"This is the BESTEST time I've ever had!"

"This is the BESTEST time I've ever had!" Rudy said as he, Jason, and I lay on the crispy grass in our back yard, looking up at the stars and talking about all the different things people of the past have thought about what those glowing orbs are. I taught Rudy about constellations, and he and Jason both identified their first ever constellation in the night sky: The Big Dipper. It was the first constellation I learned to identify as a child as well.
A few feet away, Jason's old Boy Scout tent patiently waited for us to FINALLY tuck ourselves inside for the night. Jason and Rudy had set it up around 10 am, because Rudy just couldn't wait until the evening to begin our camping adventure.
Around 9:15 (which is about an hour later than Rudy's 'late' bedtime), we finally nestled into the conglomeration of blankets and pillows we'd turned into a family bed inside the tent. Rudy remained nestled for about 30 seconds. 3 pee trips, 2 re-dispersals of the stuffed animals he'd brought out with him, and countless attempts at ignoring the 3 year old climbing all over us, whispering in our ears, yodeling in our ears, and rumaging through the tent, Rudy announced that he really just wanted to sleep in his own bed inside. It was about 10:30, and Jason and I were happy to oblige. Tucked into our own bed, with Rudy finally sleeping, Jason murmured,"Well, that was an epic fail."
 As our first attempt at a family camp out, perhaps the fact that Julia never even made it in the tent, and the rest of us abandoned the tent before sleep graced any of our eyes could be considered a fail. But as a family memory, it will be added to the list of  "bestest" times we've ever had. :)

Thank Goodness For The Good Days

Sometimes, our family really REALLY needs a good day together to remind us that we all love each other and are happy to be in this little family. We've been working around a variety of illnesses lately that have left one (or many) of us grumpy, irritable, and a little hard to live with. So yesterday morning when all of us seemed to be in good health and plucky spirits, we declared it a Grand Pirate Adventure day.

After breakfast, we fashioned our pirate alter egos: Rattlesnake Rudy, Jabbin' Julia, Despicable Daddy, and Mending Mommy (I was in charge of fixing whatever needed fixing on the pirate ship or whatever). We thoroughly enjoyed our morning working in the yard and periodically waging vicious pirate war on unsuspecting ships...although there was that time when, according to Rattlesnake Rudy, it took 'FOREVER' to 'swab the deck' (aka tidy the porch). Sigh. Even pirates have chores, you know. 

We planned to explore Pirate Island, a pirate themed equivalent to Chuck E Cheese in our area, for lunch. The food was mediocre, but the atmosphere rocked. Rudy had a blast exploring the different dining nooks, some of which were decorated to look like treasure filled caves. Even our visit to the bathroom was adventurous, leading us through a 'creepy tunnel' before releasing us to the loo. Rudy swaggered through the tunnel, brandishing his tinker toy sword with heroic courage, entering the loo with the cocky confidence of a full blown pirate captain. 

And then we were face to face with automatic flushing toilets. 

Suddenly, the cocky captain of a few minutes ago was gone, and a terrified 3 year old, pants around his ankles, was retreating out of the stall with amazing speed and agility, exclaiming, "Lets just get outta here!!!" Let me tell you, it was hard to respect his true terror and not bust out laughing at the hilarity of the moment. :)

After gathering his wits (and pants) about him, Rattlesnake Rudy was once again ready for action, and he spent the rest of the outing fighting off 'bad' pirates, rescuing maidens, and taking an occasional bite of bread stick to gratify his crew members.

Sigh. A day playing together as a family while still getting lots of 'chores' knocked out was just what we needed. What a blessing to get a chance to remember how fun having a family is. All the work and sacrifice is really worth it, isn't it?

Independence Day

Rudy taking a 'heroic' pose and showing his muscles in his skivvies.

On July 4th, Rudy declared independence from diapers. Boom, baby!!! Some of you may know how totally anxious I was about the whole potty training thing. We'd had several false starts over the last 18 months or so.  I was really hesitant about trying again, but also feeling really tied in knots about the fact that my 3 1/2 year old was still wearing diapers.
With some firmish 'nudging' from my lovely husband, I agreed to go cold turkey and simply tell Rudy that when his last diaper from the box was used up, we wouldn't be buying anymore, ever, and he would be wearing underwear from that time hence. I was surprised at how easily he took to the idea. Maybe the fact that we agreed to use the first $50 we saved in diaper money to purchase the ever longed for electric train set helped. :)
Within 3 days, Rudy was pretty much independent in his toileting skills. It was really no sweat, and kind of a non-issue for Rudy. None of this "look at me, I'm a big boy now" stuff. Just a switch of where his does his thing. Maybe some day I'll figure out that transitions are just a part of life and nothing to be fretted and stewed over for weeks/days before they occur. Maybe. ;)

Ode to Daddy

This post is a good month late. I've been putting it off trying to get a video we took on Father's Day to load, but I'm finally throwing in the towel and dropping the video idea. I don't want to miss lauding my excellent husband.  

