Buffalo Float Trip

The boys floated and camped on the Buffalo again over Labor Day weekend.  It was probably their last trip of this year.  We pretty much take a hiatus from outdoor activities once the temps drop down into the fifties.  We watched Deliverance a few nights before they left because B is kinda messed up like that.  I always forget how much I hate that movie!  About a week later I had a creepy dream about B, a murder, and the Rapala fishing line clippers he always wears around his neck while fishing.  It was super weird.  It's crazy how our minds work. 

B only supplies me with a small number of photos from each trip so these are what I have to share.

This is right before they headed out.  M was more excited than he looks.  It was around 4am so I think he was just ready to get in the truck and go back to sleep.  I was ready to get back in bed too...but we paparazzi do what we gotta do.   


 

I didn't realize how pretty this pic was until I posted it here.  I guess this makes the pre dawn wake up call worth it.  Sort of. 

 



Of course there were lots of fish to be caught.

And apparently a bit of Putin-esque posing for the camera.  ;)  Do you spy the clippers?  Hint: They look like a whistle.

Ole Blue had a little issue when the outfitter went to shuttle her down to the take out point.  The voice mail the guy left on B's phone was so funny.  It was something like Hey Brent this is ____.  Just wanted to let you know we have a small problem with your truck.  We got a little way out and the u-joint fell off.  No big deal, we were able to get it back here to the store.  Just give me a call when you get in and we'll send someone down to get you.  Anyway, nothing to worry about.  Have a good time on the river.  Hahaha.  B did end up being able to drive Ole Blue home.  He just had to keep her in four wheel drive (yes it was as long a trip as you might be imagining).  Now she's sportin' a fancy new u-joint and running like new.  Except, she's old. 

 

Speaking of old...B's birthday is this Sunday!!  For twenty three days he'll be my senior.  Hehe.  We have some fun stuff planned for him.

 

Talk to ya soon,

Angie 



First Grade and Other Firsts

This is the first time I've blogged in more than a month.  Maybe even closer to two months.  M started school the first of August.  That means I had to get back in the swing of doing a whole slew of things I am none too fond of...waking early, helping with homework, waiting in car rider lines, preparing healthy-ish dinners/breakfasts/snacks (it's no secret I struggle here), making sure my boy bathes and goes to bed before midnight every night.  The list could go on and on.  This girl needed a few days a week a month a couple of months to adjust, but I feel like I'm back on track now.  Lucky y'all.

Even though I'm back on the wagon as far as our daily schedule goes, my head is still a little full right now, so I decided to just share some various FIRSTS that have happened 'round these parts. 

First Grade.  It's going great.  M loves school.  Hallelujah.  His reading improved drastically over the summer.  We are to the point now he can read his books aloud to me and I don't have to lord over him while he agonizing attempts to sound out each...and...every... word.  It's a beautiful thing.  He has been reading to Ellie some at night.  He also recently asked for a Junie B. Jones book.    I know I know....that's probably more of a girl thing.  But he wants to read them, and if I'm being honest I would absolutely love to read all of them to him! 

First Day...First Grade

First gymnastics lesson.  E has been asking to go to gymnastics for months and I finally got around to getting her signed up.  She is all about it.  It's funny to watch her because she has the unfortunate trait of being one of those who think they are a lot better than they really are.  Haha.  She is going to a gym that I went to when I was a little girl, and it is seriously almost exactly the same as it was twenty years ago.  I had to stop and think for a sec because...twenty years...good lawd...is it even possible that it was twenty years ago?!?!  Unfortunately, it was twenty years ago, and the gym is very much the same.  E even gets to jump into the same big pit full of foam that I used to!  I'm hoping it's not actually the same foam, but let's not think on that too long.  :/  She also got to start AWANA cubbies...finally.  She has wanted to go almost every Weds night for the past three years with her brother.  You can tell in the pic how excited she is.

