Rainy Day Activities

It rained for about 3 or four days this week. This drove everyone to some serious silliness. The big boys were making lunch and being goofy. Harland played outside for about 3 hours!!! He had a great time. Just a Miso container, two "old school" little people and a rubber duck. oh, and a giant puddle. Indigo was painting. He absolutely loves to draw and paint. Especially on himself and/or the furniture and toys.

Yesterday was mostly sunny but the bugs were so out of hand I couldn't work in the garden much. I did get some weeding done before I ran for my life from the snacking black flies. I have also finally caught up on my Mt Washmore. I am on a mission to get this place under control before we leave for Massachusetts. I hate coming home to a messy house.

I GOT PERMISSION!

Forrest has generously allowed me to post this, and ONLY this, Picture of him before the Semi-formal. The theme was "Hollywood" I think, which we didn't even know before we dressed him all "American Gangster". He looked awesome. He is so cool! don't tell him I said that.




Here are two pics Forrest took of Stella. It is funny how different the puppies' personalities are. Stella can dish it out but can't take it. She always starts wrestling with her brother only to start the whimpering and crying when he gives it right back to her. She loves to be brushed as she is a girl and understands the importance of good grooming. She is very food motivated! She fetches the squeaky toucan toy and brings it back to me. She hates her crate. She has an awesome passive aggressive way of letting me know I'm not really in charge, when I put her on her bed "PLACE" she waits until I walk away and then moves 2 feet over to the hearth and lays back down.



Its been raining all week. Great for the garden, less so for four boys and two rambunctious puppies. Mike spread the "poo tea" on the garden, everything seems to be doing much better now. Thank goodness for my wonderful husband. I have never EVER smelled anything sooooo awful! I was gagging the whole time and I didn't even do anything but tell him where to put it. Seriously nasty. but free and effective. We planted acorn squash, cucumbers, zucchini, and butternut, This weekend it will be two kinds of pumpkins and all the tomatoes, maybe the melon as well. The potato plants have popped up, the beets and new spinach and chard are all up, The weeds are trying desperately to take over, we are doing the best we can to hold them back. I will be paying a certain 14 year old to weed the strawberries and onions this weekend. I will take some pics too, I promise! I am also hoping to get the new kitchen floor laid down. It will be nice to have a floor that can be washed, all though I do like the "character" of the tongue and groove sub-floor.
Mike turned 36 Wednesday. I love the six months a year I am married to an older man.

How crazy is CRAZY?

I normally try to keep the blog positive as it gives me peace to go back and read it all. However, this morning Mike told me I have "had my angry face on for weeks." What does that mean? Is it possible I have taken on too much? NAHHH. The puppies are wonderful and yet a bit kuku. They are into their toddler years now. Think terrible twos in a puppy times two.

I bought them some new toys and puppy teething bones. It made a big difference. They are learning to play fetch, well, they will chase the ball (usually tackling each other mid way) but they don't bring it back or even usually pick it up. You would all be so proud of me, I cooked and cut up a chicken!!! I wanted treats for the dogs, they are omnivores, not vegetarians but i wanted healthy, organic, local goodness for them. So I got a rooster from Sarah and Andy they had processed and in their freezer. They raised it so I know it lived a healthy happy life. Then I covered it in garlic and baked it. The kids were VERY grossed out. I even cut it up into bite sized pieces and froze it in containers. I have never cooked a chicken in my life. I had to ask around for cooking times and temps. Everyone laughed at me. But, its done and those adorable furry babies love it. They also went to the vet last week. They did have worms so they are on meds and have to go back to finish vaccines after they are better. They were very well behaved other than Donovan hated the shiny floor.

Forrest has been working a lot. Two full days with mike this week, staining a guest house and shed. Today is his first day working the Farmer's Market. He will be selling baked goods for a women down the road. I hope it goes well. I have to admitt I miss him terribly. I am so spoiled and used to having him here. He is great company and amazing help. Its different not having an extra set of hands. His school work is going kind of slow but I think its the time of year. He has met a friend in town and is going to a Semi-Formal with her and some of her other friends. I am so happy for him. He is finally meeting kids his age here in Maine.






The garden is frustrating me a bit. Deer track all through my carrots and radishes. We did have a salad, the radishes are delicious. I pulled out the trellis Forrest was working on for the peas. He just doesn't have the time to finish it and the peas are starting to grab the weeds and each other. I went to walmart and bought ugly 8 foot white metal garden borders. It works. That is all that matters. I decided not to go over there for a couple of days in hopes that plants will be bigger. Mike picked up some fertilizer from S&A (don't you love them!) we will be "side dressing" with chicken poo tea as mike calls it. Not my dream come true but the plant are just not growing. I think years of hay has just depleted the soil. Mike assured me he would make the tea this week end. It is seriously stinky stuff. I cooked the chicken, he can make the tea.
My "HONEY DO" list is long enough to roll out across the floor. We are having a working weekend with eight hour days as of tomorrow. Things need to get done!