See those two kiddos up there? They LOVE their Daddy, and he loves them. Jason  gets what being a Daddy is all about. He gets that dropping everything and chasing after a 'mean guy' with his 3 year old is sometimes the absolute most important thing he could do. He gets that rules and limits are important to hold...and sometimes important to bend. He gets how to help owies feel better, how to ease fears, how to coax belly laughs out of a grumpy baby. He gets that KNOWING his children takes time, attention, and earnest desire. And he gives all that to his fathering, to his children, to his wife. Sure, sometimes I have to remind myself that it's OK if Jason does things a bit differently while he's fathering than I do when I'm mothering, but in the grand picture, it's a joy to parent with him. 

Thank you, Jason, for putting everything you have into this little family. It shows. :)

Oh-Rudy made that Father's Day crown for Jason. Well, he designed it at least-chose the material and shape, directing me what to write where and what not. He was pretty proud of it. 

If only...

If only a full kitchen sink could always look this cute. 

"Can you just protect me?"

Jason and Rudy are forever playing rough and tumble games, usually involving a villain like an ogre or other such monster. When Jason's got Rudy hopelessly captured, he'll scream out "Save me!" and I'll use my "zap finger" to freeze or otherwise incapacitate his captor so Rudy can escape to fight another day. Often the story line will shift to the monster trying to get me or Julia and Rudy throwing himself between us and danger, valiantly declaring, "I'll protect you!" and then waving the magic wrench or whatever super powered weapon he's got that day at the foe to scare him away.

My little super hero has been pretty miserably sick lately. Wednesday night, he was up coughing and feverish most of the night. 

I'd exhausted all the remedies I know. We'd been to the doctor the day before, and I'd followed all his suggestions in helping my little guy weather through this illness. But it wasn't enough. He was still getting totally pounded by his cold. Around 6 am, completely exhausted, he lay his little feverish head on my lap and whispered, "Can you just protect me?"

I cradled him in my arms and did the last thing I could think of. I prayed. I told God about how I'd done everything I could think of to help my son, and how he still hurts and how badly he needed to be able to rest. I pleaded with God to comfort my son, to help him be able to sleep. Then I kissed Rudy and wished him sweet dreams as he snuggled into his pillow and closed his eyes. 

Rudy slept for 3 1/2 hours and woke with his fever under control. He was not miraculously healed, but he was comforted, and so was I. I know God lives. He knows and loves me and my little family. That's better than any magic weapon or zap finger. That's real power, and I'm so grateful to be blessed with God's love and light as I fumble my way through raising a family. 

On Wearing a Baby

Julia spends alot of time in the BabyBjorn. Alot. I sometimes call her my little marsupial because she's in her 'pouch' so much. Back in the super fussy early days of her life, it was the only way to keep her from screaming all the time. Now, it's the easiest way to keep track of two active kiddos when we're on the run.
Last week, I took Rudy out on a Mommy-Rudy date, and was out in public without my adorable little baby strapped to the front of me for the first time in weeks. I realized that I just might have an over inflated concept of how friendly strangers generally are.
With Julia attached to me, EVERYBODY smiles, says hi, makes eye contact, etc. It makes me feel like I'm living in Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, and I LOVE IT!
Without her, the world just sorta brushed past me. I even had my super cute three year old with me, but I guess 3 year old boys covered in frozen yogurt just don't attract the same kind of gregarious behavior as 7 month old girls strapped to their mamas do.
When I realized that it's Julia that turns me into an instant celebrity, I felt a bit sheepish for taking the credit all these months. All this time that I've been smiling back at what I thought were spontaneous gestures of goodwill, it's been Julia working her baby magic on everyone she can manage to make eye contact with. I don't blame them, mind you. I can't help but brighten when she gives me that smile of hers that lights up her whole face.
Now I know if I ever need to boost my faith in the goodness of the world around me, all I have to do is strap my little social butterfly on and head out the door. Julia will take care of the rest.

