Guns, Doves and Daffodils

Friday, March 20, 2009

Well, like I've mentioned before, which is pretty darn obvious, we are an outdoors family. Grass, mud, tree buds, sticks-all have made permanent residency in our house. Oh, not that I really really WANT them there but it happens and I'm okay with that. Last week we had a 4 ft long branch on the blanket that covers the piano keys. After a couple days I finally tossed it outside. It made it's way back in within HOURS! I don't really understand. No one played with it the whole time it was on the piano and then, like it has legs of its own, it shows back up in the house almost immediately. And I never know who the culprit is: Buster, our lab, or Wyatt.
Monday was a gorgeous day! I called up my friend who lives about 40 min. out of town and within an hour the boys, rifles, dogs and I were packed up and headed out to Kendra's place (http://kendras-bliss.blogspot.com/). We ate our packed lunch and was outside the entire afternoon. We all got some good sun. We set up cans and bottles on the treeline and spent an hour puttin holes in them with my Ruger bolt action .22 and Wyatt's inheritted Henry lever-action .22.

Kendra taught Riverlyn all about a rifle and how to shoot. Riverlyn did great! She shot the Ruger 3 times. JD was unphased by the shots and Wy, for some reason, didn't like it. I think he's used to the fuse being lit on a firework and giving him the second or two to get ready for the blast. I tried letting him know it was gonna 'boom' just before we shot but that still didn't work.
On Tuesday, at lunch, Wyatt kept sayin he heard an owl. I told him it was a dove. Then he kept sayin, 'see? see? there's the dove mama!" I looked outside and sure enough, there she was. After a minute of callin to her, her mate sailed in and took his rightful place beside. We took a couple pictures and had fun watching them.


We've also been watchin cardinals out front:

And tryin to keep this guy away:

Wyatt's been very busy in the yard doin what 2 yr olds do best: shootin his 'guns' and playin in the dirt.

JD has been very entertained by Wyatt. He's been playin on the blanket and spending time in the jumper and walker when we're outside. We've taken the boys and the dogs on walks down to the creek a lot lately. As soon as JD sees the wagon his legs start kickin and he starts yelling.

My flowers are poppin up all over and I'm really glad because the seeds in my indoor flats are just comin up and it's too risky to plant them outside yet.

Secret To Happy Boys

Friday, March 06, 2009

Step One: Find dirt

+ Step Two: Eat dirt

=one happy kid!

Another happy kid. I just hope he remembers how happy he is later in his teen years when he doesn't want to clean.

We couldn't ask for better boys. God has blessed us above and beyond our biggest dreams.

Conversations with Wyatt

Friday, February 27, 2009

The other night I was upstairs puttin JD down for the night and E was gettin Wy ready for a bath. I overheard this conversation between them:
E: Are you my boy?
Wy: No
E:Are you mommy's boy?
Wy: No
E: Are you papa's boy?
Wy: No
E: Are you grannie's boy?
Wy: No
E: Well, who's boy are you?
Wy: (almost condescendingly and incredulous) I a cowboy daddy!

This is a blind conversation I had with him just a couple afternoons ago. JD was playin on the deck and Wy was runnin around outside. I was in the kitchen, fixin lunch, with the sliding door all the way open.
Wy: (muffled) Where I at mommy?
Nae: I don't know! Where are you at Wyatt?
Wy: (still muffled) I under here?
Nae: Under where? (I moved out onto the deck, curious but figured I knew exactly where he was)
Wy: Under here! I'ts my clubhouse!
Nae: Your clubhouse?
Wy: Yeah, I playin in my clubhouse!

My Favorite Smells

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Hmmmmm....my favorite smells in the world have no ranking order because I love them all the same. Call me crazy and disillusional but if you've never smelled some of these then you don't understand how wonderful they are. In no consequential order they are:

1. hay-sweet luscious hay

2. saw dust-this will one day be incorporated into a cologne I have yet to create. I swear it's an aphrodesiac.

