Approval

Approval is a funny thing.

We want it.

{I} want it.

Validation that I

- am a good mother

-good wife

-good house keeper

-good daughter

- am smart

- think outside the box

- am an awesome sister

- have good ideas

- have a pretty house 

- am funny

- a good friend

- am a good cook

Sometimes it matters who it comes from

someone I respect

or Love

or admire

but

it even comes from strangers.

why is it important what others think of me?

{the answer inserted should be that it doesn't}

but

it does.

Winter Rashes

While my title suits the post, the two subjects don't go together.

1) Penny broke out in a rash/ hives/ puffy, sore, skin ailment last night.

I have narrowed these episodes down to (thanks to google)

Stress.

When she gets stressed her body breaks out.

Well, 

it would make sense to limit the stress a 2 year old is exposed to...

except for one problem...

Penny is high maintenance.

She gets stressed if

a) her bed isn't made properly

b) her sisters don't listen to her

c) she gets put in timeout (for hitting or pinching or throwing toys)

d) she is over tired and has a mini-melt down.

Its not like its contagious.

it's totally fine.

Except

( I am full of Excepts today)

it is really painful.

I vet wrapped her arm.

She was adorable.

I should of taken a picture 

but 

I didn't.

2) moving on.... Winter.

Winter blew in this morning.

It was inevitable.

We had been experiencing lovely spring like weather.

It was bound to happen.

It is still February.

The kids were thrilled to see snow.

and

since we stayed home from Church

they got to play in it all morning while I did chores.

Normally I will haul bales around on the quad

to cut down on time

but 

I threw them in the sled and pulled them from pen to pen.

The Ponies were frisky this morning.

They welcomed the hay with bucks and snorts...

and toots.

They donkeys brayed.

Loudly.

The geese

hissed

continually.

The cat rubbed up on the kids any moment it could.

The animals are fed.

My kids are tired.

and now

I am going to make soup.

the sky's the limit

This week was was crazy busy.

Like I am glad it's Friday.

I think that perhaps I am fooling myself

This weekend is probably going to be busy too.

Ellie starts Basketball Camp this Saturday.

I don't know if she has even held a basketball.

She is excited though.

She is also going to her first birthday party.

I know 

She is 7.

Most kids have probably been to birthdays.

I avoid them.

BUT

She is going.

and she is thrilled.

and 

I am happy too.

She has spent the last two days 

seriously contemplating

what to buy

for a 

gift.

I think she did a great job picking it out.

The little girl loves our cat.

So Ellie got her

a

fur real cat.

I am pretty sure it's not kosher to bring a real cat to a birthday party....

Ellie has grown up a lot this year.

She still cries when she is tired.

or happy

or sad

or embarrassed

or (well really anytime)

she cries a lot.

BUT

She is getting better at embracing that.

She is very good at doing her chores.

Which I didn't really give her.

She just took them on herself.

She is nurturing.

She is a total weirdo.

(and I say that lovingly).

She loves when I take pictures of her.

Learning

Okay.

First thing is first.

Last night there was a family dance at the school.

It wasn't so much a family dance

as it was more

mayhem and chaos.

Kids running around

twirling uncontrollably

large doses of sugar.

A spectacular time had by the children.

Well.

next.

I saw from a distance a person I hadn't seen since

High School.

He was a "grown-up"

{not really mature in the sense of behavior 

but mature in the sense

 he was a bit older and actually had facial hair}

Anyways.

I immediately knew who he was.

He was nice back then.

He seemed nice now.

Married.

kids.

etc.

I 

NORMALLY

would avoid all contact.

But I figured my hair was done...

I know I was bound to run into him again..

{since our kids are now in the same school}

so I bit the bullet.

I walked up.

Oh gosh.

What was I thinking?!?

He recognized me

{I think}

I am pretty sure he has NO CLUE what my name is.

I asked him if he remembered who I was....

WHAT?

Man, I wish I could delete the things that come out 

and rephrase them into a much more cool 

or at least less awkward phrase.

After 2 minutes of excruciating small talk

i bee-lined it for someone else.

Phew.

Never again.

Well now that 

that is over...

Tiger is getting spayed today.

Which is good.

Because as much as the children love her

I was still contemplating

having her have an accident.

After a month of being in heat

I can take no more.

See Tiger below.

To her benefit she is an excellent mouser.

and she is really patient with the girls 

and their friends.

I think maybe it's the warm weather that had effected Tiger.

Because

Bill and Jeff are being RIDICULOUS.

so noisy.

and very inappropriate for the front yard....

{did you know that you can buy Turkey and Geese "saddles"}

The things you learn when looking at incubation units....

And I just threw this one in.

She helps me hold the chickies when I clean their box.

Poor Poor Chickies.....

Raven

A quiet moment at the barn.

Ellie has a softness about her.

Raven is a quiet little donkey

(not in the audio sense)

(in that sense he is not so quiet)

Since bringing them here

Ellie has spent a lot of time at the barn

hanging out with

Raven.

Heavenly Hawaiian Hash

It took a lot to not name this "tropical who-hash" but alas I was out-voted by the small people....

So anyways,

This morning was a wee bit frosty.... And since there is no tropical vacation on my horizon... I needed a little Hawaii in my life.

