BOB

Apparently, we are stuck on chickens here in this household. Tonight's book was Bob by Tracey Campbell Pearson.

Bob has a problem. Living as he does among the chickens, all he can do is cluck. But Henrietta the cat sets him straight: "Bob.-You need to stop clucking and learn how to crow-.That's what roosters do." This advice sends him on a search among the animals of field and forest for one who will teach him to crow. Before he gets it right, Bob has learned to "meow-meow," "woof-wag," "ribbet-ribbet-hop-hop," "moooooo," and even "yum-yum-bugs" (a substitute for cud-chewing); but he finally meets Fred, a rooster who obliges with the proper lesson. Back in the henhouse, Bob is too excited to sleep, so he is wide awake when a fox comes in. His "cock-a-doodle-do" doesn't scare the villain, but the rest of his repertoire terrifies the intruder, particularly his "yum-yum-fox." From then on Bob wakes Henrietta and the girls each morning, either with "cock-a-doodle-do" or, if he feels like it, with "Meow-Woof Ribbet-Moooo Yum-Yum-Bugs!"

Just an ordinary day

Nothing new to report today. The boys played, I did whatever it is I do when I am home all day. I don't know how the whole day goes by and I have no clue what all I did even though I know I was busy all day! Deniska weathered the yellow jacket sting and seems to be doing better with this sting than in the past. His arm is still red, warm to the touch, and slightly swollen. I have kept him on Benadryl today.

Our book for today was: Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman. It's Nikolai's favorite book. Out of the chicken coop rush a crowd of helpful hens, ready to do their rescue for each day of the week. On Monday, clad in diving gear, swim suits, etc. they retrieve Farmer Greenstalk's watch from the well. On Tuesday, they take over the kitchen to make dinner for his tired wife. When the dog eats young Jeffrey's book report due Wednesday, it's a flurry of researching and typing to save the day. Thursday, the runaway truck requires rescue; Friday it's the cow; Saturday the sheep. Each rescue is frantic, funny, and a little wild. So the chickens have earned their Sunday rest. The salivating pigs happily on their way to do the clean-up of Emily's spilled cereal add a final laugh.

Poor baby!

My little Deniska got stung by a "HUGE" yellow jacket tonight as he was digging in the dirt. He's been working on this particular hole for several weeks now. The boy loves to dig in the dirt. He came running the house holding his arm and crying. Poor little thing was so scared. I applied a baking soda paste, gave him a Benadryl (I need to buy stock in this company), put ice on his arm, held, and rocked him for several hours. He was feeling better by the time he went to bed. I really think he gives off some invisible yellow jacket radar which attracts the yellow jackets to him. He is always the one to get stung. Nikolai even prayed for God to make Deniska feel better. This is significant since Nikolai rarely concerns himself with Deniska's feelings. He really loves his brother but won't admit it for anything! It's been a good day today, with the exception of the sting.



Our book for today was Duck at the Door by Jackie Urbanovic.
When his flock migrates south for the winter, Max opts to stay behind—and quickly regrets it. Luckily, Irene and her pets live nearby in a cozy house, so the quirky duck makes himself right at home for the season, and proves to be a bit of a pest. Just when everyone has had their fill of Max's favorite TV shows, blanket hogging, and experimental cuisine, spring arrives, and he leaves to reunite with his flock—and, naturally, the entire household feels his absence.
This was a great book on teaching how each of us are special in our own way and the value of friendship. It's been my favorite book of the summer, maybe that's because I love ducks!

Boys!

I took this picture of Nicholas because he was being so funny and I needed a laugh. Today has not been a great day with the boys. They have been cranky and I hate being the bad mom, but sometimes you just have to let them know you mean business. Nikolai has had 2 time-outs and it's not even mid-afternoon. He is back to his normal, grouchy self. *sigh* Deniska was weepy today. He cried because I told him not to make fun of his brother at lunch. I don't think they are getting enough sleep. Tonight will be an early bedtime to see if we can remedy that problem. Still, all in all, they are good boys. They both helped me clean the house this morning and they do an excellent job. I can't complain.

Our book for today was Before You Were Mine by Maribeth Boelts. In "this book a boy wonders and questions what his dog’s life was like before he found his new forever home. Was the dog well taken care of, do his old owners miss him, did he get lost or was he given up? This charmingly illustrated book gently teaches children how a pet should be cared for and shows the good that can be done by rescuing a pet." This book is one of the South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominees 2009/2010.

Not rocket science

I spent the afternoon programming the boys TV for parental controls. It took longer than I thought it would. They have been good to leave the TV on the channel/show that I picked out, but recently I caught Nikolai changing channels as I walked in. Hmm, perhaps more sneaky than I thought. So, I just sat down and put those parental control on tight. I am sure this will not go over well when Nikolai starts to change channels. Tomorrow, I am investigating parental controls for the Internet for Deniska. Too much evil out there not to put some safety nets in place.