3. manure-yes, I said manure. I'm talkin bout horse and cow manure. That's it. It tends to have a calming affect on those that understand the chemical makeup.

4.fresh cut grass-need I say more? Who doesn't like that smell? You've got to have one hard soul to not like this!

5.spring mud with a warm rain-so earthy and wholesome

6.baby milk breath-No one knows the sweetness of this unless they have a little bundle of life tucked into their arms knowing that their beginning and existence solely depends on something that is unexplainable, unmatched and miraculous

7. babies heads-again no one can fathom the sweetness of a tiny baby's head unless they understand the miraculousness of new life.

8. spouse's natural musk-there is no cologne that even comes close in this rival. There is no rival. No contest. No cigar.

9. exhaust from a blender mixing cookie dough-you can't live life without this one!

10. horse flesh-aaaaahhhhh....if you understand you understand and I'm deeply and regrettably pity those who don't know the smell

11. puppy breath-just like the babies breath

12. leather-and I ain't talkin leather from a $600 coat. That doesn't compete with the true leather. I'm talkin used and bruised leather that you'd find in a tack room or the backseat of a truck.

13. woodsmoke-homey, simple, old-fashioned woodsmoke. Somehow it reminds me that workin hard, lovin and laughin with family and friends and knowin that life has a higher purpose is all you need in this world.

Many of these I grew up with so they bring back a poignant and nostalgic feeling but thankfully they all still play a vital role in my life now. Some of these I didn't learn to love until after the birth of our firstborn son. I realize some people may look at me differently after readin this but hey, it's me and now you know!

Preemie Pyro Phase II

After loading up the pit with the logs he lifts each one up to blow under it and says, 'I blow! I blow some!' He is strictly referring to starting the fire as he watched Uncle Ben do the night before and Daddy do every weekend for at least a month.

Preemie Pyro Phase I

I just want to clarify that neither me or Uncle Mike gave him any encouragement in this process whatsoever. He did it all on his own.

One Black Widow Down

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

I don't know if she's THE one, but she's at least one down. I was going thru the backyard just 15 min. ago and saw the bag to the lawn mower beside the gate. It had a pool of water in it so I decided to flip it over. Uh! I've got the heebie geebies, or the creepy crawlies, or whatever you want to call it now. There she was. Long spindly legs. Shiny black bulging body. Bright red hourglass. AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! I just had to get that out. Sorry. After I sprayed her I ran in to get a glass jar. And yes, I used a stick to get her into it. But then I had to open the jar to get some good pics otherwise they would be really really blurry thru the glass. Just as I got the last picture she started to get a second wind on her last life and she...she...uhm...started squiggling around. Lucky for me the glass must be hard to climb up because I got the lid .. she got off her back and onto her legs. She's paying for that one! I closed the lid TIGHT!! Just look at her!

She's...she's...uh...anyone else feel like something's crawling on them? I wanted to make sure I got her red hourglass lest anyone think I was lying about what a monumentous and grand day this is.

Dang! It's not real clear. But it's there. And now she's resting, dying a slow, painful, agonizing death in an airtight jar on my kitchen widow, I mean window, sill. I hope she dies a thousand deaths over and has NEVER had babies! I'm declaring war if she has! Good God I hope she hasn't!

One more, just for the heck of it......

Okay, I'm D-O-N-E!!!!

The 'Matoe' Stealer

He just had to help mommy pick the 'matoes. I couldn't be upset with him. It was too dadgum funny!

The Great Pillow Fight Of 08

This is Great Grandpa Dietrich and Wyatt. Grandpa spends time with each and every great-grandkid and knows everything about them. Everyone loves Grandpa. He's a wonderful man who has stories that are beyond your wildest imagination. We were very priveleged to have Grandpa Dietrich as my husband's best man in our wedding.

Majic Jumper

Sep 24, 2008 This contraption has the same effect on number two as it did on number one. Great for muscles, attitude and mommy and daddy alike!!