First golf lesson.  M is taking golf lessons this Fall.  Funny story about one of his lessons.  The other kids were all talking about Tiger Woods (M has no clue who TW is).  At the last hole M was the only one who didn't drive his ball into the trees that line the fairway.  When they got in the car to go home M says to B, "Daddy I was the only one who didn't hit my ball into the Tiger Woods."  Hahaha.  I like to call the below pic of the little taters The Getaway.  They had both just grabbed some random golf balls out of an unattended bucket and chucked them onto the range.  Then they turned and ran.  Those two may not be PGA material. :)  

First chore charts.  Chore charts are now officially in effect in the House of Farrer, and so far so good.  M is getting .10 per chore (except dishes...he negotiated a higher rate based on it being a bigger job) and the little taters are happy with stickers.  I can definitely see how this whole chore thing could work out in my favor as they get older.  ;)  Notice there are three chore charts.  Yes, that means even the tyrant tater has a chore chart.  I've found he is perfectly capable of being responsible for his own shoes, clothing, laundry, and toy cleanup.

Result of the tyrant tater attempting to do laundry.  Maybe next year...

First successful potty attempt for the tyrant tater.  I don't think an illustration would be appropriate.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  He is starting to toilet train.  He has only has one actual success, but he likes trying.  Yay!  Doesn't TT look big (and a wee bit ornery) in this pic?!





 First red lipstick.  Shout out to myself.  I've always wanted to try red lipstick but never thought it would look good on me.  Well, almost thirty three years in I decided I may as well try it.  The result, I like it.  This is a pic of the first day I wore it out of the house.  I cracked the screen on my phone so now I have the benefit of a hassle free watermark (sort of) on every photo I take.  Pretty handy if I do say so myself.  Plus, I like the artsy flair it adds.  Glass half full folks.  Anyway...back to the lipstick.  For anyone out there who has been wanting to try red but can't quite commit I would advise you to consider the wise lyrics of Yo Gabba Gabba...Try it.  You'll like it.  Try It.  You're gonna like it.   

 First weekend of the new shift.  B's shift changed last week, and for the first time in over a year he will be off on Saturday and Sunday nights!  We are pretty pumped.  Sunday he was able to come have dinner at his parents with us. We look forward to spending our weekends with him again!

 

First ice cream cones.  Just kidding.  If you know me at all you know I'm a huge advocate for early childhood ice cream introduction.  Studies (my own personal) show ice cream makes kids happier and increases the potential for a quiet fit free car ride.  ;)       

 

Talk to ya soon,

Angie











I'm Back

I'm back!!  I've been busy having lots of Summer fun with my crew.  We've taken a couple of trips, swam a lot ( I actually have a bit of a tan for the first time in years), been to the bike trail a few times, stayed up way too late, and eaten lots of ice cream. 

Oh, and...one of the taters peed on the couch his/her bed and my bed within a twenty four hour period.  Another tater pooed in his/her bed one afternoon.  Yet another tater threw up on the same couch that had previously been peed on (sit on the couch at your own risk in my home folks).  The heating element in my dryer went out.  My washer started leaking water. I slept on just a mattress for a few nights due to above mentioned excessive peeing plus broken washer/dryer.  The tyrant tater decided he doesn't want to go to bed until after midnight every night, and that's only if I lay down with him.  So I've also been busy just taking care of business 'round here.  I am, however, very grateful for the furniture we have to be peed on/in and for the ability to do laundry in the comfort of my own home.  :)  I am also grateful beyond measure for a MIL who volunteers to take sick taters for the night so their mommy can rest.  Yes, she really did do that.  Isn't she wonderful? 

Anywho, July is getting away from me (or I guess has pretty much already gotten away from me) and I wanted to post a few photos of our July 4th trip before I completely forget it ever happened.

We went to Lake Ft Smith the weekend after July 4th.  B's parents kept the tyrant tater for us so we could take the boat and actually get to spend some time on the lake.  He was also just getting over his ear infection so he wasn't exactly vacation ready yet.  We stayed in a cabin at the LFS state park.  It was one of the nicest state park cabins we have stayed in.  B said they were brand new in March of this year.  We ate all of our meals outside and had smores every night.  I may have even said something crazy like I never want to see a smore again before we left.  I totally take that back now. 





We were able to spend an entire day on the lake fishing and swimming.  This was E's first time out in the boat for an extended time and she did great.  I thought she would get bored, but she was really into the fishing.  She is a girl after her daddy's heart.  M is not so into the fishing so he alternated between swimming, asking when he could swim again, and asking to drive the boat most of the day.  I am not a fan of swimming in lakes so I only got in with him for a second.  It creeps me out not being able to see what's below me.  Ever seen River Monsters or heard of the Loch Ness Monster?  I'm not taking any chances.