Feeling better and rice bags

My friend, Weezie, suggested I make Nikolai a rice bag to go into the microwave to hold on his ear. So, I did. I always keep rice bags in the freezer but I didn't think that would be good to go straight into the microwave. I used one of Dennis' socks. Nikolai said it made his ear feel better. I did actually get him to eat a piece of toast and drink some grape juice today. That's an improvement from yesterday.

Still sick and no sleep

Nikolai nor I slept at all last night. He was up all night with his earache and apparently wanted me up too. There's nothing worse for a mother than not being able to take away pain for her child. He slept (or rather I should say, he stayed with me) in bed last night. He is so pitiful with his ear. He finally went to sleep this morning about 5 AM, was up at 8:30 AM, I gave him his medicine and he is sleeping now, finally. He hurts so much he just makes little noises. This is not my active little boy who is very verbal and expressive. The doctor said he should feel better in 3 days. I hope so; I hate to see him in so much pain. Please say a prayer for him that he will feel better soon!

Sick Day

Nikolai started complaining late last night with an earache. This morning he told me that he needed to go to the doctor. Since my boys never complain, if they say they need to go, we go. We read this book this morning, thinking it might take his mind off his earache. He gave it a 3 out of 5 stars. Never mind it is an award winning book with this synopsis: When Librarian Molly McGrew drove her bookmobile into the zoo all the animals went wild about books. This story in rhyme is funny to read aloud and fun to look at.

I think he is just sick. He's been in bed all day. He won't even argue with his brother or roll his eyes and stomp off. I worry about him when he's sick! So, at 2 PM today, we are off to see the doctor!

UPDATE:

We are back from the doctor. By the time we got there, Nikolai was running a fever of 102.2. The doctor gave him an antibiotic and ear drops. No swimming for a whole week! He is already feeling better.

Driveway finished

The driveway is finally finished with the quarry dust. After it rains a few times, the driveway will be solid and not dusty. I can hear thunder in the background. It's cool outside and dark. I wish it would rain to cool things off.

Happy Birthday Mama

Today, my Mama would have been 89 years old; she was born July 6, 1920. I lost my mother to Alzheimer's on December 27, 2007. I want to celebrate her life instead of her death. I know she is happy today celebrating her birthday in Heaven with my daddy and two of my brothers.

We read this at her funeral and it truly describes her. Mama was the Proverbial woman:

When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands.
Like merchant ships, she secures her provisions from afar.
She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household.
She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms.
She enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.
She fears not the snow for her household; all her charges are doubly clothed.
She makes her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing.
Her husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land.
She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts.
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come.
She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel.
She watches the conduct of her household, and eats not her food in idleness.
Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her:
"Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all."
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

~Proverbs 31:10-31

Happy July 4th from our family!

Trimmer

I bought myself a new toy today - a Black & Decker HT2000 Hedge Trimmer. It comes equipped with a long 20-inch blade, fully assembled, and ready to use! I've already make quick work of a hedge of bushes between my house and Mama's house. Granted, it probably won't get used daily but it will be great when I need it. It's really easy to use and light weight. I wish I had bought one years ago! Being a country girl, I totally appreciate good tools! Now, to buy a tractor with a bush hog...

Yardwork - Day 2

All the bushes are gone! Rob did such a good job. Tomorrow, he will weed-eat the stragglers and we will work at taking off all that was cut down. I want to get something to kill the roots and then plant some rose bushes. After that, we will mulch. It's all coming together. It looks so much better!

Yardwork

Dennis and I are doing some things to our yard since nothing has been done in many years. This morning we had gravel put down on our driveway. This time we are using quarry dust and hope to be satisfied with the results. I don't care to have a concrete or asphalt driveway. I like gravel driveways. I think it goes with my home.

My best friend's son, Rob, started pruning our out of control bushes. He is such a nice young man. He is going to come back every morning until we get everything done. Maybe I should just adopt him!

This afternoon, I sprayed Round-up on every leaf that looked like poison oak or poison ivy. I don't like to use Round-up because it is a poison. However, I think getting rid of the poison ivy/oak is more important, especially with 2 little boys.

We have a long way to go and I think by the end of summer, we may have our yard in shape again. It's a really big yard with lots of opportunities to make it into something special. I would like to put out a few benches, or a rock garden, a water fountain, etc.... I could go on and on!

2 boys + 1 truck = FUN!

The boys wanted to go camping last night, so I let them. They pulled the patio chair cushions into the bed of the truck, (along with water, a flashlight, food, tissues, a trash can, pillows, blankets, and an assortment of other items) and made a nice, comfy bed. They were parked in the driveway, but you would have thought they were in the wilderness. First, they wanted to look at the stars, then they heard sounds in the woods (we live in a rural area), and then they could not settle down. Deniska said that Nikolai kept squirming around and kept the light on. Finally, after the 100th trip in the house, their daddy told them to go to sleep. They had a good time on their camping trip! It was a really hot day yesterday and I don't think they were prepared for it to be so cool in the morning. They were ready to come in and warm up!

Nikolai has been a grouch today. I don't think that he handles changes very well. Deniska asked if he could just go by himself tonight to camp since Nikolai was not a good camping buddy. I am thinking we need to look into buying them a sturdy tent to put up outside. I don't think their daddy wants to keep sharing his truck with the two campers!