Annual Seasoning Of The Skillets

Sep 12, 2008

Last weekend since it was so nice and cool we had a fire going pretty much all day, Saturday and Sunday. We stayed out til 1 a.m. with Uncle Mike and Aunt Dee Saturday. Sunday we grilled supper with them and Matty and Nicole. Grandpa Dietrich gave us a set of old cast iron skillets and a Dutch oven. They were covered in rust. E cleaned them all up and we had them on the fire seasoning them all weekend. Saturday night the little skillet got a bit out of hand. Thankfully the flames weren't seen by the neighbors. At one point they were all of about 3 1/2 feet high.


Nothin' better than a good ol' fashioned seasoned cast iron skillet. Everything tastes better with burned grease in it!

I'm A Bear!

E started him on this tirade that plays out every night after his bath as he's supposedly winding down for bed. He's usually a bear but sometimes he transforms to a fox (after watching Grizzly Man Diaries....'do you remember me? Huh? Have I messed with Nature? Yeah, you could say that') and every great once in a while he becomes a monkey.

I.H.O.P.S.

Sep 12, 2008

I've been waiting for this day to come. Wyatt has already got his hands in the peanut butter a couple weeks ago. It's under the counter in the cabinet. Along with the creamer, canned goods, oatmeal, syrup, and shortening. None of these things are small. I buy it all in bulk. E found Wyatt all smeared up with the peanut butter. Hands, face, clothes, nothing was exempt. I thought he'd hit the shampoo and soap bottles first. But I was wrong. Lately, he's taken to emptying out this cabinet and playing with all the goods in the window. He opened up the oatmeal last week on the couch. No, I didn't move any of it out of that cabinet. Which is why today we became the International House of Pancake Syrup!!!!! Thank God for wood floors and a husband who put them in!! He had grabbed the syrup bottle and was playing with it. I, regrettably, didn't think anything of it. I had my hands in flour making tortillas and the skillets cooking them. Pretty soon I heard, 'Mama! Mama! Mom, no!" He came into the kitchen with his hands outstretched and literally dripping with syrup. It was all over his shirt, shorts and feet!! I walked into the living room and between the coffee table and couch is a HUGE pool of almost the entire bottle of syrup on the floor and Buster lapping it up as fast as he could. (I had to peel him off the ceiling later!) The couch did a great job of keeping the syrup from running anywhere else!!

I turned off the fire cooking the tortillas for the second time that day (between the boys you learn that nothing is ever a start-to-finish project with no stopping. Things have to be played with and kids need to eat and that's alright. I haven't burned anything yet and everything has turned out tasting good). I used two old bath towels to clean up along with paper towels, cleaner and a good scrub brush for the bottom of the couch. It actually cleaned up fast. I've since found drips of syrup on the couch, stairs, Labrador rug, pine cabinet, and when I'm outside the flies and one bee won't leave me alone!!!! In Wyatt's defense it really wasn't his fault. He did not open it. The top came unscrewed, which I've noticed they do very easily. But he did pour it all out. I really really really like my wood floors. The couch has been propped up since this unfortunate event in order to dry the base out. All's well now and the house smells great!

Food For Thought

Sep 8, 2008

Ever wonder how your kids are going to be? I'm not talking personalities here, more like the idiosyncracies they may develop. I know on some things I border on OCD but on other things it just doesn't bother me. I like my kitchen spotless unless I'm in the middle of cooking or baking. The bedrooms, living room and bathrooms could be a mess with things lying out and it doesn't get to me like when my kitchen is full odds and ends. Example:

That's my living room now. There's clothes, cups, a dead flashlight that Wyatt has been using as a pitcher to make us something to drink, a rag that is for the garage, diapers still in their cases that haven't made it upstairs for 3 days, a swing and a jumper. The downstairs living room doesn't look much better either. But it doesn't bother me. I was sitting outside just a bit ago and saw this:

Wyatt's chalk. He lined them up systematically. Now this kinda worries me. But thankfully the rest of the yard looks like this:

He's not full-fledge OCD, that's apparent. I'll have to keep tabs on what else goes on in the next couple years!
Last night we bbq'd and here's what it looked like:

Beef fajitas and andouille sausage.
I made some weird sandwiches the other day just cuz they sounded good.

