Jump! Jump! Jump!

We have a new toy! Well .... almost! Last year we bought this trampoline from my sister ... who had bought it several years ago. She just never took it out of the box. So it's still a new toy ... but a new toy without instructions! That was the only missing in the box.

I've looked online, at Sam's Club, at Toys R Us and in several catalogs and magazines at Trampoline's to figure out how to put the darn thing together.

I think we have got it now! So in the next couple of days, we're going to put the net around it and let them JUMP, JUMP, JUMP! The plan is wear them out every evening and let them jump for a couple of hours right before bedtime!

I have a feeling that this little girl will get the most use out the new toy! She is IN LOVE with it!

Siekman Dairy Farms WINS BIG!

WE WON!  WE WON! ... and half of the team had to sit down and eat a "snackie" before they would participate!

Here's Sam up to bat with a little bit of help from Aunt Bonnie!  He wasn't really too thrilled to stand up there and hit the ball in front of everyone!

Yeah .... we really had to stand out there and play ball too!

 

Here's Jay coming in to home plate!  He scored!

Jay scored again while Sam scooted back to let him slide on in!

I know .... Mom shouldn't be jumping up and down on home plate with a big camera waiting for the kid to get there.  It is not cool!

.... and here they are after the game!  Right before they huddled and started putting dirt on each others head!

We really did win our first game!  By forfeit ... because the other team messed up and got the date wrong!

What really counted was that we had fun.  We had a great practice game amongst ourselves.  My kids, being that they are a threesome, are so shy they huddled ... and they fussed, and they wouldn't bat by themselves ... so Bonnie and I had to help them bat and then we scooted them on down the baseline.  They did run the bases by themselves and by the time it was over, they were really into the game! 

Next time ... we're getting our game on and winning for real!

Ball Practice (in the dark)

Right at dark last night we went over to Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Don's (home away from home because they're farmers too) so we could practice our T-Ball skills .... because we don't have any, and their first game is tonight. Plus, they had bought the kids a T-Ball pole and a new bat and we had to check it out.

Jay took the first swing ... and he is good! He can knock the ball "out there." We used the trees as the bases ... and they would run as fast as they could directly to SECOND base. It was so much fun watching them play and run.

I think that one flew right by you Sam! It's so funny because they would check the names on their mitts, and Sam would only hit HIS ball. Hopefully, they won't do that tonight at the real game!

Run Meg Run! It's more important to look pretty you know when you're a girl! I'm proud of her though .... she hit the ball and ran!

This is third base .... and Meg promptly fell right off face first! She sucked it up and only ended up with a few scratches on her leg.

Our Farm is sponsoring their T-Ball team this year and they have little red shirts and navy St. Louis Cardinal hats. They just look so stinkin' cute!

Okay everyone ... be chanting about 6:00 this evening! "Go Siekman Dairy Farms Go!"

We Walked for our Babies

Today was the March of Dimes walk for our county and we walked it.  Can you say, "No one should ever wear flip flops to walk for three miles."  Never!  Ever!  Yesterday I walked some of the Vanderburgh County's walk because I photographed all the teams for the March of Dimes, and my tennis shoes gave me blisters ... so today I got smart and wore flip flops!  Now I'm paying, and I'm going to go soak my sore aching body and feet in the tub in a few minutes.

Von was a good sport.  He didn't want to go today ... not that he doesn't appreciate the March of Dimes, he just didn't want wear the "dorky" shirt I made him wear.  The logo is in the corner of the first picture.  I thought they turned out cute, so I'm saving them for next year since I bought everyone's too big, and he gets to do it all over again!  I have to say, he pulled the kids in the wagons the entire time, and he was huffing and puffing by the time we made it back.

I cheated a little bit ... but I had a great excuse.  I had to be back first so I could get shots of the teams as they arrived back at the fairgrounds.  So, me and neighbor that was walking too cut through a neighborhood and cut off a little portion.  Boy did that make my feet feel good!

