Just the news...

I can't think of any adorable stories (although I know there are some!) so I guess I'll just get to it.

Friday, we met up with Biz and Tim and my parents at the Bowling Green Hot Rods game. We had fun. I am easily impressed because honestly, we do not get out much. You laugh. I am married to a HOME BODY. I am thrilled when he agrees to a social event! The kids had a blast mostly just because it was different and they ran and romped all night. Ellie has already asked when we are going to a ballgame again. I will say I think the Hot Rods need to step it up in the area of fan involvement. They need cheerleaders! (I am not voluteering!) They need to get the crowd more involved. I mean, who goes to a ballgame to watch the game???

Saturday night, Brandon and I went to Zanie's comedy club in Nashville to see Bob Zany. Brandon was on the Bob and Tom show last week in some weekly thing they do called "fix the joke" and he won tickets. We had a very good time. I am in hopes we will do it again soon.

The kids stayed with my parents Saturday night so Sunday, we slept in a little and then got to work on electric stuff for the house. We hung all of the recessed lighting fixtures and all of the regular light fixture boxes on the main floor. We are almost ready to pull wire and have the big part of the electric done. The HVAC guys are supposed to get everything done this week and then once the electric is roughed in, they will start drywall! Our siding has been ordered so hopefully that will be here soon. Oh and once it stops raining, they will finish the concrete.

Mason is a little poorly. (I will not he is note nearly as poorly as my grandmother thinks he is) I took him to the dr and he has thrush AGAIN and also is having bad allergy problems. He has that horrible cough again but no infection. He gave him some meds and took him off breathing treatments and added an allergy med so hopefully he will be good as new soon!

I have to share some of my handy work. I really really love monogramming and appliqueing. I don't have nearly enough time to do it, but I try to squeeze in a couple of projects for the kids each weekend. Here are a couple of shirts I did this weekend. I think Mason's surfboard shirt might be the cutest thing I've done! (And I tried 90 million different ways but it would only upload sideways!)

Monday Musings

Ready for bed last night. Mason seems like such a big boy!

I'm starting to look at life in terms of what is good "blog material". As in, something will happen with the kids and I will think "Hmm, I should blog about that." However, most of the time, life gets in the way! So ya'll will get a smathering of everything I can remember!

1. I hate dinner time. Hate. It. I decided this Saturday night. Can kids really live in Easy Mac? My kids would like to! I can add in fruit for Mason and cottage cheese and cold green beans for Ellie and VOILA! I have a complete meal. But it makes me feel like an inferior mom so I try to throw in some variation now and then. Saturday night, I made {delicious} barbecue, boneless, skinless chicken thighs, broccoli cheese rice, broccoli and I cooked some corn thinking Mason would like that. So both kids left the table with barely having eaten anything! After bath and mass chaos, Brandon and I fixed our plates and Mason of course decided the rice looked better on our plates. AYE! Last night, I went with the old stand-by: fish sticks and tater tots. I did not have to say even one time: "Ellie, come on and just eat so you can get down." Or the ever popular: "Two more bites, ok???" So I pose the question: Can they live on fish sticks and tater tots or should I just continue to lose my mind at dinner time and beg them to eat?

2. Mason is pacifier free except when he sleeps. We probably should have just gone all the way and taken it away completely, but I don't remember Ellie being so attached to that thing! Everyone has been saying for months "Mason likes his paci more than Ellie did" and I argued. But now I see it. When I took her paci away at just about the same age, she went the entire weekend without ever even asking for it. She didn't even think about it until we got to school that Monday and she saw another kid with a paci.

Mason has been a different story. He has asked {in a really pitiful way most time} "My paci?" I tell him "Oh pacis are for babies, we don't need it." Ellie has been a little more wishy washy. At times she will announce "Pacis are only for sleeping!" but yesterday morning she got pretty upset when he asked for it and I told him no. She said "There are three behind his bed and he NEEDS IT!" So how do you explain tough love to an almost four year old?

All in all, Paci free living has been successful. He seems pretty satisfied to only have it when he sleeps. Although last night after bath he really really wanted it and got pretty upset and finally said "I get in bed!" Poor guy.

3. We have a new baby. I guess being a relative newcomer to farm life, new babies just never get old. Even the birth of a cow is really fascinating and miraculous!

Ollie and his mama Tellulah {yes we name all our cows}

4. I did some sewing this weekend. I have so many projects that I want to do for the kids and I just never seem to find time. I really didn't have time yesterday either, but I neglected some other things and decided to take some time to do something I like! I made two cute shirts for the kids and I am hoping to make some more this week!