Progressive Contortions

Julia's making some serious headway in the world of locomotion. She"s a bit awkward in her movement at the moment, but she's still supremely pleased with her ability to get herself to where she wants to be with a few twists and turns. It's a blast to watch her and see where her interests take her. And yes, our house was a MESS the morning that I filmed this. I think all that junk laying around on the floor really motivated Julia to boogie, though, so we'll just pretend I strategically placed random objects all over my living room floor to create a stimulating environment for my little wriggler. ;)

Bounced

My long lost friend and old mission companion, Risa and I headed out for a first hike of the summer to Stewart Falls. We were informed by a Sundance worker that we were trespassing on Mr. Redford's land and needed to turn around. Dude. We totally got bounced off a freakin' MOUNTAIN. No worries, though. We just headed a bit further up the mountain to National Forest, paid our national forest entrance fee, and enjoyed OUR part of the mountain. Sheesh. We crossed 2 avalanche sites and saw some pretty gnarly stuff--giant trees with root balls taller than me ripped right outta the ground. Glad I wasn't there when it happened!

Farmer Updates

Over here at the Splendiferous Homestead ;), we've been earning our farmer's tans. Here's a few updates of what we've been up to:

1) Garden planting. I've got everything in, now I'm just waiting for it to grow. Cucumber, zucchini, spaghetti squash, pole beans, 3 kinds of tomato (early slicing, late slicing, and cherry), tons of sunflowers, chard, kale, parsley, cilantro, mint,rosemary, lavender, oregano, artichoke, rhubarb, red currants, black currants, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries. Oh, and I guess I do still need to find a nice table grape to put in. Last year pretty much nothing but strawberries and tomatoes were productive in the slightest. I'm hoping for a better turn out this year....we'll see. I think gardening is one of those things I've gotta grow into and learn as I go. Like this year, I'm actually gonna water the poor plants. ;) I think I'm most excited to see if our pole bean teepee turns out. :)

2) Chicken dispatching. Sunflower (yep, the neighborhood favorite) met her demise about a week ago. She was what's called an "internal layer" where her eggs were being released into her abdominal cavity instead of the open air. Ouch, huh? Didn't bother her for the first 8 months or so of laying, but then all of a sudden, she was SO not OK. I had to drum up the gumption to actually do her in. Took me 3 hours of intently studying descriptions, tutorials, and first timer tips on the internet to finally be ready for action. Jason and I went out in the middle of the night (he doesn't get home until 11 or so, and I was NOT going to do this all by myself.) I scooped her up out of the coop, talked her (myself) through what I was going to do and why, and then I did it. I DID IT!! The actual doing was freaky, but as soon as it was over, I felt so much peace and even pride. I knew I'd done right by that hen, and I was proud I'd been able to do it. (Jason was a HUGE support, mind you.) We didn't prepare her meat for consumption, just in case she had something else going on with her besides the internal laying bit. I didn't want to be feeding my family diseased meat.

Anyway, I feel like I've gone through some 'coming of age' ritual, knowing I'm capable of taking care of my livestock in a compassionate, yet matter of fact way. Rudy handled the whole thing really well. I guess we'd drilled it into him enough that these chickens are for killing, that it was perfectly normal in his eyes that Sunflower had to be 'slaughtered', as he likes to put it.

3) THE COOP IS COMPLETE!!  We've been working on the addition for a looong time. Collecting scrap wood, making plans, changing plans, changing them again. Jason is pretty much a stud the way he took discarded wood and other bits and pieces we scavenged from all over the place and turned it into a super functional coop. 

Before the addition.

Rockin' exterior nest box...

complete with fresh eggs. :)

New coat of paint with some leftover stuff from our garage.

Side view of the hen's split level coop. ;)

Chicken yard side view

Interior...painted with more leftovers. This was the original color we painted  Rudy's room. It was supposed to be red...turned out quite pink. Glad it's in the coop now instead of our house. ;)

Full view of Chickentopia, complete with chicken yard. That yard keeps both me and the  hens happy-they have plenty of space to do their chicken thing unrestrained all day long, and I have a fence between them and my garden. :)

We're now set up to raise chicks next Spring, and hopefully the hens will enjoy the extra room in the mean time. We've been itching to finish this project up so that we can move on to the way more exciting one: a tree house for Rudy (and Jason) ;).

Camie's Run

I just had the BEST morning! I took the kiddos with me on our first race as a threesome, and let me tell you, it was AWESOME. 

To start things off great, it was a run to support Camie, a friend of mine who is fighting colon cancer. She's pulling it off beautifully--I only hope that I would be able to cope with the things she does with the grace she does it with. It was awesome to be surrounded by literally hundreds of people supporting Camie and her family. There was a great sense of community, positivity, and hope wafting through the air. 

