Are You Ready for Some Football??

What is a dad to do when he has two tickets to one of the biggest games of the season?  And four kids?  And one wife?  We agonized for over a week about which kid would be able to go.  Of course, I could have gone.  But, going to the games isn't for me anymore.  I like the comforts of my own house where I can scream and yell and cheer on the team with my family.

This was a great opportunity and it came down to reverse birth order.  Yup, that's right.  Reverse birth order.  Boop had been to a game with daddy the year before.  So, it only made sense for Little Mama to go.  Which worked out pretty well.  She was willing to pay her siblings money that she has been saving for a possible missions trip in order to go!  She wanted to go that bad.

Boop and Nature Girl were good sports.  They didn't whine or complain at all!  We spent the whole night watching the game on the TV trying to find them.  Sissy was at the game and able to find them and hang out a little bit at half time.  And, they saw a bunch of kids from our church Youth Group selling peanuts there.

It was one of the most exciting games.  Ever.  So glad my Little Mama and her daddy got to share it together. . . . 

Book Club - Farmer Boy

The past few weeks we have been reading Farmer Boy.  Boop and EG are really enjoying it.  I try to read about a chapter a day and they usually ask for more.  There are so many interesting chores etc. in the book. Like making candy and ice cream and butter.  Or storing food.  Things, nowadays, we take for granted.

A few weeks ago, while we were reading the book, we ran across the chapter where the author describes how a farm family back in the 1800s would keep ice frozen throughout the summer.  They go to a frozen over lake, cut out chunks of ice and then place it in an ice house and pack it hard with sawdust.  And, supposedly, it would keep ice frozen throughout the summer.

So, I got this great idea for book club to give it a try.  The night before book club, hubby sawed some wood so we could get a bunch of sawdust.  The next morning we got a container, placed sawdust on the bottom of the container, placed some ice in the container and packed a bunch of sawdust around it.  We filled the container over the top so when the top was place on, it packed the sawdust down even more.

Then we took it to the park during lunch time and book club time.  After lunch and presentations, we unpacked the ice.  And it was still frozen.  Not the least bit melted.  The sawdust was not at all moist.  I really had been doubtful that it would work.  But it did!  I realize this was just a couple of hours but I was amazed but the outcome.  As were the kids.

We had another family rig up a plastic glove and a bucket and they demonstrated how a cow is milked.  The kids had a blast doing that!  The ended up with milk everywhere.  It was fun to recreate how some of the chores were done back then.  A new appreciation for a freeze and gallon of milk!

I am thinking we might try making butter next. . . .

Sawdust in the bottom of the container.

Ice in the container.

Container packed full of sawdust.

After we checked if it had melted, we took the sawdust covered piece of ice out and let it melt in the sun.

"Training" So Far

So, I am in about the fourth month of training for my half marathon in February.  I know they have a couch to 1/2 in like 12 weeks or something.  But, I have learned, for me, it is important to go super slow.  I am still working on a 10K.  But, that is OK.  The one week I did four miles pretty fast, under a 10 minute mile and I couldn't walk for about 3 days.  The only thing I can think of, is that I just went way too fast.  I took it really slow for the rest of the week.  Ran the 4 miles again the next Saturday and didn't hurt at all.

Somethings I have learned or just want to share:

-Mondays are hard.  I am sluggish.

-When the sun is coming up among the clouds I can't help but picture Jesus, coming back, riding on those     clouds. (I have seen some spectacular sunrises.)

-I am a firm believer that the days I walk for strength and endurance really help in being able to run much better for longer distances.

-Apparently muscles take up more space than flab.  I put on a pair of jeans the other day only to find them    tight.  Not what I was expecting.

-I have a deathly fear of stray/loose dogs.  I see one at least once a week.  And I have called hubby more than once to come and scare the dogs away.  I carry this ridiculous stick with me when I run.  Hubby says it won't do a thing to protect me.  I say it will buy me time and it is kind of like a security blanket.

-Just like everything else in life, we make time for what we think is important.  And right now, running kind of is important for me.  I get up crazy early, have my quiet time and off I go.  There are many days where it is super, super hard.  And the last thing I want to do before the sun comes up is lace up my shoes.  But, I am serious about this for a bunch of good/different reasons.

-My kids have been phenomenal.  If they wake up before I get home, they either get started on their stuff for the day or just lay peacefully on the couch.  I have my running schedule worked out so that my long days are at the end of the week and have less interference with school.

-I never thought a 2 mile run would be a short day.

-I didn't realize that I would have to do additional/different types of exercises to tone different parts of my lower body.  That will have to be next year's project.

-Hubby sometimes shows up part way through my exercising.  He likes to talk.  I can barely breathe.

-Heart muscles develop faster than leg muscles.  So, even though I feel like I can run more because I can breathe, I really need to stop because my leg muscles don't start screaming until I am done.  And then it is too late.