5. I went swimming yesterday. OY VE! I have been frequenting the YMCA in Scottsvegas to get some physical fitness in my life. I do kickboxing on Tuesdays and I {try to} go do the treadmill and weight machines a couple more times each week. So yesterday I decided to try swimming laps in the indoor pool. Now I am a good swimmer. I love to swim. My mom still thinks I should have joined the Barracudas swim team when I was about 14. All of that is to say OH. MY. GOODNESS. I am so out of shape. One lap had me huffing and puffing. Maybe I tried that first lap at a pace that was a bit too eager?

Tim went with me and he has been at the fitness swimming thing for a while. He does 32 laps. HELLO? I probably got in 15-16 laps. I tried to just keep moving. When I got out of the pool, my legs were like jello!

I do think the kids and I will got to the outdoor pool {they call it a water park, I'm not on board with that}. They have a little slide and a "beach" {concrete beach if that makes sense}. Both kids will love it and maybe I can get some sun.

6. I found my fourth four leaf clover yesterday afternoon. Now I must tell you, four leaf clovers are not the kind of thing you can look for and find. It is really luck because every time I have found one, I just look down and there it is. I found my first one the week before Brandon and I got married. Then I found TWO while I was pregnant with Ellie. I don't feel like there is anything significant that finding this clover represents. Maybe I just needed a little general good luck. I picked it before I thought to take a picture, but I actually had my camera in my hand because I had just taken the pics of Ollie.

7. For those who do not know, our house sits about 1/4 mile off of a gravel road. Traffic is not a concern. A lot of times, I will let the kids play in the front yard while I am inside doing something. {MOM- rest assured I do check on them frequently} Ellie serves as the alarm because she knocks on the door every 2minutes to ask me something or tell me something, etc. Saturday afternoon, they were playing outside and I had literally JUST come inside when Ellie started fervently knocking, actually, hammering on the door. This was the scene when I started towards to door:

Yes, that is Mason. He was at the top of the gate yelling "COW!" Pray that while he will be fearless, he will have at least a little common sense to go with it!

So I'm a blog follower...

I'm actually a blog lurker. I just love reading about other people's lives. Even people I don't really know! And all that lurking is what makes me want to put my thoughts on screen here. AND it's not just futile perusing. I do actually learn stuff. So today I will share something that really touched me. I hope you love it! While lurking/ reading/ perusing a few blogs, I came across this devotional from the Proverbs 31 Ministry:
***
My amazing husband can do anything. He's a fix-it man. There isn't anything he can't repair or create. He rebuilds damaged computers for family and friends, repairs weed eaters and garage door openers for neighbors, and rescues broken furniture from trash heaps. Recently he brought a chair home from a dinner party. It wasn't a gift and we didn't steal it. Someone sat in it and broke it!

After two days of taking the chair apart - performing what looked like orthopedic surgery to me, you know when pins and screws are inserted to keep bones and joints from further damage – followed by a little gluing, sanding, and staining, the chair looked brand new.

"Wow!" I said, impressed."Sit in it and rock back," he encouraged."Rock back? I don't think so! What if I break it?""Oh, believe me. You won't.""How do you know?" I asked, not convinced."I know how I designed it. I know the pressure points and how much stress it can take" he responded with a smile of confidence. "Go on. Sit in it and rock back."I sat down and rocked back.The chair was solid. I don't care who sits in it, or how they land in it now, it will not break.

I think about the times we don't believe we can handle any more stress. The pressure seems overwhelming and we cry, "Time out! I can't take any more!"God responds, "Trust me. You will not be destroyed. I know your pressure points. I know how much stress you can take. I know how I designed you."

I cannot describe the peace I felt when I related the work of my husband's hands to the work of God's hand.Of course He knows how much I can take. After all He is my Creator, the one who bent down by the river and fashioned me with His hands. He's the one who knit me together in the depths of my mother's womb, the one who is called the Potter.

He knows the exact temperature needed in the kiln to create the perfect clay vessel. He knows how hot the fire must be to separate the dross from the silver and gold. He knows how much pressure a diamond or emerald must withstand in order for it to come forth solid and brilliant. He knows how long the irritant must sit in an oyster before it becomes a pearl. My Father knows exactly how much I can take. He knows because He designed me. With that realization I am able to trust Him and smile at the future, no matter how hard life is today.

