peaches and pears

This year we bought 125 pounds (5 boxes) of peaches and 50 pounds (2 boxes) of pears.  We have dedicated 3 nights in the past couple of weeks to canning.  I did one batch in the day, while the kids were awake.  Pepper brought the pears in from the garage (one at a time to keep her occupied), Tabor put them into the cans after I had peeled and sliced them and Kitt sat in her highchair and ate scraps.  It went okay, but it was a one time wonder.  Canning with Robert after the kids go to bed is loads easier.  Next year maybe we will expand our horizons and can some vegetables.  (meat in a can looks nasty to me, I am not ready to go there yet)

Back in Season!

I am seriously in love with pomegranates.  Yogurt, Aunt Doneens Granola and Pomegranates mixed is hands down my favorite breakfast.  Yes I would take it over french toast or eggs.  Anyday. Everyday.  All 3 of my kids like it... but Tabor also has more of a "love" then a "like" for the fruit.  A pomegranate can always put a smile on his face.  

The last picture Pepper randomly took.  This is us in the morning.  Now I always wipe off the top of my table but this picture magnifys that the chairs and table base could use a good cleaning as well.  Not to mention the floor. 

sweet and sassy

Kitt used to be so content.  Now she is not content unless she is on the move.  If I stop her from something such as; pulling things out of the garbage, she throws a hissy fit.  And then she has a one track mind that tells her the only fun thing to do, is getting back into that garbage can.  Kitt is not near as easy to distract as my other two.  She does not require a lot of human entertainment... she would rather entertain herself by watching things fall to the floor from it's proper place.  She is a happy baby, as long as you let her do what she wants.  She is becoming quite a handful... she is just lucky she is so dang cute.

Putting PetsMart out of Business

We use to make a weekly trip to the pet store to buy a dozen crickets.  Pepper and Tabor have brought that era to an end.  At least for the summer months.  They walk outside, spot a grasshopper, pick it up & serve it to Shenzy.  I am not sure grasshoppers are exactly kosher for leopard geckos, but Shenzy seems to LOVE them. 

Day of Service

 I love having a day dedicated each year to serving in our communities.  The project we went to was perfect for our family.  It was at a cleaning up a cemetery.  There were jobs to fit each age group.  Robert was assigned to weed whack, while the kids & I gathered pine cones.  The kids stayed focused for the first hour and even filled a few buckets.

They had worked hard, so I gave them a little speech about respecting the graves, and then I turned them loose.  These three (pictured above) favored the tall headstones because they were "hiding from bad guys".  3 year old girls have wild imaginations.  And Tabor is happy to tag along.

Games, Toys and Puppet Shows!

Pepper has constantly been making up games for Tabor to play.  I don't usually understand the point of each game, but he seems to.  He plays right along.

 I use to (a couple weeks ago even) sit by the kids and help them build with Legos, Lincoln logs and Tinker Toys or else they got frustrated when the pieces wouldn't connect the way they intended.  Now they are building on their own.  I think Tabors airplane and Peppers sunshine are amazing.

The same goes for puppet shows.  I use to tell them word for word, action for action what the puppets should be saying and doing.  Now they make up their own stories.  Sometimes a story line might be confusing or the elephants are up-side-down but they do a good job.

This is kind of bitter-sweet for me.  I love it on one hand because I don't have to be constantly entertaining them.  But they are growing up so fast.  Becoming less and less reliant on me. But this only happens in the morning.  I still have the afternoon to get my fill of needy children.  Especially while I am making dinner :)

Evergreen State Fair

 Here we are at the fair!

 We walked through ALL sorts of farm animals

 and even held some.

 We went on the merry-go-round

(Just like the Berenstain Bears did)

 motorbikes

 monster slides

 and parachute swings.

 (Kitt observed)

But showing up all of those other attractions was the man who showed the kids how to make rope.  He sent Pepper and Tabor off with a rope they watched him make.  I kept asking if I could hold it for them, they kept saying no.  Rope making is fun, who knew?

Life is a Picnic

At least for these two.

I don't think it is quite that simple.  I am pretty sure our neighbors despise us.  I don't think this because of the note on the front door that read "please tell your kids not to throw rocks over the fence into my yard" it is because of our noise level and all around chaotic lifestyle. 

Example #1: All of our windows are cracked open and Pepper is throwing a super LOUD tantrum.  I have her look out the window so I could point all of the neighbors she is disturbing.  Guess who was in our front yard?  Tabor, watering the flowers with a gallon of milk.  I should probably refer to it as milking the flowers.

and then there was the time...

Example #2:  Kitt has an ear infection and has not been sleeping well.  So I spent about 10 minutes (at tops) in her room trying to rock her to sleep.  I decide to leave Kitt while I go check on Pepper and Tabor.  I look around and can't find them in the house.  I notice the door is open.  I run out.  They are both butt naked (they didn't even have the decency to leave thier undies on) whacking one of our good trees with a big stick.

Yes neighbors, it's true.  I have no control over my children.

primping with grandma

 Literally, every single time we see "Grandma Vicki" she does Peppers hair.  When we lived with her last year, it was a morning ritual.  Ribbon & bows have always been included but lately they have gotten even fancier and added flowers.

Just one last thought... If a child put on their own shoes, isn't there a 50/50 chance they will get the shoes on the right feet?  Pepper puts her shoes on the wrong feet at least 9 times out of 10.

beekeepers

Our friends moved out of state and left us their beehive!  I am ecstatic!  Now we just have to figure out what we are doing.

(we moved them at night so all the bees were back in the hive.  We covered their opening with duct tape, so all those angry bees couldn't get out during the move)

Ensign Ranch

My kids are blessed to have lots of cousins their age on both sides of the family.  They walked around in groups and the adults were constantly counting heads.  Nobody got lost, nobody got hurt. Phew!  Pepper was tent control.  She would go in our tent and decide who would be allowed in. We are working on including everyone... even the "not big kids". While we were at ensign ranch, the kids rode horses.  The workers let Robert and I lead the horse.  It is the first time they have been on a horse that went somewhere other then circles.  Both kids LOVED it.  The last picture is of Rosie while her mom was cooking.  With an i-phone she quickly became popular.  At least with Pepper and Hailey.