Camie and her husband coach the local high school track team. Seeing how many people they have influenced for good made me really excited for Jason to get into the high school scene. It's a beautiful thing, working with teens. They are so full of potential and energy for life, or can be if someone gives them the vision. That's what Camie and her husband have done for countless kids, and I hope it's what Jason will be able to do as well.

Adding to the awesomeness was the chance I had to share something I LOVE (running) with the kids I love even more. Julia was a champ, napping a bit, and otherwise passively taking it all in from her suspension cushioned seat in the "Grand Safari", but it was really a blast watching Rudy take in the full excitement of the race. We chatted about race strategy and body mechanics as we rolled along, trying to catch "Tall Socks" the target we'd chosen near the beginning of the race. He smoked us, but then, he wasn't pushing 90 lbs of kid and stroller. We kept him in our sights until right up to the end, though.an It was a great opportunity to talk about choosing to try for hard things, and being proud of ourselves even if trying is as far was we get. Anyway, I was totally digging the opportunity to have my little "Grasshopper" hanging on every word of athletic philosophy I cared to share. I pushed myself chasing Tall Socks and finished in 32 minutes-a time I'm totally proud of.

Pre-race

Post race victory shot.

There was a live band made up of high school or maybe just graduated kids called Juice Box playin' us into the finish line. They were great, and played after the post race raffle prizes were called too. Seems like lots of people who raced were not regular racers and didn't know that there's post race fun to be had. Lots of people just kinda had a swig of sports drink and headed home. Too bad for them, 'cause the post race party rocked. Especially for this mom of 2 littles who doesn't get out much. ;)

Chillin' at the after race festivities.

Rudy busting out some smokin' dance moves to the live band.

Rudy was enthralled with the drum set, and asked the drummer if he could look at it up close after they finished playing. She was kind enough to offer him the drum sticks and a chance to actually play it. He was in heaven. ;) This was the band's first gig ever. I overheard them lining up another one with someone who wanted them to play for another benefits event coming up. I hope they go as far as their dreams will take them-they're a great bunch of kids and talented to boot!

A Virtual Race for Autism

A blogger buddy of mine is putting on a virtual 5K to raise money for a special autism classroom her son attended in elementary school. Here's what she has to say about his teacher: "What a blessing it is that the school district can provide a teacher like Mrs. Cameron to families like us. We were convinced that in order to get Coleman the help he needed that we may have to put him in an expensive private school (which we really couldn't afford) but were pleased to find a teacher like Mrs. Cameron who works her miracles at a nearby public school.  She does have to work within the confines of a state-funded budget, though, and with budget cuts being made throughout the schools, I know she could use our help. She does an amazing job with what she has (and no doubt spends her own money, too, as so many teachers do) but we are hoping to be able to raise some money for her so that she may continue working miracles for the families that have the good fortune of crossing her path."

My new running buddy, Alissa agreed to join me in the virtual race, so we headed out for 3.1 miles this morning. Here's my documentation of the run. We just did our normal run/walk deal, so we didn't break any speed records, but we had fun doing it, and I got some tips for potty training to boot, so I'd call it a productive morning, for sure. :)

You still have 'till June 10th to do your own 5K and join the virtual race. Check it out on Alicia's blog and see all the great prizes she's offering participants. 

Julia and me ready to roll. :)

Alissa and me barely containing our pre-race enthusiasm. ;)

Finished in just under 40 minutes with a 5 min walking warm up and run 2, walk 2 workout.

Um...I'm thinking I'm a bit of a runnerd. Or just a plain old nerd.  Whatever, I'm loving life, and that's what's important, right? ;)

"You can do it! You can RUN!"

I am just LOVIN' life lately. LOVING IT.  I think I just may be out of the postpartum depression, and let me tell you, even the possibility of that being true makes me want to do cartwheels of joy-maybe even attempt a handspring. (I haven't done one of those since I was like, 10.)

Anyway, here's one thing I love about life: I'm human. Yes, in an "everybody makes mistakes" kind of way, but what I really feel like celebrating right now is the beauty of being part of the human family. Of being able to connect with complete strangers in a way that's almost magical, and is miraculous.