I diced up onion real fine and mashed it into cream cheese with some herbs that I felt would go good with it. Then sliced garden tomatoes and cucumbers. I piled it all in my homemade pita pockets and it was messy but it was good!

Wyatt is gettin real good at balancing. This is how we made it through the last hour and a half at the zoo last week:

It helps to play horse. Gets his legs in shape. JD's crying so that's all for this random post.

Ready Or Not Fall Is Comin

Sep 3, 2008

Ready or not fall is coming but I'M. NOT. READY!!!! I thought I was a week ago but only for the reason that I love excuses to bake more and decorate the house and hole up with a good book. But I'm not ready. I enjoy the heat and the sun and the ability to be outside and not freeze. I love the water. I miss the water.

I think I'm fighting the thought of it turning cooler and cold because we haven't been able to camp at all this year. I've taken the boys to the lake only twice!! Hopefully it will still be really warm this month. The last couple of years it has been really warm into the first 2 weeks of October! Just 2 and 3 Octobers ago I was wakeboarding in the beginning of the month! I want that for this year! With this cool weather I've been thinking of chili and ham and beans and homemade bread. Today I turned off the AC and opened up the windows to air the house out. I have to shut them all before E comes home so his allergies don't get any worse than they already are. I did think about clearing out some flower beds but decided to cut my herbs and throw them in the dehydrator instead. It's weird how the coolness changes your plans for the day. I took down all the glass oil lamps and the glass shades on the fans and washed them. What does that have to do with fall and winter coming? I have no idea but I do it every time it starts to cool down. I want to wash the curtains and clean out dresser drawers. And I want to see if any of the my winter clothes are going to fit me soon. The jeans E told me to buy are comfortable now so that's a plus!! And the boys have slept solid the whole afternoon with the fresh air. Oh wait, Wyatt is yelling "MAMA! MAMA!' but he did sleep 3 1/2 hours!

Last night he grabbed the cooler E uses for his lunch and headed for the door. When E asked him where he was going Wyatt said 'goin to work. bye bye!'

Last week I caught him trying to be a help. I think it would've only resulted in T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!


Good Lord! What's in store for us?

Labor Day Weekend 08

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 We spent Labor Day Weekend at the farm. The time is up for Grandpa to work it now. He was sick a couple weeks back and didn't get to cleaning up what he wanted to and with it being hot he didn't have the ambition. He has asked that he have a couple more months and the Monarch rep. had no problem with it. I'm hoping we can get out there one more time. E helped grandpa go sort thru some things and Dan and Georgia went to work on the junk pile. Wyatt had a blast! He calls the 4-wheeler the 'tractor' and he ain't one bit afraid of the cattle! One of the cows started eyeballing me as I was holding Wyatt to check out the barn and when she lowered her head and got to within about 5 feet of me I yelled at her to get back. That was all Wyatt needed to hear. We went back up to the shed and grain bin and was messin around. The calves and a couple cows were curious so Wyatt walked out there towards them and said, 'comin' cows? C'mere!' When they got up to him he started in at them yelling, 'back cows! back!!'

You can barely see the cows just to the right of the shed. Talk about confusing but he thought he was walkin in tall cotton! He grinned like a Cheshire cat after that! We took him on ride after ride after ride on the 4 wheeler. I took him down to the hay meadow where he saw a doe bound off away from us that we had spooked. He kept yelling, 'c'mere deer!' We got hit by so many spider webs we were wrapped in the stuff by the time we came out of the meadow. I took him on a 8 mi. ride on the roads to look for more cows and horses. About 1/2 way thru the ride he started slumping over and I realized he was falling asleep. I cupped his upper body and head with my left arm and drove 30 mph to get back to the farm. When I pulled in my left arm was numb and so was my right hand from steering and pushing the throttle. JD got mad a time or two. He was set up under the walnut trees.