I also hopped back on the FLYLADY wagon this week. My sink is shining! (as long as no one gets near it). I need order and routine in my house again or I will just drown in dirty laundry and toys. If you have never heard of her, check it out. The last time I surrendered to Flylady, my home was amazing and organized and I was relaxed and peaceful. I swear it works if you really do it. I have come to the realization that there just are not enough hours in the day. I also gave in to some quick and easy meals this week. Including chili dogs and pasta with (GASP) jarred sauce!

To top it all off, check this out.



YUP, Poison IVY! I had to take him to the Doctor's because Mike and I have never had it. Poor kid is miserable! Him and Forrest were camping out by the river. They were fooling around and Forrest accidentally pushed him down right into it. I am choosing to believe it was unintentional. He is on a regimen of hydro-cortisone, colloidal oatmeal and calamine lotion, with just a hint of benedryl. This kid has had more topical allergies, irritations, bug bites rashes and itches than I have ever seen. We call him itchy scratchy! The pediatrician said the variety that grows along the river here is particularly evil. She also mentioned something I never would have thought of. The puppies. It seems the dogs will get the oil on their fur and then the kids can get poison ivy from touching them. SOOOOO puppy baths are in order. We bathed Stella last night, it was exhausting to say the least. We will do Donovan tonight as two puppy baths in one evening is way too much for Mike and I.

So what have I done to combat the seemingly permanent angry face you ask? I planned a mini vacation, with NO CHILDREN!!!! I know! CRAZY! Mike's birthday is coming up so that is my excuse. We are going to Mass, dropping off 4 children and two puppies with my wonderful parents, and heading to Province Town for exactly one night! WHOOO HOOOO! I think there will be a visit to a good friend who just opened an Art Gallery/Tattoo shop, and yes I believe I will come home with some new art work and hopefully a new attitude. I need this in a big way! Then I can get back to planning our adventure in organic strawberry growing, fiber sheep raising, honey-bee caring vegetable/herb gardening life.

Exhausted

So, yesterday, I ran errands including two weeks of grocery shopping, then came home and worked in the garden for three hours, made granola, baked date bars, made dinner, and almost fell into bed. It was a long day. Normally, grocery shopping is plenty for me in one day. It is a project! We also run all our errands so as to only drive to town once per week. It is going to be an interesting spring to say the least.

I weeded and mulched some more. There seems to be a whole lot of onion plants missing. What eats onions? Mike said a woodchuck. That would be our luck as a neighbor offered to come and kill some and I said no....thank you. We covered a huge section not currently being used with a blue tarp. We are hoping to kill some sod. It is popping up everywhere! It just won't go away. I can't help but think of all the times we tried to grow grass at other homes, and had such a hard time. Now we can't kill it! I started mulching in the onions with leaves. It makes me laugh to be raking leaves out of the woods! But it works wonders. My sister has always done this and she has the most gorgeous gardens. As the onions grow taller, I will add more. It will help keep the moisture in and the weeds out. My plan is to mulch the paths with straw and the veggies with leaves. Mostly to give a visual for the kids of where they can and can not walk.

The strawberry plants look awesome! They are already growing like crazy! mmmmmmm. I know you are not supposed to let them fruit the first year but we are going to. I just can't do it. We love strawberries!

I hung pie plates around the garden to try and deter the deer, but, I think I am going to take them down. I feel bad for the fox and her pups right next to the garden. She actually came out yesterday and didn't run, but walked up the hill, maybe she is getting used to us. I just can't imagine them having to deal with all that loud clanking. They don't eat my veggies!

I am knitting my first pair of socks. I hope it works out. I would love a whole bunch of pretty striped socks!

The first set of beehives is pretty much completed. Andy and Sarah have one and we have one. Mike still needs to drill the hole and make a top. Then I will rub the inside with bee's wax and drip some citronella on it and hope for bees. If that doesn't work we will purchase bees from our neighbor. I would like at least two hives this year. Once it has legs and a cover, i will post some pics.

Andy offered to sell fiddle heads at the market for us. So I told the boys it they picked they could keep the money. They were thrilled. they picked for hours yesterday. There are still plenty left. So today we will drop them off and hope for the best.