More Field Trip Fun

Right across the street from the Nature Preserve where we picked raspberries, is another orchard with the best little play area for children. It is FREE (many of the large orchards here charge admission to play at the orchard - lame) and a wonderful little spot. We picked up some apple cider and spent a while with the animals before heading home.

Raspberry Picking

On Tuesday morning, we headed to Hastings with some friends in search of fresh raspberries. Once the oldest five left for school, I only had Calvin and one little boy during the day. These past three days have been blissfully less stressful (no infants) and though I will miss the income at the end of the week, I needed the relative rest.

We stopped at a nature center with apples, pumpkins and raspberries. The pumpkin patch was gorgeous - big fat orange pumpkins as well as acorn squash, butternut and Cinderella pumpkins.



Calvin found and caught this toad? frog? and wanted to bring it home for Sophie. I said no.


The raspberries were dark red, big and plump and I enjoyed eating them as much as picking them. Calvin would not eat them a single one, though he and Max finished an entire pint at dinner tonight!


Evi's basket always looked like this. She would pick six or seven, put them in her box and then eat them. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.


We took home three pints (at only $3 a pint they were quite a bargain!). The children inhaled one pint as soon as they were home from school. Max and Calvin got the other tonight (Sophie was on a play date) and the last pint I used for baking. More on that tomorrow!

Halloween Craft

Sophie helped me make a quick Halloween craft this week. We took this old yard sale wreath (that used to look like this) . . .


plopped it in the grass and spray painted it black (we now have a black ring in the grass that may or may not grow out before winter). Then we jammed in some Halloween looking orange picks and presto! Done.

Views from my Window with Dripping Blood

We've started decorating for Halloween. Have you?

Bowling Along

On Saturday I had three soccer games, one birthday party and one bowling event along with trips to the bank, Target, the library, TJMaxx (birthday gift), Michaels (Super Saturday supplies) and the grocery store. It was an all day in the car kind of day. Calvin is the child who had the bowling event with his soccer team. By the way, Calvin persists in his separate, not helpful soccer strategy - see below.


We have never been a bowling kind of family. I do not really know why, but I have never taken the kids bowling. Watching an entire roomful of 5 year olds bowl is a sight not to be missed. Calvin could barely carry the ball. He alternated between dropping it on the lane or heaving it overhead and chucking it like a basketball. The kids bowled at an average speed of about 3 miles an hour. Several times, the bowling staff had to go retrieve a ball that just stopped half way down the lane. It was really quite hysterical.

Maybe we'll have to become a bowling kind of family.

Pointy Needles and Bandaids

Yesterday morning I took all three kids in for the flu shot. I actually had to get two shots as a daycare provider. The nurse decided to give the shots from oldest to youngest. Turns out, this was not a good plan.

Sophie started screaming as soon as she saw the first needle. She kept screaming though both of my shots, Max's shot, her own shot and then continued screaming all the way through Calvin's shot. I had to physically hold down each and every kid. Perhaps having the children watch the shiny needle go into my arm was not the best strategy, nurse lady.

We have to go back in a month for H1N1 shots. That'll be fun.

Better Mistakes

Sunday evening I broke down and cried in front of my children.

Most of the time I pat myself for holding it together pretty well. I consider it an accomplishment that I get up and showered every morning, all of the kids are fed, get to school on time, the daycare is up and running, the house is staying relatively clean even as projects continue, I am still doing my calling at church (with more kids!) and the children and I have established a very good routine of reading scriptures and praying together on my bed every night. Keeping busy has always helped me to keep it together. I prefer to be busy.

On Sunday night though, it all caught up with me. My weeks are so packed now that I can only do errands on Saturdays which are also full of soccer games, birthday parties and other kid functions. That leaves Sunday after church for cleaning the entire house, catching up on laundry and making sure we are ready for the following week. I finally got the kids to sit down and start their homework that evening while I went through their folders. There were six separate checks that had to be written, forms to be filled out and children who were more inclined to poke each other than to actually write their assignments. I had come to the end of my patience. I found myself yelling at the kids to GET THEIR WORK DONE while I tried to clean the kitchen around them. That's when reality hit me.

This is going to be very hard. Being a single Mother is hard. Not having someone to support you as you try and do your best is hard. Knowing no one is going to walk through the door and take over so you can bury yourself under your covers and cry is hard. Knowing this is going to be your life from here on out is very, very hard.

I leaned against the counter as I thought about what a horrible Mother I was being by losing my temper and taking out the anger I feel toward this situation on them. They are not at fault and never were. As my tears came, one by one my children approached and embraced me. I have great kids. I worry constantly how all of this is affecting them and how it will affect them in the future. What scars will they take into future relationships? What examples do they have in their lives to guide them to become good, honest, caring individuals? What fears do they have? How do I become the Mother they need while dealing with the realities of life on my own? How do I get through Sunday nights and be ready to face another week in the morning?

I make mistakes. Sometimes I break down. I try my best. I love my children.

I'm going to make better mistakes tomorrow.

Friday Fieldtrip - on Thursday

On Thursday, "Sanity Saver Marsha" stopped by to help with the children. We decided to go on a field trip to Lebanon Hills Nature Center. We took the .5 mile hike around the lake - a slow hike with all of those short little legs, but beautiful.

This is the view of our favorite little beach from the other side.


We ran into several painters - the kids were impressed.


They were more impressed with the size of this horse poop.


We threw a lot of rocks into the water . . .


. . . found a hollow tree . . .


. . . again with the rocks . . .


. . . and ended our trip at the nature center kids play area. The guy on staff fed the painted turtle for the kids and gave us all free apples from a local orchard.


Thank you Marsha!

A Thank You

My Grandma Johnson is in the process of selling her home of 40 years in Pocatello and moving into an assisted living center in Idaho Falls. It is a difficult process. There are so many memories and friends she is leaving behind, but it is a good decision. She is 87 and my parents and her daughter and husband live in Idaho Falls. Moving means considerable downsizing and when we were in Idaho in August and visiting her home, she asked what I would like to take back with me.

I chose these butterflies. I remember being fascinated with them as a little girl. I remember thinking that the big shiny blue one was my favorite. The butterflies were a gift to my Grandma from my Father upon his return from his mission to Brazil. I also served a mission to Brazil which makes them even more precious to me. I hope they inspire little Sophie as they hang on the wall in her pink room. Thank you Grandma.

I'm So Glad I Got One

Thank heavens for little girls.

Views from my Window - and Front Door

The kids spend a lot of time making homes for Fluffy Cute McFuzzball.


Sophie found this little skeleton of something or other in the leaves. At some point I realize that this child is going to start trying to bring her little critters into my house. I do not look forward to this day.


I remember while growing up in Vermont, I found a frog and decided I needed to keep him in my room. My room was on the main level next to the orange office which was slated to become a bedroom as more children joined our family. I kept my frog hidden in a bucket under my bed (I can't even remember how I fed him - maybe I didn't, thus motivating the frog to flee) and one day the thing escaped. Too afraid to tell my Mother I had been hiding a frog in her house, I just searched on my own and then gave up. Months, maybe years? past and one day my Mother was moving a dresser in my room and found a black, dried and shriveled up frog hidden underneath. I can't remember her reaction, but I know what mine would be now!! Keep the creepy crawlies outside Sophie.