Then he got sleepy. It was really muggy out and the poor baby kept sweating. I washed him off to keep him cool. There wasn't a continuous breeze to cool things off even in the shade.

He finally passed out just before we headed back into town.

Wyatt and E coming in from a ride.

This picture spans four generations. Wyatt's Great Grandpa Dietrich (pictured with Wyatt) was born in this farmhouse and raised on this ground. Wyatt's Grandma Laver was raised in this house. This is where Grandpa Laver came to take Grandma out on dates. This is the house that always welcomed Grandma and Grandpa back after their trips to Eureka to watch the horse races. This is the house and land that Wyatt and JD's daddy tromped on every summer of his childhood, into his teens. There is not a rock unturned or a hole undiscovered. This is the barn where Grandpa got into trouble in. This is the barn that Daddy got into trouble in. This is the place where feed pellets made a bull mad and daddy and his cousins got into BIG trouble. And don't forget about the bull chasing the cousins down in the slough. These are the ponds that Great Grandma used to take Wyatt and Jarrett's daddy fishing in the evenings with scrap bacon. These are the pastures that Wy and JD's daddy and aunts and Grandma learned to drive in. The whole trip was bittersweet. I'm so glad Wyatt got to enjoy the farm at least one more time. Wyatt and grandpa had a pillow fight on the swing. They both were giggling like little girls.




Talk about a dirty and very happy kid!! All weekend long he loaded up lava rocks in a bucket and dumped them out. He threw walnuts into the pasture and played tee ball in the yard. He figured out how to turn a touch lamp on. That was when he was s'posed to be sleeping! I brought the boys in for lunch and naps. The nap didn't happen til mama had to come in and spoil the fun. He kept giggling and saying 'light! bright!' then he'd touch it to go off and I'd hear him say 'night-night'. Then he kept repeating 'papa, dadda, tractor, at the farm. Cows, water, back cows! G'back cows!' I took Wyatt out to the pasture on the 'tractor' where we went around the ponds and found the cows.


A long time ago when E was a snot nosed youngster (I mean he had bad allergy problems whenever he'd stay with grandma and grandpa) there was an old old, and I mean OLD lady who lived just across the road from the farm. When her health got bad grandma and grandpa used to help her out by plowing her garden, sending over food, brush hoggin her pasture and the like. They said her house was nothing but a shack and you could see the rats run around in it. She never got indoor plumbing and always hid her money in jars buried on the land. (That made for really good treasure hunts later). She didn't understand paper plates and would wash it and grandma would find it on the front step the next morning all tore up and stained. All this lady wore was a shift made out of old feed sacks. Her hair was long and stringy. Imagine a witch with boobs the length of newborn babies. That was her. And no, she didn't have any good teeth to speak of. Her name was Grace and when she died Grandpa bought her land to work. He kept cattle there for the most part. There's a nice pond and just across the intersection so it was easy moving. When she died they said she had more money in the bank than you could shake a stick at.

This is where her house used to stand. We go over there and muck around to see what we can find. There's remnants of old pails and a grain bin and a shed. The better part of an old crank wash machine is still barely alive. It's a great place to scare out rabbits for targets with the 22.

The pond is to the southeast of the house and at the SE corner of the property. There's a lot of turtles to be had in that pond.

Matt joined us on Saturday afternoon and stayed til Sunday. Grandpa always says good things about him. One day Wyatt will find out the truth. But I won't be the one to tell him! I promise!

Even with all the playing Wyatt never missed a meal of course.

Just thought I'd throw this in. My sister was at the New York State Fair this past weekend. They sent me this picture.

This is the farm looking from Grace's place. I'm so glad me and our two sons have been able to enjoy the farm and all the tales that come from it. There is much sweat and tears, hard work and joys, blessings and heartache all wrapped in one very special piece of land.