So without further adu....

Heavenly Hawaiian Hash

{one cowboy and wife or one wife and three children serving}

The players...

- 2 potatoes (I used Yukon golds- I feel they are the best breakfast potato but please feel free to contact me on my potato soap box .... because I have one)

- 1 tablespoon of EVOO {thank-you Rachel for the awesome acronym}

- 1 tsp of butter

- garlic salt

- onions

- parsley

- pepper

- paprika

- salsa

- pineapple

- bacon/ ham

- eggs

- cheese

The Script...

- chop potatoes small

- heat oil and butter in skillet

- fry potatoes

- add garlic salt (couple tsps)

- cook till soft

- add green onions or regular sweet onions.... Like a 1/4 cup or so

- add a cup of chopped ham or crumbled bacon (omit oil if using bacon)

- add pineapple ( 1 can)

- fry together

{potatoes and pineapple frying}

- add paprika (1 tsp) and pepper (sprinkle liberally)

- add salsa (2 tablespoons... And I used hot salsa)

- add two eggs beaten with some milk

- stir until eggs are cooked

- top with sharp cheddar

EAT.

yum!

The girls gave 5 fingers up!

Dresser Mess

There are a few area's in my house that get heaped with Junk.

My dresser in my bedroom is one of these places.

Between Dusty's man junk

{wallets, keys, receipts, rocks, etc}

and my junk

{jewelry and make-up}

PLUS the TV

and the pretty stuff

{candles and frames} 

Something had to be done.

I went to our wood pile.

I was looking for a 1x6 piece of barn wood.

instead I found a 2x4.

It was already the right length.

perfect.

Now I am sure most of you pinterest people have seen the jewelry hangers with the fancy knobs.

Such knobs can cost up to 11 dollars each.

Yikes.

Dusty has a bunch of black finishing nails for rustic wood projects.

I grabbed a handful and

Wa La

Almost free

Jewelry hanger.

Eventually this dresser will be refinished.

When I have time.

Flu Bird

The last week I have been waging war with a virus.

I have been tired.

dare I say

~ Grumpy~

and wee bit unmotivated.

I just kept pushing through.

Busy is good.

Fresh air is better.

Horse smell will cure most things I am sure.

Alas,

I have succumbed to the virus.

I am blaming the chicks.

I got up a million times to check the thermometer.

95 degrees is hard to maintain!!

Then there was my real children....

but I won't complain about them

{at least not right now}

So today I am wrapped in a blanket.

I am reading blogs.

Pinning on pinterest.

Avoiding looking at my bank account

looking a facebook.

Oh and by the way....

Blocked poop vents are not so easy to clean.

Baby bums are much easier.

I never thought 

I would have the pleasure 

of poking a chicken butt 

with a tooth pick 

after dunking the tush 

(do chickens have tushes) 

in warm water.

But 

I have now had the pleasure.

I hope that

like most things

poking chicken butts will get easier

the more you do it.

Because I gotta say

Google made it sound a LOT easier

than it was!

First Time Mom

I remember finding out I was pregnant

{the first time}

and being excited and thrilled.

I wanted to know everything.

I googled.

I talked to my friends.

I talked to my mom.

I talked to other new moms.

I thought I was prepared.

I was nervously confidant 

I had Ellie.

She was perfect.

Things just kicked in.

I made a few mistakes.

I learned a lot more.

I still learn.

One thing that I love about homesteading/ hobby farming...

is the firsts.

Chicks are a first.

I have to be honest...

I am not a chicken lady.

I hope that my inner chicken lady emerges.

I am more nervous about chickens than I was about babies.

and now

I have 

baby chickens.

EEEEEK.

I have prepared.

I have built baby bird waterers

I have created a baby chick feeder.

I have nested.

they are here.

and 

I am more freaked out.

i really hope I don't kill them.

I have talked to other chicken ladies.

they assure me I am ready.

I really hope I Don't kill them....

{the egg carton feeder}

{it works like a charm}

{the Sour cream waterer}

{this took a little more ingenuity but I figured it out after a few botched attempts at other waterers}

{them in action}

Dusty built me a really awesome cat-proof lid

I will have to take another picture.

I lost this page out of my parenting manual

So 

I THINK that I am 

pretty aware of my children's strengths and weaknesses.

BUT

this whole play date thing has really blown my mind.

I have the "bully".

I use the term loosely as I have not witnessed her calling names or being cruel

but 

she does not play well with others.

Actually

she plays just fine with boys.

BUT 

not girls.

When girls come to play...

they want to play INSIDE.

She does not.

She wants to jump on the trampoline

or

play in the barn

She knows that she is not allowed to ditch her friends

so

instead

she spends the entire time convincing them to go outside.

then they finally go out.

they play fine

but eventually 

they want to come in.

Oh bother.

I thought my life was supposed to get easier if they had friends over.

like 

they would disappear 

and I would get a couple hours to myself.

No one warned me it was more work.

and 

honestly

I don't really know what to do about it.

We talk all the time about being nice.

We talk about how we {sometimes} have to do things we don't want to

We have had conversations about manners

and company and etiquette

GAH!

hopefully she is fine at other people's houses....

(fingers crossed)