I was out on a run, working on my cardio strength by doing 1 minute sprints followed by 2 minute recovery walks. It was a blast, but also a slap in the face. I knew I'd lost some fitness during my postpartum recovery break, but I was stunned at just how much. Like I could only go at top speed for 45 seconds before my body just mandatorily slowed itself down. I was in one of my sprints, thinking to myself that Rudy or Julia better never be more than a 45 second sprint away from me in any emergency, when I whizzed past a little Abuelita out on an evening stroll. I called out "Hi!" to her as we passed and slowed to my recovery walk about 20 seconds later. It just so happened that this was also my turn around point, so I found myself walking back towards this woman.

I know NOTHING about her story, except that she immigrated to the United States from some other country at some point in her life late enough to still have a very pronounced Hispanic accent. Her dark eyes seemed to radiate the strength, courage, and diligence that such a life experience likely taught her. As we passed again she said with energy and love I didn't expect from such an elderly woman I'd never seen before in  my life, "You can do it! You can RUN!" and I believed her.

That little moment carried me all the way home on what felt like winged feet. How did that woman know those were just the words I needed to hear? How did she know my heart was beginning to harbor seeds of doubt and fear that I'd ever really be fit again? She didn't, but God did, and He put us in each other's paths that night, so that we could connect as sisters in the human family in a way that will bless me for a long time yet to come.

I hope that I'll be ready to reach out to others with that same kind of warmth and kindness so that God can work through me like He worked through that beautiful woman out for her evening stroll.

Thank Goodness for Rudy

I had some errands lined up for this afternoon. Once the kids were up from their naps (or in Rudy's case, nap attempt), I started working on getting us out the door. A good hour later, after changing 2 diapers, nursing Julia, handling a meltdown and a half from no nap Rudy, searching for my wallet, searching for my keys, grabbing Rudy's shoes and getting them on his feet, preparing a snack, loading the diaper bag, finding the coupon I needed, finding the specific toy Rudy really wanted to bring with him, dressing myself in presentable clothing, and strapping Julia into her car seat, I opened the door to find....

NO CAR.

Apparently, Jason and I had a misunderstanding about whether he was taking his scooter or the car to work today.

Rudy must have noticed my slumped shoulders and fallen face as I soaked in the reality that the car was not to be had nor the errands to be ran. He said to me, "It's OK, the car won't be gone forever, it will come back. While we wait, why don't we go outside and play in the sand?" 

That was a valid observation and quite a mature suggestion from a no napped 3 year old. I decided to go with it, seeing as my frazzled head was still just throwing a fit about all the work I'd done to get us ready for errands that were no longer a possibility.

We went out to the backyard, Rudy beelined for the sandbox, and I slumped into a chair with Julia. A few minutes passed, then my little man  appeared with a bottle of bubbles in his hands. He started blowing bubbles, then offered me the wand. I took it, and next thing I knew, we were all giggling as Rudy went chasing bubbles all over the patio like a knight out to slay dragons. We blew bubbles until my knees were sticky with bubble juice drips and my cheeks were tired from blowing. And then we moved on with our day and enjoyed our errand free afternoon out in the sun, doing nothing in particular. 

Thank goodness I've got Rudy around to remind me how to let go and enjoy what I've got when I've got it.

Marvelously Monstrous Mother's Day

I had a beautiful Mother's day. Full of all the things I love, and completely devoid of depression. I used to take savoring the lovely things in my life for granted. Not anymore. Now I know what a miracle joy is, what a blessing that delicious feeling of a giggle rippling over my lips is. Today was filled with little miracles and bounteous blessings. 

Like going on a daybreak mommy and me walk with Julia, smelling the sweet scents of blooming trees and quietly being alone together in the perfectly cool morning air.

Like filling my belly with homemade granola, nursing my daughter, and snuggling back into bed for a 2 1/2 hour nap that left me feeling fresh and ready for anything.

Like waking up from my nap to Jason's gentle nudge into awareness followed closely by Rudy's boisterous presentation of the card they had crafted while Julia and I snoozed. And then coming out of the bedroom to a freshly tidied front room, kitchen, and dining room, and the best beans and tortillas a girl could dream of.

Like sitting close to my husband with our children wriggling joyfully around us through church services.

Like scrambling through a gentle rainstorm with Julia in her weather-guarded stroller bubble of comfort and Rudy wearing my nursing cover like a super hero cape. Laughing, running, holding hands with the coolest three year old I could ever ask for.

Like being 'saved' from the rain by 3 little girls in our congregation with umbrellas and lots of enthusiasm to spare that helped Rudy keep enjoying the fun of running through the rain for the full 3/4 of a mile it took to get home.

Like warming up from head to toe under the warm hum of the blow dryer.

Like having a great friend stop by for a visit.

