tired of it, soon enough), Tate in the shower, and tppety-tappety-tappety... that would be me.

Pondering...  cooler weather sure makes it easier to focus on school work and other inside work... like sewing :D

Praying...  work for Kerry (do I sound like a broken record? He could really, really use some work.)  Praying for the kids and their school work - that it would be more than a bunch of facts.  That they would see the big picture.  We study this wonderful world, and how it works, because God made it, and it gives Him glory.  We see Him.

Thankful...  to meet a bloggy friend in person yesterday.  Renee is the real deal - genuine in person and as she writes on her blog :D

Wearing...  gray jeans, white T, navy blue sweater... sure feels like fall is here.

Creating...  ahhhh, a clean work-space, ready to launch some fall sewing... after I finish the quilt top ;D  Starting projects is so much fun; plugging away at finishing them... not so much.  Am I the only one???

Going...  to be efficient today... I hope.

Reading...  Hittite Warrior with Gunnar, and When You Rise Up for myself.

Looking forward to...  having a "normal" evening at home with the whole family here.

In the kitchen...  leftovers from yesterday's roast with veggies, but probably taco salad for tonight's dinner.  And (yum!) dessert leftovers - an oreo pie.

In the learning rooms...  yep, we're back in the groove.  Wyatt is studying American government and chemistry at home, plus his school homework.  Tate and I work through his math (Jacob's Algebra) together, but he does most of his work independently.  The funny thing is that for all he used to complain about the way I would order the day, now that he can do it any way he wants... he mostly follows the order I always used (hard things first).  Gunnar and I work together on his math and I look through his language work to make sure he understands what he needs to do (root words, Wordly Wise, A Beka Grammar).  We like working through science together (chemistry with LOTS of experiments... he'll love the ones I have lined up for this week because we're mixing chemicals in test tubes... awesome).  We do some of his history reading together, and some he does on his own.

The Mother Load...  must finish paying bills, finish the quilt top, inventory the big freezer (doesn't this sound familiar??? because I don't do much inside when we can be outside), and the kitchen floor... ohhhhhh, the kitchen floor.  It needs a thorough hands-and-knees scrubbing and fresh wax.  Which means no one can walk on it for a couple of hours, and that's the tricky part... the timing.

Noticing that...  since the beginning of summer Gunnar has gained some height, but not weight... yay Gunnar :D

Something fun to share...  Gunnar just got a (little) job!  A friend of mine's oldest just started kindergarten and she wants to help in his class once a week for about an hour.  She'll be dropping off the younger boy at our house to play with Gunnar on Tuesdays.  He's looking forward to it :D

A favorite quote for today...  Boys take a lot of faith.  Douglas Wilson.  Amen.

One of my favorite things...  friends :D

A few plans for the rest of the week...  I'm always reluctant to express my joy at seeing an empty-ish calendar, as if that tempts fate to (over)fill it, but... this week is looking good :D

A peek into my world...  

The Bunnies Are Ready...

... to go to new homes.

Little Louis, the one we worried over (so small!), is healthy and thriving, and nearly as big as his brothers.  At least we think they're brothers, but we're not really sure.

Zander (short for Alexander) is cute and cuddly.

And George... what happened to you, George?!

Do you have an Angora ancestor we don't know about?

George has more fur than the other bunnies put together!  Tate has been calling him "Fluff-Daddy".
He's not fat... it's all fluff.  He brings out the Agnes in us all ;D

Grasshopper Days

 

Grasshopper Days

For today, Tuesday September 10, 2013

Outside my window...  fall color starting to show in several trees around the neighborhood, apples ripening on the neighbor's (that we can pick :D), and morning fog - so typical of beautiful fall days around this neck of the woods.

Hearing...  a boy in the shower, and birds in the trees, though some are heading south already.  (Birds, not boys ;D)  And somebody in the neighborhood is listening to the LOTR soundtrack... oh, so perfect for this gorgeous fall morning, but where is it coming from?

Pondering...  must pick the Chinese Lanterns before the deer eat them... nasty pests!  We caught one actually bedded down inside the garden!  Well, the garden-to-be.  I keep saying I won't plant anything until it's really deer-proof.  Ugh.  I know, I know, you probably think they're cute.  We think they're long-legged rats.

Here's what happened...

It was a cool and rainy day, and the boys looked out their window at the so-called garden, and saw this:

There are two yearling bucks (spikes) - one in the garden...

... and the other just outside the fence, under a tree (you can just see his backside.)

So the boys went outside to move them off the property.  Here, the deer have alerted to their presence.

Now they're moving, but they're stupid.  The one outside the fence is headed for an intersection...

... and here's where I lost it, and was laughing too hard to take any more photos.

This deer was bouncing around in there like a pinball, flinging itself at the net fence until it finally got through a gap.

Einstein, they're not.

Praying...  Kerry could really use some work.  An avalanche of work would be nice.  And I'm praying for Wyatt.  He's not complaining or shirking, but he's tied up all day with school work and I know it's wearing on him.

Thankful...  for a beautiful Indian Summer!  It's supposed to be in the upper 80's for the next three or four days and I'm hoping we can get out to the lake again, a time or two.

