bits of our summer days

dirt track, friends and happy boys

We recently made it back to the BMX track. It felt a bit like going home. We were warmly welcomed and the boys were happy to see all their old friends. They are faster and stronger. Rollin is Riding Thadeus' Mongoose from the 80's and Tucker is on his redline this year. They are sharing a helmet right now so they didn't get to ride together. What a fun time though, they pedal their little hearts out all the while Fynn cheering them on!

Fynneus and bicycle

good dinner

Tucker: "Mommy dinner was so good can I have all that is left cuz it was really good and I am still hungry."

Rollin: "Yeah It was good, so good I almost thowed up!"

The day after the next day

Rollin: Mommy the day after the next day can you and I have a day just for the two of us?

Liz: Well maybe Rollin, what were you thinking about doing?

Rollin: hmmm, I'd like to go to a bakery and get something sweet like a doughnut. Then If there is like bird poop on the window we can take the van to one of those wash things that you drive all the way through.

Tucker's Four Wheeler

We have a new (to us) four-wheeler. A couple of days ago Tucker asked "Mom, can I ride my four-wheeler now?" A few minutes later I asked "did you say your four wheeler?" He replied "yes, accidentally..............but when I am out there riding it all by myself it does sorta feel like mine". He is really enjoying the new freedom.

farm figurines

Fynn was in the bathtub this evening enjoying himself. I realized he had no toys to play with so I picked up four farm animal figurines and lined them up on the edge of the tub. He look at them and held his arm up to block his face and said "uhhhhhcckkkkk yuck dey aw-ways poop in he-ah".

a childs hair

I don't know what it is about a childs hair that seems sacred to me. I have had a struggle each time with myself in letting go of the locks which where never really mine. Fynneus and his Aunt Liz made quite a pair in her salon as they went through the motions of a "real" hair cut. He was a model client and she was amazing with her sheers and her nephew.

Garden

AN Amazing friend of ours turned us on to square foot gardening. I think this method is typically used by people who are lacking space which we are not. However we lack decent soil and the means to work this hard clay we have in abundance. Thadeus will always amaze me with his inherent knowledge of growing and cultivating life. I suppose I equal him with the gift I have for animal care. I think if we really jumped into it we could have an amazing farm. But not now. Things are growing well and we are all enjoying the garden. Rollin seems to have a real interest and enjoys spending time with Thadeus learning about the plants and how they grow and what they need. Fynn spent yesterday afternoon watering the entire garden ever so gently. Tucker is not so interested right now and that's okay too. I guess knowing that food is coming from this source helped a small amount in dealing with the grief of loosing our entire flock of chickens in one night. As I claim to have a way with animals I must also admit that I can be terribly forgetful and when that forgetfulness is combined with the distraction of caring for my children I have proven to be a terrible keeper of the flock. They were such healthy beautiful birds. I let them out of the coop to forage for themselves. They all roosted back in for the evening but i left the door wide open and never gave them another thought until the next morning. I saw from a distance a pile of feathers. My heart sank and as I made my way to the coop I realized the magnitude of my error. Five Buff Orpington Hens, three Black Australorp hens, 2 Rhode Island Red Hens, and two roosters Gone. The really tough part is seeing all the feathers. Some in piles and some just scattered and realizing that there were so many struggles that night but ultimatley they were helpless and I solely could have avoided the entire waste. I was not particularly attached to them, however I was only able make myself feel better by thinking that some how the animals that feasted that night needed them more than we did. Then I was helping THadeus with some yard work when I saw a strange image in the school parking lot. I asked if he could tell what it was. "Is that one of our chickens?" I thought not, but quickly walked over to see and it was in fact! "Red Fred" was our Rhode Island Red rooster. His head had been eaten and nothing else. I couldn't believe it! "They're animals" I said out loud "what would do that?" Obviosly not something that needed them more than us. And So the other thought that keeps circling my mind is "If this had been the olden days I might have cost my own family our health or our lives" I'm not sure if it's actually true but I certainly keep thinking it. ..............But we still have the garden...............................................

Two-Wheeled Freedom

The Day Fynneus first rode his bike withou training wheels.