-This past Saturday I ran 5 miles.  Tomorrow I am to run 5.5.

-I have met a neighbor who also runs the same time I do.  We ask each other how far we are running for the day.  It is kind of encouraging.

-My first and probably only race before the 1/2 will be a Turkey Trot with me and my big girls.

I think that is it for now.  I am so glad I started this.  So thankful for friends and family who encourage and grateful to God for a body that can still run at this age. . .

Start 'Em Young

Every month we try to go shooting.  The three bigger kids have been doing it for over a year now.  When I mentioned to EG that we were going shooting again, she had a fit.  She did not want to go.  It is hard for her.  There usually is no one out there her age.  And we are there for a couple of hours.  She has to be so careful where she goes.  And she has to wear eye and ear protection.  Sometimes it is hot and buggy.  Well, you get the picture.

So, when she voiced the fact that she didn't want to go, I mentioned that maybe, just maybe she could shoot this time.  It would depend on daddy and on the rules of the range.  I had asked once before and the gentlemen that run the range said usually around 6.  Just because of the ability to concentrate and the ability to follow directions etc.

As much of a handful as EG is sometimes, I knew if shooting was something she wanted to do, she would do what she needed to do to make it happen.  And I was right!  She wanted to shoot.  Hubby said fine.  As did the men at the range.

She did awesome!  It took a little bit for her to actually hit the target but ya gotta start some where.  She was patient and attentive.  She listened and didn't argue.  By the time we were done, I think she had hit about four targets.

(EG listening intently to all of the safety rules.)

I don't know if she will be interested in shooting.  Or any good at it.  But, she definitely got the best start possible.  And she has the very best teacher . . . 

Boop's Birthday Continued

It isn't unusual in our house to celebrate a birthday for over a week.  

About a week before Boop's birthday, daddy arranged with his brother to take Boop and his two friends (and one other dad) out to fish.  The boys spent the night and had to get up at 6AM.  I went to wake them and they were already up!  Think they were just a little bit excited to go fishing!

They had a blast and stayed out most of the day.  Each boy caught at least one fish.  And one of Boop's friends actually caught a keeper!  They had big fun but were super exhausted when they got home.

We then had a family birthday on the actual night of his birthday.  Everyone was here.  Even a great aunt from Wisconsin!  Sissy bought him some football gear and we got him a football.  Isn't he adorable?!?!  I just love his smile.

He got a couple of gifts he really, really liked.  As evidenced on his face.  He got a great Lego toy and the Lego movie.

He is such a super sweet kid.  Thankful my little man . . . 

New Digs

In the middle of summer, we finally got around to updating and refreshing Boop's room.  I am not sure how long it had been since his walls had a fresh coat of paint!

Awhile ago one of Boop's friend's dad made him a loft bed.  It actually hangs from the ceiling I think.  Anyway, Boop loved it and wanted one of his own.  It actually made sense for us to do it in his room because it would give him a ton more floor space.

So, while we were painting his room a nice taupe, daddy went ahead and made him a loft bed too.  It is super high and I was a little nervous at first about him being up so far up there.  But, it has been a couple of months now and it has worked like a charm.

We still have bookshelves to make and a little reading nook.  Not to mention a place to put all of his Legos.  Hopefully we will have it done by the time he graduates from high school.

An additional benefit is, EG got a real bed in the girls' room.  Which she loves.  It is a little tight in there but it looks nice and every one seems happy.

The big girls are talking about redoing their room.  We shall see.  First things first, we still need to make a ladder for Boop to get up in his bed . . .

(The bed on the bottom is now EG's.  And hubby built a nice looking wooden side so Boop won't roll out.  And right now he uses a utility ladder to get up and down.)

Away She Goes

So, EG had been teasing her daddy for about 2 weeks to take the training wheels off of her bike.  She wanted to ride her bike without training wheels.  We knew once they came off, it would take a little work to get her to ride.  We told her when the wheels came off she could only ride with a helmet on, in the back yard, until she learned how to ride it without falling.

Finally, about a week ago, on a Saturday, daddy finally had time to take the training wheels off.  We had been gone most of the day.  When we got home I told her that the wheels were off.  She was super excited.  She went right into the backyard and picked up her bike and got on it.  I didn't have a chance, right at that moment, to help her out.

A few minutes later, Boop comes in and says EG is riding her bike.  And sure enough she was.  Apparently Boop held the bike for her so she could get on and get started and then gave her a little shove and off she went!  She was riding like a champ within a few minutes.  She was riding all over the backyard.  Boop took a video but I can't seem to load it on my computer to include it in the blog.

The next day, we took her out on the road and she did fabulous.  I would like to say that we had a part in it, but that would not be the truth.  Boop saved the day!  It was all him.

The both accomplished a lot that day . . .