Like cuddling up with each of my children individually to lull them into dream land as we listened to the rain dancing on our patio.

Like listening to my favorite love song just before bed and eagerly awaiting my stud of a husband's return from his night shift, knowing that his 'weekend' starts tomorrow.

Ah, life is good, and I'm so glad that I can recognize and savor it!

Dear Julia,

Yesterday was an exhausting motherhood day. 30 or 35 years from now, you'll probably know exactly what I'm talking about. My physical stamina was challenged, my self worth was challenged, my faith was challenged, heck, even my sense of humor was challenged. It was hard, and I really needed a good night's sleep to recover, so when you decided to be up at 3 am, it was like a kick in the stomach.
I tried everything I could think of to get you back to sleep. 2 hours later, you were still fussing in your crib, and I was fuming in my bed, telling myself all sorts of unhelpful things like how unfair the whole situation was. When I was good and frothy, I catapulted myself out of my bed for the umpteenth time that night, marched into your bedroom, practically slammed the door behind me, whipped you out of your swaddling blanket and hoped beyond hope that you'd just soiled your diaper and we were a few deft diaper changing maneuvers away from dreamland. No so.
I held your dry, sweet smelling body at arms length and hissed, "What do you want?! What do you WANT, Juila?!" And then I cried. Huge heaving sobs. Exhausted, overwhelmed, self-loathing sobs. And I held you close and told you how sorry I was and how tired I was and how overwhelmed I was, and how I couldn't fathom facing another day after being up half the night.
And then you quieted, and you nestled your head right in between my neck and my shoulder and you held me. It was about the most healing thing I've ever experienced.  We sat there for a good 5 or 6 minutes just holding each other and for a moment, we were sisters. I felt so clearly that you are a daughter of God, and so am I. That we're equals. Not in a "You can do what ever you want and walk all over me" way, but in a "I will respect you and love you enough to listen and get to know you and not just boss you around like an idiot." way.
After I calmed down, you reminded me that you yourself were not feeling so hot either, and it was my turn to soothe you again, but this time, I was OK with that. Somehow, those few moments of connection on a spirit to spirit level restored me enough to soothe you with real benevolence in my heart, and you (finally) drifted into a peaceful sleep. Soon thereafter, so did I.
Julia, yours is a strong, beautiful and loving spirit. You astound me with the goodness that seems to radiate from you. I can't wait to see you continue to blossom and grow and bless people's lives with that goodness. You've already been a giant blessing to mine.
I love you, sweetie.
Love,
Mommy

Bunny Buns

Rudy saw this recipe in The Friend, a children's magazine the LDS Church puts out. He asked to make them pretty much every day for 2 weeks until I finally got up the gumption to do it. It's one of those recipes that calls for lots of rising time. Like, mix the dough, let rise for 2 hours, form the dough, let rise another hour, etc. I'm a bit of a waiting wimp when it comes to baking. (OK, I'm actually a waiting wimp all around, but let's just focus on baking today.) ;)

They're supposed to be more of a sweet roll,  but I was SO not feeling like sweet rolls. We turned them into dinner rolls instead by leaving out the orange zest and not glazing them. I gotta say, it was actually really fun forming them with Rudy, and really gratifying to have them turn out in golden brown perfection. Plus, it's just fun to say- Bunny Buns. :) 

I think I'll keep the recipe. Maybe it'll become a spring tradition to make these cute little guys. 

The Grand Safari

Pretty fancy name for a stroller, huh? But it's fun to say, so I just might teach Rudy that this contraption is called a "Grand Safari" and not just a double jogger. Sound adventurous, and just a little bit elite, and who doesn't want to feel that way headed out to the grocery store, backpack filled with dipes, pretzels, and sippies?

Anyway, as mundane as a double jogger could be perceived to be, having one is rocking my world. I LOVE that I can strap both my kids in and get OUT whenever the urge strikes, and with the weather turning springy, I expect the urge will strike more and more often. 

But on to the hilarious story that is the reason I'm even creating a post about my kiddie/cargo transporter.

On Tuesday, I took Julia out in the stroller for the first time ever. I kept it simple, no jogging, just a quick walk to the park and back, and I packed the babybjorn  carrier just in case Julia hated using a stroller as much as Rudy did at first. Fortunately, Julia was more than content to chill in her new ride and watch the world go by. It probably helped that one of her favorite people in the world was sitting right next to her, making silly faces in her general direction.

Unfortunately, Rudy did not have quite as smooth of a ride. He almost did, mind you-we didn't run into any trouble until we were literally 20 feet from completing the journey. 

