The Gardener

A few weeks ago, Kari brought home a plant from school.  I listened to her discuss all her fabulous ideas on planting the plant and growing it into a large producing farm, to which she would sell off the plants and make lots of money.  While I secretly thought of my black thumb, I told her maybe we should just start with this one, and see how it goes.

Kari was nice enough to let her siblings try out the dirt for a bit.

Then, she lovingly placed the plant into the pot...

.... and covered it up with dirt.

So far, it is still alive.  She may have a more green thumb than I (which really wouldn't be hard).  

Funny thing is: it is a cabbage plant.  She doesn't even like cabbage!

Self Service

Kelsey is getting older.  And she wants to do everything her siblings do.  And, since I am a bit of a control freak, her siblings aren't even doing everything they could do.  I would love to hold her back and keep her from making messes as long as possible. 

However, that will require me getting off my behind a leedle bit quicker, apparently.

"See?!?  I deed eet!"

Yes baby.  You did it.  *Sigh*

Random Children

Some of these pictures are waaaaaaaay old.  But I have been holding onto them for a while, waiting for something to fit....  (I love her instructions in the bottom corner)

But, not everything ties together in a neat little packaged bow.  Surprise!

So here are a few random pictures of my random children.  

At least they are not random children.  I mean, they are all mine at least...  See?  Same scrunchy nose :)

Check out those teeth!  Coming in slowly.

And on this day, Kari said to me "Look mom!  Imma board."  

I prefer to think that these are characteristics that they get from their father.  Their mother is never so disorganized and haphazard....  

Corn Dogs

The other day I got some corndog nuggets at Sams club.  I mean, a whole heaping box full.  And the unfortunate thing is, no one else seems to really like them...  Yes, Kelsey will eat them....

But not all of them....  She cheats.  Me thinks it would just be cheaper to buy the child some hot dogs.  What say you?

PS- Nice photobomb Kaitlyn :)

Nostalgia 2.0

Going through baby pictures the other day made me a little nostalgic.  It made me realize how fast my babies have grown up.  It really hit me the other day.  When this little baby lost her third tooth.

 Or when that same baby wore this dress to Aunt S & Uncle M's wedding....  but she grew out of it, and so...  passed it onto her little sister.

 Whose choice of accessories may or not have been all that glamorous.

 But.... in her own way, made the dress completely her own.

 Or when I realized that my baby boy was going to kindergarten soon, and that maybe knowing how to write his name would be a good idea.  I haven't really worked with him at all...  I mean, he is the third child.

Lets just say that growing up is perhaps hardest for the grown ups....

Pa's: Luker Falls People

On the way to begin the hike.  "Wait for me daddy!"

Once we got down the hill, the kids kinda spread out to explore.  Pop was the first to step over the water and find sound footing on the rocks.  Dylan was the first to join him.

Of course he wanted to touch the water.

Imagine this: Pop was having hip/back issues.  Hubby was having back issues having just had a steroid shot in his back the day before.  Now imagine this mother watching her youngest child being handed over like a sack of potatoes...  Thankfully, I just saw it through the lens, otherwise, my brain might have actually had the ability to process it and freaked out a bit.  No worries.  Anything you see through a lens is no cause for concern. :p

Hi Mom!

Everyone had to touch the water. (No, I don't know what is on Kelsey's head...  dirt?)

What's that Kelsey?  You want to touch the water too?

OK.  Let me help you....

Again, thankfully, I was noticing this through the lens.  Other wise I might have had cause for real concern....

And then it was over, and it was time for the hike up the hill.

While going down the hill wasn't exactly easy, going back was quite the challenge.  I handed my camera off to hubby this time, but thankfully didn't have as hard of a time going up as I anticipated.  Kelsey clung like a monkey (an unhappy monkey because she wanted to be on my hip, but it was much easier to carry her piggy back style) and we made it up the hill.  I guess that is what happens when you actually exercise for a while. Go figure!  I had done P90X about 3 times (9 months) and got kinda bored.  So, I ordered T25 because while I actually sorta kinda maybe enjoy exercising now (do you sense my hesitance in saying that), the hour was sometimes difficult to find in the day.  I have done 3 weeks worth of the 25 minute exercises, and I kinda love it!  Half the workout time makes a huge difference in my day.  But rest assured that just because it is half the time doesn't mean it is half the work out.  It took me about a week before I could walk normally again ;) 

Pa's: Luker Falls Scenery

While Nana and Pop were with us, we decided to do something we hadn't done in a while.  We took a decently long walk/hike to Luker Falls.  First, we had to pass "the garden" where the scuppernong vines are just waiting for spring.