They had a nice pool at the park so we spent some time there too.  One evening the Farrer's brought TT down to visit and ate dinner with us.  I was happy to see him.  It's always hard for me to be away from the taters even though I know they are getting the best possible care from their grands.  

Hello TT!

 M got into his first scuffle at the park playground with a boy who had quite the little mouth.  I knew M meant business when he said That's it...no more mister nice guy.  Bahaha.  Such a funny boy.  They ended up on the ground and B went over to break it up.  You know, we didn't want the other boy getting hurt or anything. ;)  As he was walking over the boys dad kept repeating you've done it now...his daddy's coming over. I am not sure what he was implying B would do?  We laughed about it afterward.   

 

 This is what the taters looked like about five minutes after we got in the truck to head home.  That truck, by the way, had no air conditioning.  I just wanted to point that out so you could appreciate my suffering and sacrifice.  Not only did I have to ride in Ole Blue all the way to Lake Fort Smith, but I had to do it with no air conditioning, in July.  We rolled the windows down and it is probably a miracle no one passed out from the exhaust fumes.  Ole Blue is a looker, but she's just...well...Ole. 

 That's all I've got for now.  Actually I have lots more but school starts tomorrow so I need to get in bed.  I have to get this party crack-a-lackin early tomorrow morning.  First grade waits for no tired momma. 

 

Talk to ya soon,

Angie

 

Fireworks Fail 2013

Well fireworks didn't turn out to be as much of a hit as I had hoped this year.  I mentioned in my last post that we had plans to go to a show as a family last Wednesday.  That morning the tyrant tater was diagnosed with a double ear infection that almost put the kibosh on our plans, but Meemaw volunteered to watch him so we could still go.  Yay for Meemaws!  They sort of rock.   

Poor TT was so not in a firecracker mood.  :(

The rest of us loaded up and headed to Beverly.  Hills that is.  Not really.  We headed to the Loch Lomond dam in Bella Vista.  I'm just corny and watched a few too many Beverly Hillbillies episodes when I was a little.  That was back in the eighties before folks knew it wasn't good for kids to just sit around and watch TV all day.  The taters have been watching Lion King on repeat lately and just now while typing the words when I was little I heard Pumba singing when I was a young warthog in my head.  Mom brain please go away.  You are so embarrassing.  Anyway, we met up with my parents and my brother before the show.  We had lots of snacks, cousins to play with, and plenty of sparklers.  The first pic below is way before the show, but M already has his ear muffs on.  I forgot to get the actual gun range ear muffs from the house, so I just gave him the headphones from the dvd in the Mothership.  I was banking on placebo effect here but it didn't really work like I wanted it to.       



Everything went swimmingly for awhile...and then the fireworks show started.  Almost immediately the exorcism of Ellie Rose occurred.  Her screams could be heard above all the explosions.  Around this same time M realized he wasn't  really wearing real noise blocking ear muffs and basically said the jig is up I'll be in the car.  So him and E both sat in the car with Nanny for the entire show.  I was scared to death of fireworks when I was little and to be completely honest I'm still not much of a fan today.  I just don't like the loud booms and the smoky smell makes me sneeze.  Waa waa waa.  Point is, I get where the taters are coming from.  Fireworks just aren't all they're cracked up to be.  :).  B on the other hand loves fireworks and doesn't understand why everyone else doesn't love them too.

I don't wanna hear no hatin' on fireworks.

Just kidding.  He could take em or leave em.  I took the above pic while he was pretending to act cranky and telling me to quit taking photos of the fireworks show.  I put the camera down, but now regret that I don't have any pretty firework pics to post. Boo. 

 

B worked the next night which was actually the July 4th.  E was with Meemaw and M was with Nanny.  Have I mentioned how much help I get with the taters?  It is a such a huge blessing to have grandparents close by.  There were a lot of fireworks being shot off in our hood that evening and they were making TT (and maybe me) a little jiggy.  I loaded him and the dog up and drove around for awhile in an attempt to get away from all the noise.

This seemed like a good plan, but it ended being a little hard to drive around because people were shooting fireworks all over the place.  Like on every street in town.  At one point I thought someone shot one at/toward the Mothership, so I decided we should take shelter at the nearest Sonic for awhile.  Half price shakes in no way influenced my decision.  ;)  By the time we got home things had settled down and TT was able to hit the hay (trying to stick with my BHB theme here folks).  My mom and sister had taken M to fireworks down town that evening and sent me the below picture. 