As we were strolling past my front yard, I paused for a moment to consider the sorry excuses for bushes that are awkwardly positioned along my front porch. I was working out how I would go about pulling them out when I began walking again and promptly RAN OVER my son. As in, I felt a bump and looked down to see my 3 year old sprawled, face first, on the sidewalk, his little body half covered by the "Grand Safari" that he was supposed to be sitting in. Before you gasp in despair or horror that I would consider this hilarious, let me just assure you that Rudy was absolutely unscathed except for understandable indignation of being run over by a double jogger being pushed by none other than his own mother.

I, of course, was mortified and hurried to help him up to his feet and give him kisses and check him over and all that jazz. Rudy just kept repeating, "That wheel ran me over, Mommy! It ran right over me!" 

I'm just glad we didn't cause an accident at the four way stop right by our house. I could imagine it might have been a bit distracting for a driver to see: kid wriggles out of his seat while mom is stopped, mom begins moving, kid hits the ground like a felled tree, mom doesn't notice anything's amiss until there's an unexpected bump in the sidewalk ahead of her, mom peels her child off the sidewalk while child begins berating the offending front wheel of the yellow contraption he had until recently been riding in. I'm sure it would have caused me to do a double take, and probably begin to chortle to myself. 

Anyway, Rudy and I have a new understanding that he will always let me know if he is getting out of the stroller, and I will always check to be sure there are no small children in my path before embarking on whatever adventure I have planned for my very own "Grand Safari".

Sibling Fun

After dinner, and just before Julia's bed time, Rudy hit a baby laughing jackpot, and he just kept coming back for more. I was holding Julia for probably 10 minutes before I decided to just put her down and grab the camera to record the hilarity for Jason and whomever else feels like watching.
This is what's great about siblings. Had I stumbled upon these laughs, I'd have preformed a few more times before moving on to the dinner dishes, or getting Julia into her jammers or some other practical thing. Not Rudy. That kid had enough stamina to match Julia's interest, and the two of them did this laughing dance for close to 20 minutes before Julia's bed was calling to her louder than her silly brother's antics. I love how Julia was so wound up that she'd sometimes get started laughing even before Rudy did his thing, just knowing that it was coming.
When Rudy realized he was being videotaped, he kept trying to catch himself on camera by making Julia laugh and then hurrying over to see himself in the frame. Probably 'cause after I snap a photo, the shot pops up for a few seconds on the display afterward. He's a ham for seeing himself on camera. :)

Yesterday, it snowed.

Today, it was warm enough for bare feet and tummy time with the hens. It's been a beautiful reminder to me that nothing lasts forever. Now matter how gray or cold, or dead the winter, it always gives way to a spring that is green and warm and full of life. Every time.
Natural things have always been close to my heart-they seem to whisper spiritual truths whenever I will listen. I'm so glad God sees fit to show us His love through so many different avenues.

Poor Little Bug on the Wall

Yesterday, Rudy and I were eating lunch when I noticed a leaf hopper on our dining room wall. "Look, Rudy" I said, "There's a little bug on the wall." That immediately put the old camp song into my head, so I just had to teach it to Rudy as we munched our *fresh* egg sandwiches. For those who may not be familiar with this classic, I'll give you the lyrics:

"Poor little bug on the wall,
No one to love him at all.
No one to wash his clothes,
No one to tickle his toes,
Poor little bug on the wall!"

After a few rounds of the song,
Rudy hopped down from his seat, got right up close to the leaf hopper and whispered, "I love you, little guy." Then he tried to tickle the leaf hopper's toes...I mean, feet.
Sweet kid.

Today, on the other hand, we were joined by a spider on the same wall at dinner time. It was a just a little harmless house spider, so I didn't think anything of it, and got up to begin cleaning the kitchen. Rudy was really interested and flicked it down from the wall for further inspection. Next thing I know, he's showing me a half squished spider on the rim of his cup, wriggling it's remaining legs in apparent agony. (Do spiders have pain receptors?!) Anyway, besides the fact that a half squished spider on the rim of a glass is GROSS to begin with, I couldn't stand the seeming pain the little creature was in, and quickly completed the squish job. I explained to Rudy about humanely killing things we need to kill, etc. All he had to say on the topic was, "But I liked watching the legs moving around."
Poor little bug on the wall (or rim of a glass). I guess my little man can't be sweet and sensitive ALL the time, huh?

Living with Chickens

Our first dozen eggs from the hens.

The coop proving it's coziness in a crazy April snow storm. I'll be painting it a green color when all the other Spring chores are done.