Wearing...  shorts and a tank top!

Going...  to try to get our (Tate's and Gunnar's) school work done early in the day so we can get out and enjoy the sun :D

Reading...  two books by Eloise Jarvis McGraw - Mara, Daughter of the Nile and The Golden Goblet, both set in ancient Egypt.  It's kind of fun to read them with the boys, as one has a girl and the other a boy as the main character (she must have done that deliberately, to appeal to boys and girls?).  Well, our boys like both the stories, even though the Mara does have a leeeetle bit of romance to it.  (Nothing questionable.)

Looking forward to...  not having weekends tied up (I think the boys have a SAREX coming up, and then nothing for awhile), and Wyatt's job ending for the season.  He's been working just one afternoon a week at the local speedway (motocross) and has really enjoyed it, but this is the last week.  It's all good, I just like tying up loose ends :D

In the kitchen...  hmmm, nothing that will heat up the house.

Around the house...  the books are piling up all over again, and need to be tamed.  It's a good problem, but it still looks like clutter when they're left lying all over.

The Mother Load...  oh boy... pay the bills, pick the lanterns, unclog the sink, synch the calendars, inventory the freezer, scrub and wax the floor (yuck!), hem Gunnar's BDU's (he takes three steps before his uniform starts moving), sew his patches on, manage some craigslist items (story about that later!), set up a keyboarding program for the boys, make a new chore list for the boys, work in the flower beds, finish the quilt top...  feels like I never get anything DONE!

Noticing that...  Gunnar remembers every little detail about the animals we've studied over the last two years - he's amazing.  A little encyclopedia.

A favorite quote for today...

Giving money and power to government is like

giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.

P.J. O'Rourke

One of my favorite things...  sunny days at the lake.

A peek into my world...  out for a walk with Gunnar this morning, we passed a sculpture he really likes.

Yes, it's a large mailbox...

... a REALLY large mailbox!

Oops.  I didn't hold the camera quite steady (still kind of dark, this morning),

but Gunnar gives the mailbox its proper scale ;D

Just In Case You Wondered...

Source: TopMastersInEducation.com

In Which It Is Saturday And I Tell You More About Our First Week Of School Than You Really Wanted To Know

Yes, well.


1.  We've gotten through our first week of school and are working out the kinks.  No sweat for Tate and Gunnar, as they're both still homeschooled full time.  The only catch for them is that they're both starting the year already well into this year's math books, which means they had to hit the ground running.  (Most math books begin with a lot of review, but when you start mid-stream... well, you get the picture.)  Glad to say they're both doing great.  And - an answer to prayers - everyone has been having great attitudes. :D

Which is a really good thing, since...


2.  Wyatt's schedule turmoil was crazy enough to make me reach for my sanity kit.

He's going to the local high school part-time, like he did last year.  Actually, more than he did last year. With the encouragement of last year's math teacher he's doubling up on math this year, taking both geometry and second year algebra concurrently, as well as English and second year Spanish.

I requested they schedule him for the first four class hours of the day, as he still has to come home and do Chemistry and a half-year split of US Government and Economics.  Well, they did schedule him the first four hours, but they also threw in a 45 minute lunch... at 10:40 in the morning.  Who in their right mind eats lunch at 10:40 in the morning?  (When do those people eat dinner?)  Besides, that's eating away (ha ha) too much time.  So I got a phone call from Wyatt (at school) with the news, and off he went to stand in line for the counselor to see if he could fix it, somehow.

Well, he did.  Or, he thought he did.  The counselor switched Wyatt's first and fourth classes (Algebra and English), to give him a fourth hour class that was scheduled for a later lunch... which he could skip.  But, alas, as he walked into the fourth hour class, that teacher announced that his class had just been moved to... second lunch.  So I got another phone call, and off Wyatt went to the counselor again.  He waited in line all through the lunch period but didn't get a turn to speak with him.

At this point, I decided to go meet Wyatt after his fourth hour Algebra class, see the counselor together, and try to get it really truly straightened out, once and for all, and... we ended up deciding to do nothing.

By the time Wyatt met me and had been to his Algebra class he'd realized something.  He really likes this Algebra teacher better than the other one.  He wanted to stay in that class.  Alrighty.  It's well worth adjusting the schedule on my end in order to keep him with a teacher he's clicking with.  Yah?  So the idea is for him to go to the library during the "lunch" hour and chug away at his (school) homework so that when he gets home he can dive right into his homeschool work.


3.  Which so far has sort of worked out.  Meaning, he eats a quick lunch at school, does some of his homework, and then comes home and eats lunch with the rest of us.  So either he's turning into a hobbit (Second breakfast? Elevensies?  Luncheon?  Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper?) or he's in a teenage growth spurt.


4.  But the homework... oh, the homework!  It takes FOR-EV-AH.  It's a Wyatt thing.  He's no dummy, he just works verrrrry slooooowly.  So he's coming home from school and doing homework/homeschool work all the livelong day.  Which is about as fun as it sounds.  

