Narrator: Zane

He finally did it!  Zane can read the whole book, so now it is time for a party.
Menu: green eggs with ham

Summer Abundance

Yes, these are from the garden, picked this morning (a surprisingly cool one), and also the cinnamon pickles I made last week.  One of the jars broke in the water bath, or I would have had 4 pints.

BUT, what I really wanted to show you (forgot to take a pic) was all the produce I got at Loving Hands last week.  Here's a list:
2 lbs. carrots
1 lb. organic spinach
2 organic celery
2 organic lemons
3 clementines
4 apples
3 leeks
1 large veggie tray w/ dip
3 poblanos
2 grapefruit
4 onions
10 potatoes
2 peaches
1 large bag mushrooms
1 bag bing cherries
1 big watermelon
3 cucumbers
blackberries
sugar snap peas
1 bag broccoli
3 organic heads of romaine


And that is just the produce.  I also got eggs, butter, yogurt, chicken, lunch meat, and center cut bacon.

This is our new living room look.  Finally brought the bookcases up from the basement. It isn't quite finished, but this is the general idea.

Make a Splash!

The boys attended our local library's Summer Reading Program for the past six weeks and last night was our big finale party.  I had to wake them up from a nap to get them there, so it took a while for them to get into it, but once the magic show started, they were hooked.  This pic is of everyone else doing the chicken dance while our boys slowly sneaked out of the crowd. I have a video if you're interested.

Here they are blowing giant bubbles.

Making cinnamon pickles tonight.  Results soon to be posted.

Steal of a Deal

Guess what I found at one of the 61 garage sales being hosted all over Fort Lupton this weekend?   JARS.  That's right.  I was shoving a load of 25 cent books in the truck along with the boys, when a man came up behind me and said, "I don't know if you're interested, but there's a living estate sale up the street on the corner." Was I?  Oh yes.  At first I though it was a wash, but then I went around the corner and discovered the hidden trove.  A jumbled pile of old cardboard boxes with odd jars tossed carelessly in.  I figured there were maybe thirty or forty good ones, so I went and offered the lady $20 for all her quarts.

"That sounds perfect," she said, looking relieved to have gotten rid of the dusty old relics so quick and easy.

Only it wasn't so easy.  She offered to help me load them and went off to get boxes.  When she reappeared we started sorting all the quarts out from the rest of them....and sorting, and sorting, and loading, and sorting. 

And then I found some gallon jars.  And then some half gallons.

Before I knew it, my whole truck bed was full of boxes of jars, and the boys were wailing, "Enough!  no more jars Mom!" from where they were wading between them back there.

Needless, to say, I don't either I or the lady had realized how many jars were there.

Final count, around 170.  I think.  Unless I find another box somewhere.

OOh, I also nabbed this dutch oven which will be great for camping and such-$10.  Not bad.

update on all the stuff we've been doing

It has been a busy year so far and here are some pics of what we've been up to.

Zane got to meet and hold his new cousin, Raeven.

 On Easter we took a trip to the mountains for a short hike and lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Zoka's.

Our local heritage Fair was a new experience for the boys, where they got to see everything from ancient Roman soldiers (in costume) to WWII stuff.  Here is Haukin peeking out of a 1700's fur trader's teepee.

 

Zane wanted me to be SURE to post this pic of him in his soldier costume so all the grandmas could see him.

Tonight Haukin is taking apart his first radio......aaawww.

Field Trips!

Lately we've been enjoying all the lower rates that the colder weather allows for at places like the zoo and the aquarium.  Here are some pics:

Some fun, huh?

"The Library Lion" book review

It was, of course, the interesting title that caught my eye, but the beautiful illustrations were what made me cram this bigger sized book into my already overflowing library bag.  I love beautiful artwork combined with happy prose to give my kids. I think it helps them develop an appreciation for both.

The Lion is such a stately, noble looking beast that it is not at all incongruent to think of one reclining on a bean bag in a sunny corner of the library.  Think of the scene in the opening credits of The Addams Family--a large, bored looking lion wanders through their stately mansion on Cemetery Lane.

Anyway, in The Library Lion, a lion has to learn about rules in the library, just like kids do, and that all rules themselves sometimes have to be bent.