Lord Jesus, You are the Carpenter. You know exactly how to build a piece that will withstand pressure and stress, a work of art that will not easily crumble. You created me the same way.
***
I have been wanting to find some sort of daily devotional. I NEED a daily devotional. You can sign up here: Proverbs 31 to receive the devotional by email.

"I put all of it in..."

So my mom always tells me "keep a journal!" any time some new something happens with the kids. Here's hoping this website will still be around when they can appreciate these stories.

My parents took the kids to a graduation party for my cousin yesterday afternoon. As soon as they got back home, Ellie needed to go to the bathroom so off she went. She was in there for quite a while and mom and dad had to leave so mom went to check on her/ say good-bye. Again, mom was gone longer than I thought she should be so I went to check. Only to find a little "issue." Ellie had stopped up the potty. Bad. So a flood and several beach towels later, I remedied the problem. THANKFULLY all I found was toilet paper. I asked Ellie "HOW MUCH DID YOU USE???" Her response: "I used all of it." Ok, so we once again had the "it only takes a little to wipe your bottom. DO. NOT. EVER. use that much again." As Biz said" my bathroom floor was in need of a good mopping anyway so it was a win-win. Always looking on the bright side, that Biz.

Also, Ellie had her first black eye last week. She had a little run-in with a serving bowl that someone was holding:

This picture is pretty funny! She was not as mad as she looks. I wanted to take a picture but every time I'd take it, she'd smile and you couldn't see her eye so I told her not to smile and this is what we got.

Our weekend was pretty nice. Saturday, we stopped by another cousin's graduation party and then went to a cookout with some *new* church friends. Our church is doing a special little thing this summer. They gave the opportunity to sign up for small group cookouts. Five (or 6 in our case) couples/ families sign up and all get together once in May, June and July for fellowship and a good meal at someone's house. We had our first cookout on Saturday evening. The other families were all wonderful and I really love the opportunity to get to know everyone better outside of church. So far, I have volunteered in the nursery, but for the most part, we go to chruch, speak to a couple of people and that's it. I haven't gotten to know anyone at all, really. This was a BIG thing for Brandon as anyone who knows him at all will surely understand. I really appreciate him going along.

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous. Last night we moved the new calf and his mama

over to the other field and while I was standing out in the driveway being a human cow barrier, I actually got cold! So for all the bad rap that Kentucky weather gets, I appreciate it most at this time of year. People in Kentucky do not know humidity! I can remember in Montgomery being outside in the evenings and sweating!

Here's a link to the house pics. I don't think I've posted an updated link lately.

Privacy Issue

I am not a morning person. I think anyone who has ever seen me when I wake up in the morning knows this. I prefer not to talk at all until I have been up about an hour. Having children is not conducive to this quality. Most mornings, I get up in time to at least get showered and possibly get my make-up on before having to talk to anyone. This morning was an exception.
At about 5:45 I heard the pad of little feet coming into our room. Ellie. She came around the bed and climbed in with me and started her usual whispering. She doesn't whisper to me, she just whispers and talks. Brandon rolled over and told her to go back to sleep or get out. (Such a sweet Daddy.) I needed to get up. Try as I might, she was determined to join me in the bathroom while I showered. Ok whatever. After about 30 seconds I had to tell her "Ellie, I don't like to talk in the morning. If you want to stay in here, you are going to have to leave me alone." Yeah right. Chatty Cathy talked all through me brushing my teeth. Then she positioned herself between the fabric shower curtain and the clear plastic shower curtain so she could see me and continue to talk through my shower. She actually didn't care that I was not talking to her. She finally got bored about halfway through me washing my hair and left. Only to return and announce that Mason was awake. And to ask when I would be finished so I could fix her oatmeal. I asked if she woke him up and (of course) she said no. Yeah. Right.
Needless to say, this morning called for a Venti from the 'Bucks and I am feeling much more on top of things now. I can't wait until she is about 14 and sleeps until 1 pm. Can't. Wait.