The kids had a great time, and it was so nice to walk for a good cause.  Our kiddo's were born 10 weeks early and had a very rough start in life.  We are so thankful for our outcome and for the perfect and beautiful children that we have.                                                                          

                                                                            

Burgers and Hot Dogs was a great way to end our walk!  The kids were exceptional today.  Maybe "four" is the magic number after all!

Dancing in the Sun

Yesterday evening we had an exciting event here .... a semi delivered a large piece of equipment to our house. It was a "Sky Lifter" ... so I heard. It's a piece of equipment that I have no idea what it does ... but I suspect when I get home from work this evening, my entire yard surrounding my house will be torn up since we've had so much rain.

We live in a "antique" farmhouse and the roof is really steep, and today a crew of Amish men will be tearing off our old slate roof and putting a new metal roof on. They say once they get the metal on the steep part, they won't be able to walk on it and that's where the "Sky Lifter" comes into play!

Since the semi driver happened to be Von's brother Darrel ... the kids got lifted up on the bed of the big truck, and they danced and ran up and down the trailer like it was the best place to be in the entire world.

... and they danced.

Being me, of course I seized the opportunity to snatch a few pictures of my littles having the time of their life!

I'm framing the top image of my littles. Every once in a while I take a picture of them that I can't live without ... and this one tops my list right now!

Shooting into the sun made this picture look like it was taken at night ... but actually it was broad daylight about six-thirty yesterday evening. I love silhouette's. I've never gotten one of my kiddo's before and I think it's pretty darn cool, and I was really proud of myself!

Twin Stroller

My heart twinged yesterday when I found this in the back of Von's pickup truck along with my window boxes.  It too was labeled junk.  It's laid in the rafters of the garage for at least fifty years, and now it's being cast out.

I couldn't help myself as I pulled it from the pile and unfolded it, and locked the wheels into place.  The handle telescoped to just the right height as I pushed it across our backyard.  I debated whether to clean it up as I ran to get my camera.  It's still in perfect condition.  The fabric is still bright blue underneath the dirt, and the little wooden beads are still painted red, blue and yellow.  All the wheels still work and there is no rust on the metal frame.

My Mother in law used to push her babies in this stroller.  Many years ago, these little yellow seats used to hold my husband and his twin brother.  Their little chubby hands used to twirl those painted beads as she pushed them around.  It's amazing how things change ... and how time changes things. Fifty years ago was a long time ago, but not so long ago in one's mind.

I can just imgaine that at one time she parked them in this stroller right here in my yard, in this same spot, in front of the garden shed while she chatted and worked in the garden with her Mother-in-law. 

I can just imagine how lucky I would have been if my Mother-in-law was here when my babies were in their stroller, and how wonderful it would have been to have chatted with her in her garden.

For now, I kept the stroller.  I found it a new home  .... in the little garden shed that also has seen better days.  I wonder if years down the road if my Daughter-in-laws will be as sentimental as I am ... and will they keep my treasures from many years past.

Treasures of the Heart

This morning my spouse got a wild hair up his butt and decided to work on cleaning up the farm ... such as moving my beloved window boxes down to a burn pile, along with anything else that screamed the word JUNK to him. 

When I wildly ran out the door flailing my arms and yelling, "No! No!  Not my window boxes .... ", he just kept on driving!  Of course when I ran after him in an attempt to save my treasures, it dawned on me that I was barefooted and was running on gravel.  Not just just any gravel ... but rained on gravel that was mixed with barn mud.  Defeated, I hobbled back to the house and began wipe the cow poop from between my toes.

I loved those window boxes.  Granted, I only planted flowers in them the first year I put them up, about five years ago.  I had found the pattern for them on page forty-four, in a magazine that Von's Dad had given me a few years before .... and they looked so beautiful in the pictures, that I just had to have them.  I had them made and painted them with love ... and hired the neighbor man to put them up and I planted the most beautiful Petunia's in them. 

Of course, I didn't have a green thumb, and futhermore, I had even less time to water and prune and take care of flowers.  My excuse was that I had triplet babies, but the next year I would.  It was my dream ... I had visioned it while thumbing through that old magazine.