The good news is, it's not an attitude/behavior issue.  The bad news is, it's excruciating.  Add in CAP on Tuesdays, a (temporary) computer "class" on Wednesdays, (just one more week of) work at the Speedway on Thursdays, and weekend plans this weekend and next... and the leisure time?  There is NONE.  I feel for him, but he's got to work through it somehow.


5.  On the other hand...  Tate and Gunnar are flying through their work, so hallelujah for that :D


6.  Meanwhile, back at the ranch...  or not at the ranch...  Wyatt and Tate are working at an airshow this weekend, and they camped out there last night.  Fun times, given the monsoons we've been having.  I'm guessing they'll be a bit soggy when we pick them up later today.


7.  And now, to reward you for slogging through the minutia of our lives...

If I could, I'd send you one of these, seen at Costco.

No, that's not a close-up.  You're looking at a five kilogram tub of Nutella , which is

ELEVEN POUNDS OF SWEET, SWEET THERAPY

and totally unsafe to keep under my roof, so - no - I didn't buy it.  Tempted, though ;D

Thursday Momologue With Lots of Photos

I have a vague memory that I just might have mentioned trying to wring every drop of summer fun out of the last week of August.  We tried, my friends, we tried.

MONDAY

You may not think of pouring concrete as fun, but Grandpa Grasshopper has made a hobby of it for as long as I can remember.  And now he's teaching the boys.  What they're pouring are columns, so they can extend the roof of the porch out over the stairs (which get crazy slippery in the winter).  The trick is, the top of the forms were higher than the mixer truck could pour, and a pumper truck is just a tad spendy.

Problem solved.  Just build some scaffolding, pour the concrete into the bucket of the tractor, and pour it from the bucket into the forms.  Grandpa Grasshopper will not be defeated by a concrete challenge!

Tate is on the other side of the column from Wyatt, sliding the wet concrete into the top of the form, and Gunnar is moving constantly around the forms with a hammer, knocking continually on the sides to get rid of any air bubbles.

Glad to be finished, and paid very generously :D

TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY

Next on the agenda, Gunnar was off to a friend's annual birthday campout.  They always have a ball even though (it's August! this is crazy!) it seems to pour down rain on them every year.

Go figure.  Good thing it's such a nice bunch of boys :D  And look at those muddy shoes!

THURSDAY

In the less fun but glad-we-knocked-that-off-the-list category, the boys all had dental check-ups.  No cavities!  I'm always intrigued by this... house ? structure??  thing??? we drive by on the way to the dentist's office.  

It has been like that for a couple of years - no visible progress.  I suppose the zoning department shut it down.  I mean, good heavens.  Mr. Architect will probably explain patiently why this is a total disaster, but why can't somebody build something... original? 

I have to admit, though, it does have a sort of Despicable Me quality to it.  And yes, I'm aware I've made way too many references to a movie I've only seen twice.  (Fluffy!!!)


OOPS, LAST FRIDAY, BUT I FOUND THE PICS, SO ANYWAY...

Moving on... Wyatt and Tate and some of their CAP buddies worked a small-ish Fly-In in the small-ish town of Lynden, nearby.

It's the kind of airport where you can taxi your own plane right from your own garage onto the runway.

You know, if you're in that financial strata ;D


SATURDAY

Back at the ranch, we were slightly in denial about what we were seeing...

It's summer, and it's sunny by golly, and that means it's time to go to the lake :D

Yes, we know we are very fortunate to have access to such clean, beautiful water!  And we'll just pretend that fall isn't creeping in, thank you very much.

I have no photos of our BBQ that evening with Grandpa and Grandma Grasshopper, which is too bad. We forget to keep track of the ordinary things.  We were celebrating our ten-year anniversary of living in this house...

... and just happened to get the boys annual test scores back in the mail, which brought more cause for rejoicing.  In fact, good news like that calls for Moo-wiches... YUM!

SUNDAY

Time for the annual neighborhood cookout, conveniently held at... our neighbors'! ;D  They have a great backyard for a big-ish group.

Yah, it's even better when it's filled with kids - twelve of them.

Just being kids...

Normally any hot food at this gathering is cooked on a stick over the fire, but Linda treated us to barbecued shrimp, for an appetizer.

Kids were everywhere... on stilts, in the hammock, playing croquet, up in the treehouse...

Grown-ups get the comfy chairs ;D

Not sure, but it looks like Tate has a story to tell.

And of course, the place to be is around the fire.

... cooking food on a stick.  And if you haven't tried it, next time think about making your s'more with a peanut butter cup.

Dave and Wyatt regaled us their guitar stylings.  Hope the neighbors appreciated our attempts to sing Johnny Cash hits ;D

MONDAY

The boys (finally! because it rained!) got to go to a three-buck movie at the mall theater.  Since the movie was all about special effects, and the plot would've fit on a 3x5 index card (written in large letters) I managed to resist the temptation to go with them ;D  Plus, we had more fun coming!  Dinner with these fine folks :D

Our friends, Jim and Breanna, just got married in May.  And guess what?  They're a lot of fun to hang out with, and they too like cooking food on sticks ;D

And they're all about tromping out into the neighbor's field to see the clouds light up at sunset.  I think Gunnar took some of these :D

And then came Tuesday, and we hit the ground running.  But more about that another day :D