My sister said she couldn't get him out of the car long enough to get a better one.  Still being out of the car at all is a marked improvement over past years.  At this point, my goal is for each of the taters to be able to sit outside and watch fireworks with no ear muffs/plugs and no crying by the age of eighteen.  I like to set realistic goals.  I think we can get there.   :)

 

That pretty much sums up, in way too many words, how we spent our July 4th.  Hope you and yours had a happy 4th celebrating our great nation!

 

Talk to ya soon,

Angie 





My 5 Favorite Running Songs

Just kidding folks.  If you clicked on this link and seriously thought this was going to be a post about songs I listen to while running then there are a couple of things you should know about me.  1)  I don't run.  I occasionally like to think about running, and even purchase clothing I can see myself running in.  However, the actual running never comes to fruition.  2)  I don't listen to music.  Really, I don't.  I don't have an iPod.  I don't have a Spotify, Pandora, or iTunes account.  I am just not a music person.  I know it's hard to comprehend.  B still struggles with it from time to time.  Now that we've cleared those things up I will ramble on (in my normal fashion) for awhile about what we did this weekend.

Friday morning we met some friends at the splash pad down town.  We've been there a lot this Summer.  I ran into so many people while we were there.  Some who I hadn't seen in a long time.  I am going to have to start hanging out there more often.  More bro and SIL were eating lunch at the taco cart across the street so we got to say hi to them too.

M did a Trike Theatre camp all last week, and they put on a play for the parents on Friday afternoon.  They performed Paul Bunyan.  It was so fun and M had a blast.  Nanny, Ali, and Meemaw all came to watch.

Friday night we hung out at home and had some fun in the sprinkler.  Also something we have been doing a lot of this Summer.  I think our water bill is going to be outrageous.  The kids can and do turn the water spigot on themselves, but they aren't the best at remembering to turn it off.  :/  Oh well, I'm sure someday I'll wish there were kids around to run up my water bill.  Ok, maybe not.  I sort of see myself as a GET OFF MY LAWN type of older person.  Hehe. 

I love this pic! 

Saturday the taters and I went to watch our friend L's baseball game.  He is on one of the Bentonville all-star teams.  When I told M that L was on the all-star team he asked if we could go watch one of his games.  Then he proceeded to ask me what an all-star team was and if I could sign him up for one.  This boy has not one competitive bone in his sweet little body.  We washed the car on the way home, and I took the pic below while we were in the wash.  My babies hate the car wash!  They will only tolerate it if I give them a big blanket to put over their heads.  Ha.  I promise I try to wash the car when they aren't with me, but they are with me most of the time.  Sometimes it just has to happen! 

Saturday evening we went to my bro's house for a cookout.  He is the bestest cook.  If Erob ever invites you for dinner make sure to accept the invitation.  I promise you will not be disappointed.  And my SIL can boil a mean corn on the cob.  Seriously, she has a very specific secret method that works every time.  ;)

Sunday B came to his parents house to have lunch with us, which is rare.  We like having him around on Sunday afternoons.  He just bid for next years schedule and he will finally be off on Sundays.  Woohoo!  September can't get here soon enough.  The littler taters spent some time running around outside and playing in the water after lunch.  Water seems to be a major theme for us this Summer.





B went to work early Sunday evening, M stayed with the grandparents, and R napped.  E and I spent some quality time reading, watching Franny's Feet (my new fav kids show), and taking selfie pics.  This girl is so fun.  :) 





After nap time the little taters helped me pickup the 4000 count BB's M had spilled in the fort earlier this week.  Note to self...enlisting a two and a three year old to help you pickup BB's and put them in a small container is not a smart move.  We spilled them twice while we were picking up and basically had to start over both times.  But look at these smiles...they were happy to be helping. 

M decided to stay and go to the fireworks at church with Meemaw and Papaw.  He told me when he got home that he actually really liked them this year and that he even took his ear muffs off once.  After baths we heard some folks in the neighborhood shooting fireworks so R, E, and I climbed up in the fort and watched for awhile.  They also seemed to like them, and were not scared at all.  I think we may have turned over a new page with the fireworks this year folks.  We are all going to a show on Wednesday night so we'll see what happens. 

 Looking forward to a short week!!

 

Talk to ya soon,

Angie