My window boxes were taken down a couple of months ago when we recontructed our kitchen, after I had made the executive decision to take out a wall of windows.  They were laid to rest on the ground next to our house by the Contractor .... and that's where they've been ever since.


The two sets of double windows that were directly above my beautiful window boxes are now gone ... and TODAY Von decided to tell me that he hadn't wanted those windows removed.  Well ... now's a fine time to tell me Lucille. 
 
I had to peek out the window to see want he was doing with my boxes ... and I watched him gently lay each one down, side by side on the ground.  He knows that later this evening I'll walk down the path to the old barn, and I'll dump the old dirt out, and carry my boxes back to where I have my other treasures that I've come up with since I've moved to this farm.
 
He knows that I'm a dreamer ... and I love magazines and pictures and have visions.  He knows that keeps me happy and keeps me here, and he knows that I'll always be that way ... and he knows that forty years from now, my window boxes will still be in that old barn along with all my other treasures of the Heart.

Sam's Boots

I don't know why I've had this on my mind for the last couple of hours, but I think it has something to do with personality, growing up, evolution, genetics and little boys that want to be like their Father.

Sam is set in his ways. His Dad is set in his ways. They're just alike ... two peas in a pod. Sam notices detail. He likes detail, and he doesn't like change to his detail. Just like his Dad.

Spring is here and it's coming in quickly ... and with it brings warmer weather. Sam isn't ready to give up his Winter details. Such as a green soccer shirt that he would like to wear 6 days a week and the same pair of jeans that he lovingly refers to as his Speech pants. (He must have wore them to Speech one day) These are the only pants he will wear. The same slim pair of size 3 Wrangler straight leg pants .... every day. With a patch on the back pocket. Just like his Dad.

I don't think he's caught onto the fact that we have more than one pair. My job is to keep them clean and ready for whenever the knees get dirty from a hard day of play, or a visit to the barn.

Sam also isn't ready to give up the boots he wears. As hard as I try to get tennis shoes on him ... he is always searching for his broken down boots. I've grown so accustomed to the click of his heels on our hardwood floors ... and I'm sure when Summer comes, even if I am lucky enough to get him into a pair of short pants ... he'll never give up those boots. Just like his Dad.

Meg

Dear Meg,

Yesterday morning you got up early .... and wanted to go outside and take pictures.  I think that was your way of telling me that you needed some time for just you and me.  I love those moments with you.  Those moments that are just ours.  Just for girls .... as you call them.

We were outside when the morning light was just right .... just after 8:00.  The grass was wet as we walked around the house looking for the perfect spot to take pictures ... but you didn't mind.  You held my hand as we walked through the flower garden and you pointed out all the flowers that were yet to bloom.

It won't be long Meg ... and they'll all be blooming, with lots of different colors, and lots of different kinds.  It doesn't seem possible that you've grown another year older, and now you've bloomed too.  Last year's toddler child is gone and you're on your way.  You're beautiful!

I love you Meg,

Mom

R.I.P. Whitey

Here lies Whitey! Well ... half of him anyway. His other half lies one road over in another freezer. He didn't even get a decent burial. He got butchered instead!

I don't know if you remember Whitey, but he was born on a Spring day almost two years ago. You can read about him here. He sure was a great little guy, and we loved him very much! Sadly, he grew up and one day he moved to Dewig's a few miles away. They certainly were not as good to him as we were here on the farm. Once there, he ended up in freezer paper and was stamped with the words STEAK across each package!

Almost everyday for the past two years, I have driven my Littles to preschool or daycare. Every morning we drive by the barn that housed Whitey. Then every evening we drove back by and waved to him while he was eating out in the pasture. Often, we'd sneak a few buckets of feed to him when the higher orders of the farm weren't looking. Not that they'd care, but we overfed Whitey and most of his siblings every chance we got. Here one day .... and gone the next! That's how it works when you have C.O.W. for a last name.