Happy Tuesday

Well, for me, this "long weekend" was not nearly long enough. I'm trying to hang onto my vacation time until the house is finished so that I can take a week or so to move and all. And I have a week planned in August to go to Denmark with Brandon for a conference. But August is a LONG TIME. I so wanted to go to the beach this year but with the house and all, it just isn't a good time. So I guess now I will just have to look forward to the Fourth of July. Actually, the Third of July because that is when we are closed.
We had a pretty nice weekend. Saturday, I got a wild hair to go to the flea market. The kids and I packed up and headed out at about 10 Saturday morning. It would have been more fun if I had taken reinforcement. We'd been there about 10 minutes when Ellie announced she had to go to the bathroom. GAH! I wasn't even sure if there was a bathroom but if there was, I was pretty certain I didn't want her to use it. The crowd that the flea market draws is...um...interesting. So I rushed through a few more booths and we went to Kroger. Saturday afternoon, I got out a bucket (under bed Rubbermaid container) of water and water toys for them to plat with. I was certain they'd be entertained for hours so I could get a little sun. I think Mason played for about 5 seconds.
Sunday was church and kind of a lazy day. Yesterday, Brandon's mom and step-dad, John, stopped by on their way back home from a balloon race in Alabama. John is assisting with the electric for the house (hopefully) so he say down with us and we laid out fixtures and outlets and all things electric. Then yesterday afternoon, we went to my Nan's for my mom's birthday. When an announcement of a meal at "headquarters" is made, the troops come running. We had a big crowd: me, Brandon and kids, Biz and Tim, my parents, my Nan, and all of my mom's siblings and several of their kids. We played a couple of fun rounds of catch-phrase thanks to my cousin Shelby who does not travel without her catch phrase game! Then it was back to the farm.
When we were coming down the driveway I saw something laying in the field. At first we thought it was a giant groundhog. Then it got up and we realized it was a calf! So we have a new addition. I think that makes 22 in all. This particular calf seems to be a CLONE of his older brother "Tiny" who managed to escape pretty much every single for about 4 months straight. We named him Curly. I'll try to post pics soon.
We continue to make progress on the house. The masons came yesterday and dropped of a couple of guys who I guess are the schleppers. They built scaffolding and got all the bricks ready so that all the masons have to do is sit down and lay brick. Which is supposedly starting today but they were not there when I left. Although, this group happens to be from a locale just south of the border and they seem to operate on a little bit different clock than your typical construction crew. Arrive late and stay late. Hey, whatever gets the brick laid!

Boy Genius

I guess I am a bad blogger. I can't seem to find the time to keep up. Not that I don't want to blog. I certainly enjoy talking about myself and my family. Who doesn't, right? I just need a few more hours in the day.
I am happy to report that Mason is a genius. Ok, seriously...it hit me yesterday for the eleventy millionth time that the second child really gets the slight. Lately I have been thinking "well maybe Mason is just better with his motor development than Ellie was." Because, you see, when Ellie was 18 months old, I was ready to sign her up for toddler Jeopardy. She was (and still is) extremely bright. By 20 months, Ellie could spell her name and recognize the names of all her classmates. She knew her colors and was counting. But that's all really way above what a kid that age should do. So the fact that Mason wasn't doing that didn't concern me too much. On to yesterday...Ellie was counting in the car as she often does. And Mason started counting with her! She'd say 1-2...and he'd chime in 3 then she'd say 4 and he'd say 5! A genius!!! So here's where I feel guilty: How long has he been able to do this and I didn't know because I just didn't ask??? So you can be sure that drills will begin tonight on colors, numbers, shapes and letters. I kid!
Actually, Mason learns so much from having an older sister. And he is in the process of moving to a new classroom at school. He is moving to the "toddler room" where all the kids are between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. He is having a ball!
Ellie is doing really well. She is in constant limbo between tomboy and prissy pot. She gets so dirty at school that I think I might have to just throw her away and start over some days. But we painted her toes pink last night and she was THRILLED to wear flip flops today to show off her toes.
The house is coming along. I FINALLY settled on the kitchen design. It has been a stressful process. The kitchen is probably THE MOST important room to me in this house. I love to cook. I want plenty of prep space and I want it to be arranged well. The original design had space for the kitchen, breakfast area and a "keeping room" all in the same space. My plan was to have it all. I thought the keeping room would be a great space for comfortable seating and a tv. I envisioned kids doing homework while I cooked dinner and kept an eye on them. And you have to have a kitchen table, right? Well the Fields are joining the ranks of the new generation of bar eaters. We nixed the kitchen table! GASP! In the end, the keeping area was most important to me. When you entertain, everyone ends up in the kitchen, right??? I just think we will use it so much. But there just wasn't enough space to have it all without cramping it up and clogging doorways. We will have a nice bar and a dining room. And this way, we will hopefully use our dining room a little more. I'm happy with it and so is Brandon and that's what matters, right?
I do have new pics, but wouldn't you know I left the camera in the car. So I promise to update pictures later today.