The hike was pretty decent, in that at one point there is a pretty steep decent.  It is even more impressive because I went down with my camera as well as a toddler.  While the older three needed a bit of assistance, Kelsey flat refused to go by herself and clung to me like a wet, whiny, crying noodle.  So, I hoisted her up, and minced my way down.  I was quite proud of myself actually :)

Once we got down to the falls, I took a few pictures, again playing with the settings on my camera.  This one I took with a slower shutter speed, so I got really just a gush of water.

Then I took this one with a fairly quick shutter speed.  I can't decide which one I like better :)

It is not a huge set of falls, as you can see with Pop as reference.  Hi Pop!  But the water level was higher than the last time I went, so that was kinda fun.

The falls feed the river that runs through/around Pa's property.  In the picture below, the falls are just off to the right.

The flora is quite wild down there.  Pa tells stories of when he was a boy, the water went 12-15 feet higher, and they would jump from the mouth of the gully on the other side and go swimming after school.

More pictures of the kids to follow.

Pa's: Kelsey vs. the Dirt

After the kids went on a walk with Nana, every one else came back except Kelsey.  I shifted in my seat a bit to see her, down the road....

I couldn't tell exactly what she was doing, but, because I love my longer lens, I was at least able to get a teeny bit closer to try.

It's called dirt honey.

She eventually came back to us, and I wandered down the road to see what it was that had caught her interest.

I'm still not sure....

Pa's: Orange Road

The nice thing about Pa's house is I can send the children out for a walk, and they feel like it is a long way, but I can still see them the whole time, and know they are relatively safe because Pa's road doesn't get a lot of activity.  

So they can go all the way down to the hickory nut tree and back, so long as someone is on the front porch.  Which is an easy thing to fulfill.

Because it is mostly a straight shot, the kids enjoy getting a run in.  And I enjoy that they are usually so tired after playing outside at Pa's house, that bed/nap time are usually not too much of a fight.

Then there is this face....

Which was preparatory for this, so I guess that makes it ok.

I love this picture for two reasons.

A) Kari's face.  The joy.  The elation.  Can't describe it.

2) Kaitlyn.  She is in "the zone".  That child could run for miles and not be breathing hard.  I think she ran all the way down to the hickory nut tree and back without breaking stride or sweat.  And that is a mile+....  I wish I was more like her sometimes.

This is always how we know we are getting close to the end of our 2.5 hour trip.  When we turn onto the "orange road".  Even Mollie knows.  I guess she can smell something?  I dunno.  But the orange road signals the end of the journey to everyone.

Pa's: Random

We spend as much time outside as we can at Pa's house.  I have taught my children how to play Sardines.  Which, in retrospect, may not have been the best idea.  It was where I "earned" my first kiss...  So perhaps we will just have to outlaw that game as puberty gets closer.

And Kelsey makes scrunchy nose faces :)  But I didn't teach her that.

This is coming back from a particularly difficult game of sardines.  I love how all of them are in the picture.  Even the little straggler in the back.

Now it is Dylan's turn to hide!  Please note the hat.  Pa gave him his WWII Veteran hat on this trip.  He is interested in dividing up his belongings now, so we are unfortunately thinking he is getting somewhat closer to the end.  He is 93.

Now, ladies and gentlemen.  If we are very quiet, we may be able to spot the elusive Kelsey-girl out in her natural habitat.  If you look closely through the trees there, you might see the animal's coat, which is commonly pink, and the natural mullet...  Just there, beyond those trees!

And, like we usually do at Pa's there were several walks to be had.

I kinda love this picture because Nana is totally saying "Well, come on then!"  Also, please pay no attention to whatever Kaitlyn is doing....  

And off they went, deep into the woods (not really...  but it always feels deep when Nana takes you deeper than eyesight).

There is also a swing set the kids play on quite a bit.  Though it freaks Nana out because it isn't rooted into the ground in any way.

Pa also has a wind vane that Kari was trying to blow on.  We have always said she is full of hot air, but I didn't mean literally :)

I call this one "Three Generations at Sunset."

I thank you.