Today I thawed a few packages of Whitey ... and couldn't bring myself to cook him. Now I'm stuck with a freezer full of packages just like this one.

So tomorrow and the next day I'll drive up and down our road and watch my Littles stick their heads out the window and wave excitedly to the big black Bull out in the field, and I'll listen to their chatter about their friend Whitey.

Do I tell them? No ... because I'm a good Mom. Do I lie to them? Yes ... because as far as they're concerned ... Whitey just grew a lot and moved across the road!

I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this farm life. Steaks are supposed to come from IGA or Schnucks or Sam's Club .... or anywhere except our barn!

RIP Whitey Cow! You sure were a cute little guy!

Steaks anyone????

Date with the Girls

Last night I had a date ... with these little girls and my oldest girl Juli. It was the best date night ever. We went to see the Hannah Montana movie. The girls loved it!

They had their "Hannah" purses and and were all prettied up! It's amazing to see that they're only four years old and can act so grown up. I'm not sure I'm ready for this. I have a feeling they'll be BFF .. always!

Yes ... Meg is taller than Kelcie. What's with that??

Purging Mission 101

Early last week I had a brain storm. I figured that if I could totally hire someone to come into my house to purge and organize room by room, I could have my entire house done in 10 working days and only cost me about $800.00. Sounds so worth it, eh? Yeah right ....

I dreamed and planned and put it all down on paper ... room by room. I visioned total organization including painting, waxing, windows and walls. Details. Complete details. I was planning a purging mission ... and it was going to feel good.

Of course I had to run my idea quickly by Marlboro Man ... and in my head, I knew this wasn't going to fly! So I took the plunge, showed him my plan, took a deep breath and didn't give him a chance to shoot me down. See, he thinks everything out ... completely. Me, I'm compulsive. Very ... to the extreme. I get an idea and it's a reality in a matter of minutes! Him ... he thinks and chews on everything for days, weeks or months. That drives me nuts. Just make a freaking decision!

So since I didn't get a answer from him by the next morning ... I acted on my idea! Boy did I act. I hired someone just like me. Someone that thinks and talks a mile a minute and has a high energy level. Trust me ... these two heads together couldn't do it for long ... but a short job we can do just fine. She needs the job ... I need the results! Even if it takes my whole paycheck. I can deal with broke until the next paycheck rolls around. What good is money if you can't buy something and have somewhere to put it?!

The mission began Wednesday. I got her started and I went to work ... My plan was to start off with the living room. It is perfect. All the toys got sorted out and what wasn't age appropriate (no matter how much they are loved) ... they were purged! Everything was washed down and put in it's place. I'm loving this purging mission. Of course MM isn't talking to me anymore ... but who cares ... I'm on a mission!

The next day she tackled the kids room ... every stitch of clothing in this house fits someone or it is GONE! Their closet is organized and hung by color. It was OUT with the old and in with the NEW! Seasonal things are organized and labeled. I just love it!

Monday she's going to pick and peel wallpaper because it's on my plan. I'll have paint by then and when I come home ... I'll have a new dining room!

Tuesday she'll move on to the living room upstairs. Wednesday it's my bedroom. (God I feel so sorry for her) Thursday it's bathroom day! Clean organize and paint. Friday is her day of rest ... and Lord knows she's going to need it.

So when she starts over the following Monday ... I'm hoping she's stored up all the energy she can muster because it's time to work on my office/junk room/work room/storage room/knee deep in CRAP room. This room will be a two day job. I can't even begin to tell you how bad it is! I swear I haven't seen the floor in this room for two years. At this point I can barely open the door enough to squeeze through sideways ... and all I can say is ... This is going to feel so good when it's done!

In my plan ... everything that I don't/won't/can't use will end up on my front porch in totes and bags. Of course, then I will have to have another day to go through everything to make sure it's purgable!

No ... MM isn't very happy with me. Not that he won't like the end result, but he would never spend that much money on an extreme home cleanover. Me ... I'm on a purging mission! Money is only money ... but cleanliness is next to Godliness ... and it's so deep in here, we are sinking!