Shady Businesss

My sliding glass doors have been my nemesis ever since we moved into this house. It gets full sun from noon until sunset. It faces West, so it's hot sun. When we had shutters put in, the shutter guy did not have anything to offer us. Then, Dennis read you could put aluminum foil up to stop the heat. Needless to say, I did not want to use aluminum foil, it's expensive! I started looking at awnings but they were at least $1,000. I just did not want to spend that much money.

When I was at Big Lots last Friday, I saw these matchstick shades (or is it call broom stick shades, I can't ever remember.) They were the perfect size, so I bought 2 sets for $5 each. The one on the main door worked like a charm. The other side was more of a problem. I could not leave the hardware and bamboo sticks on the non-movable side. So, I took off all the hardware and begin to think how I could attach it to the glass. (Dennis, being funny, suggested that since I was from the South to just use Duct tape! Very funny Dear! He's a city boy and doesn't know any better.) Then, the idea came to me to use velcro. I hot glue the edges to make it the right size to fit the glass. I attached the shade with velcro circles to the glass at the top and the bottom. This will make it easy to remove should we wish to do that. I think it turned out very nicely. My friend, Tammy, suggested I use a table umbrella on the patio to stop the sun in the afternoons. It works like a charm. Now we will have a nice cool kitchen thanks to shades, an umbrella, and thinking outside the box.

Dennis and I are really fond of our new shades in the kitchen. I think it makes all the difference in the world.

Dennis with the Bishop of Charleston

Dennis had his picture taken with Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone, Diocese of Charleston, while attending the 2009 Marian Conference in Greenville, SC. The conference was held at the Peace Center in Greenville on June 26th-27th. Dennis had a wonderful time hearing God's word and listening to all the speakers. He is already making plans to attend next year!

Coming clean....

I woke up in a cleaning mood this morning. I want to wash all the woodwork in the house. It has little finger prints everywhere. I also want to mop the whole house and get it nice and clean in time for the 4th. I went to Big Lots, my favorite store of late, and bought cleaning supplies. I bought:

1. a tool box step stool (with 2 steps)
2. Mr. Clean Angle broom with dustpan (this will stay in the laundry room where the cat litter is)
3. 2 roll-up matchstick blinds for the patio doors
4. a new pack of kitchen sponges
5. 409
6. Mr. Clean Magic erasers (4 pack)
7. sponge caddy
8. shoe bag for the closet that will hold 10 pair of shoes
9. a purse organizer for the closet that will hold 8 purses
10. a wooden shelf for my bathroom that fits over the sink
11. spray paint (to paint the blinds and shelf)

I am all set now to clean and organize to my heart's content. The boys will help me clean. They always volunteer to go outside and play! Silly boys! I can't complain though, they are good little helpers.

First Jon & Kate, and now Mark

It's hard for me to watch a marriage fall apart in front of my eyes. I watched the much acclaimed Jon & Kate show and felt sorry for both of them. I did not feel sorry that they made bad decisions but felt sorry for them in dealing with bad decisions and for their kids. Little did I know it would come home more personal to me with our governor, Mark Sanford. Governor Stanford has been "missing" for 5 days supposedly on a hiking trip. Dennis and I knew that something was up for one does not miss Father's Day to go hiking, especially with 4 children. Add to that late night rides without his usual security and you have problems. Today, in a press conference, he admitted to having an affair and resigned as the president of the Republican Governors Association.

Now I know that the Democrats will have a field day with this. And true, it was irresponsible to leave his state unattended. I am not a fan of Governor Stanford, he hates public education and makes no bones about it at all. I thought he made a fool of himself over the stimulus package. I don't think he is a good governor. But, I do not relish in his personal troubles. My heart goes out to him during this time. He has hurt so many people with his lies and unfaithfulness. Seems like corruption goes along with power. We see this even in the Bible with David, who was a man after God's own heart. I have chosen to pray for Governor Sanford instead of gloating in his failure. I pray for forgiveness from his wife, his children, his family, his state. I pray for reconciliation with his family. I pray he turns to the Lord during this time and straighten out his heart. Most of all, I pray for him to have peace as he tries to rebuild his life.

Happy Birthday Dennis!

This is from 2005 when we went to Hawaii. I selected this picture today because is encapsulates all the things about my husband that I love. Dennis is a Godly man who loves his wife and children above anything. He provides for us and he protects us. He is not afraid of a challenge and loves adventure. He is the spiritual leader of our home - he practices what he preaches. He is a man of deep faith in God. He has given me children and taken me to see the world. I have traveled to far away countries and experienced life outside of my comfort zone. I cannot imagine my life without my husband who is also my best friend. I love you Dennis more than you will ever know (even when you mess up my TV recordings by playing with the remote!)

Happy Birthday! I hope we have many more together in good health!! Cards from the boys. Hmmm, looks like Deniska needs help with spelling 'Birthday'.

And, here's Dennis with a big piece of his birthday cake - coconut! One of his favorites!