Love it! We had these cute little tracks through the snow all over the place on Sunday. :)

I love those fluffy butts!

Rudy "scratching" in the dirt with the hens. 

This pile of feathers is the whole flock dust bathing together. The way they relaxed, you'd think they were lounging in a luxury spa. Glad these gals are easy to please!

Rudy making friends with the hens on their first morning with us.

More friend making.

Sunflower caught on real quick that Rudy was the one with food. She shadows him when ever he comes out now. :)

Sunny grabbing a bite while Rudy and the hens hang out around the compost heap. I'll have to build bins for the heap if I want any composting to happen-those hens are great at spreading a pile out flat on the ground in no time.

Me holding a not so happy to be held Sunny. I'm still working on getting them acclimated to being handled. They're super tame about being around people and letting us pet them, but not so jazzed about the idea of being held yet. All in good time, I guess. 

Sunny braving the snow in search for greener pasture. (Or more readily available worms.)

We started talking about raising laying hens about a year ago after Jason read "The Ominvore's Dilemma". I was excited that he was actually considering keeping hens, and did my best to encourage and nurture the spark of interest Jason had expressed. Then came pregnancy, and the idea of getting chicks and raising them to hens that Spring felt (and probably was) ridiculous. We put the hen idea on ice, and worked on getting ready for our own little chick to arrive.

At the beginning of this year's March, Rudy and I checked out a book about a boy who raised a hen and through thrift and hard work, was able to provide a good source of protein for he and his mother, pay for his schooling (as his flock grew) and eventually opened a large chicken ranch which provided much needed jobs for his fellow villagers. It made hen keeping sound really simple-something anyone, even the poorest of poor to could manage to do.

I dove into research mode, and pretty much ate, slept and breathed chicken books/online articles for the next week and a half. Just as I was getting burned out and ready to take a chicken vacation (Jason had burned out about 5 days into my chicken information binge.), I found an amazing deal for a 1 year old flock of 5 laying hens, their coop, and all their gear in our local classifieds. Our ticket to getting into the hen keeping business without blowing a wad of cash on the way there, or spending the whole summer scrounging for free "we'll make it work" kind of options! 

2 days later, we were small time chicken ranchers. Aside from the huge task of getting the coop from the first owner's back yard into ours, and the necessary push through chicken burn out to get up to speed about caring for our flock, it's been heavenly. 

All of us, even Jason, have really been enjoying the hens. Its so soothing to watch them busily scratch around, and to listen to their variety of coos and calls and clucks as they find treasures in the soil. It great knowing that we are no longer supporting the cruelty involved in the mass production of eggs for our nation.  It's satisfying to be in charge of livestock instead of pets. I've never owned an animal who had any other job than being cute, and I've gotta say, I really like this different kind of relationship with a living creature. More of a working relationship. I care for them, they care for me (by providing me with eggs to eat, keeping the bugs down in my yard, and giving me great organic fertilizer for my garden). I love being able to give Rudy (and eventually Julia) a bit of a farm experience even in the 'burbs-heck I love getting that farm experience myself! It's kind of a dream come true for me to feel like I have a bit of a 'hobby farm' in my own backyard.

I don't love having to guard my Spring garden like a hawk (I've already lost 4 kale plants to the hens-but maybe a steady supply of fresh eggs is a good trade off.). We're building a fence around the pine tree bed so that the hens can have unsupervised free range time without me having to forfeit my harvest from the garden that I plant this year. And the prolific poop is not my favorite either, though it's no worse than what we'd be dealing with if we had a dog, and this poop is good for our garden, so I can deal with it.

We've had the chickens for just over a week now, and we're all still glad we have them-I think that's a good sign. This year's animal experiment is going much smoother than last year's. In fact, I think I may actually prefer chicken keeping to dog owning. Given, I'll never have a chicken that could go out on a run with me, but they sure make great backyard companions, and they're way lower maintenance than any dog could ever be.

Meet the Chickens

Sunflower Lilac

Sunny

Kung Pao

Lois

Moony

Rudy named Sunflower Lilac, Sunny, and Moony. Jason named Kung Pao. We kept Lois's name from her first owner.

We've had the hens for 5 days now. They have already graced us with 12 beautiful, scrumptious eggs in colors of cream, brown and blue. They're great company in the backyard (except when they infiltrate my spring garden-they have obliterated 3 young kale plants already. I'm working on some solutions.)

I'll work on a post all about why we got hens and how much we love them and all that later. I just wanted to take a second and show off our very first flock of laying hens!