Odds and Ends

What I would really like right now is an icy frappuccino (no idea how to spell that).  I tried one a couple of weeks ago and ever since, hot coffee on a summer afternoon has no appeal to me.  Iced coffee, on the other hand, perfect.  It's a good thing Starbucks does not have a drive thru.  I will not drag four children in just to indulge myself so it's ice water for me.  Healthier anyway.
This week is Summer Bible Camp, our church's VBS.  One morning down, four to go.  All the kids seemed to have a great time.  I'm the only one that seems tired...
We just got an old piano, for free!  I am excited about it but am wondering how to make it work in this room.  We'll have to do some more rearranging, which I like but am not particularly good at.
One story:
Last night I reminded Jack to brush his teeth just as he had settled down with a book.  He only had a few minutes until lights out.
"Mom!  Reading time is precious!"
Tell that to the dentist, I thought.

Hope you have a relaxing afternoon!

Chatterbox

When I was little I had a t-shirt with a picture of a television on it.  The t.v. had a big happy face on it and under it, the word "Chatterbox."  Apparently I was one.  
I think we have another one in the making.
Here's a sample of what we've heard this week from Lucy:
"I want more milk."
"I see Grandpa."  (looking at a picture)
"I sit here."  (while at Custard Corner eating ice cream)
"I want banana please."
This is in addition to her normal jabbering.
Give the girl a calculator, and she's got a cell phone.  Talks and talks.
Turn on some music, and she's singing.  No music?  She's still singing.
I know I'm her mama but I'm pretty impressed.

Getting a Taste

Those popsicles are looking pretty good.

Just a taste...

...one more...

Could she ask for a better big sister?

Blueberries and Swings

We found a new blueberry farm this week.  The kids and I picked well over a gallon of blueberries.  I'm not sure how many Lucy ate along the way but it was plenty.  We're getting a head start on freezing berries for the winter.
There were also snap peas so we got a lot of those as well.  Amazing how much better food tastes right off the bush!
It seems like the kids have spent the rest of their time out on the new playset- for which we are most thankful.

What else would you do on a swing besides read a good book?

A perfect place for an icy cold popsicle.

Grandma and Hummingbirds

I can't look at our hummingbird feeder without thinking of my Grandma Pearl.  I don't know if she always had several feeders hanging by her front porch but I know she did when I was a teenager and an early twenty-something.  She loved those birds.  There weren't just a couple of birds.  There were a good  15 at least.  It seemed they were constantly darting around, fighting each other for some of that sweet water.  Their humming was a dull background noise to our porch conversations.  Once, when the evenings were turnning cool, too cool for  a little bird who had hung around too late in the season, Grandma found it outside and brought it in the house to warm.  It did warm up and spent the night inside with her and Papa.  She sent it on its way the next morning.  I think she loved that.
Recently she said to me, "Remember when you used to be afraid of those little birds?"
Those little birds that fluttered about a little too aggressively for me?
I had forgotten that.
Now, we don't have near as many hummingbirds at our feeder but we still love to watch, waiting for a glimpse of just one, maybe two.

Little Treats

Sometimes...it's not easy being the little brother.

Sometimes...you need a little treat, just you and mom.

In secret.

The Watching

"The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow."  Unknown

Why is it that the best part of having a garden is in the watching?

The everyday looking to see what's new, what's grown since yesterday, what needs doing today.

That familiar, "Let's go check out the garden."

It's one of our favorite things to do.