School Days

Ugh. I'm sitting here with an oogy belly wondering what happened to summer. How can Wyatt possibly be back in school already and an even better question is how can he POSSIBLY be in middle school! I know this sounds hoaky, but it really does seem like just yesterday that I was just starting middle school. I remember my fabulous first day of school outfit and my shoes... OMG, my shoes. They were high heeled Famolares.

They were SO cool.

Ok but anyway this is about Wyatt not me, well really it is about me because I'm his mother and I'm the one that got ditched when he went to school this morning. Is the View back on live? They have been in reruns for the last few weeks and I could really use a morning shot of the ladies bickering to take my mind off things. Ok, ok, ok so about Wyatt... He looked great today in his new school clothes. This is the first year he's given a rats ass about how he looks. Before, I always picked out his his clothes and decided what he's going to wear and then he rolls out of bed, may or may not remember to brush his teeth and heads for the door. Not this year. He had to have brand name clothes and shoes. Good bye Payless Shoes no name brands for $14.00, hello Nike and Vans for a $bazillion.00. Good bye Tuff Skins, hello Levis. Good bye healthy clean air, hello Axe. My hair gel? Really? I have to say good bye to MY hair gel? Well, not like I use it, but do I have to turn it over to my SON? How did this happen.

Here he is with his merry band of well wishers behind him...



Doesn't he look thrilled? I'm glad my Dads not around to see that I cut off his feet in the photo... He'd say "Dammit Marilyn, look at all the room at the top of the photograph and you cut off his feet. You have. To center. Your subject."

And of course the traditional in front of the truck first day photo (notice the centered subject?)

Anyway, I won't see that mug around here again until about 3:30 this afternoon. What should I do. I think I might spend the day snacking and watching trashy daytime television and not stress myself with anything productive until tomorrow. I need a little time to adjust.

Saturday Stuff

Ahhh... A quiet Saturday morning all to myself. Nothing but the sound of a barking dog, braying donkeys, crowing roosters, honking peacocks, mooing cows, bleating goats and one little lambs bell! Wyatt is off on an adventure with his Grandmother today, and if you've ever met my Mother you know that "adventure" is an understatement. They have big plans to grab some  coneys for lunch, hit up the craft store and pick up some prescriptions and produce. Every eleven year old boys dream day. I kid, he really is excited. 6 is running the trucks through DEQ this morning. In Oregon (maybe everywhere) you have to make sure your cars and truck aren't polluting pigs on wheels and before you can renew  your license tabs you have to pass an inspection. It seems the farm truck walks a fine line every year, but somehow passes.

The big news in the barnyard this week is we have a hen who has been sitting on eggs. No, not Frack, who as you may remember was sitting on rocks, but Red who sits on actual eggs and she managed to hatch out two of them! The first one out was strong and strappy, but the second one to crack was cold, lifeless and kind of oogy. Wyatt and leeAnn scooped her up and ran into the house where I quickly placed her in a preheated oven and commenced chicken bake 2010. I rubbed her and turned her so as not to overcook one side of her and within an hour or so she was rolling around with eyes opened and feathers fluffed!



We have to keep them in a box under a light instead of with Red because they would surely be smashed by the menagerie if left in the barnyard.

Heres a picture of  them today at three days old...



So I listed Snowball the white donkey for sale on Craigslist last night. I got quite a few responses but one in particular from a really nice lady who knew alot about donkeys so I decided she would be a perfect home to adopt Snow out to, but something terrible happened... Wyatt had a emotional breakdown of mammoth proportion (donkey pun intended) He turned on the waterworks and had me feeling like the cruelest mother in the world. I instantly had visions of him being featured on Animal Hoarders fifteen years from now explaining the reason why he had fifty eleven cats and twice as many ferrets living in his single wide with holes in the floor was because his mother sold his beloved donkey. I tried explaining to him that we never planned on getting another donkey and that the only reason we got Snow was because she came free with Joe and was mangey and hungry. He wasn't having any of it. The tears kept coming. I finally wagered a deal with him to keep Snow, but Dan the Ram had to go along with the newly aquired anti-social llamas. It took some quick thinking on my part, but we eventually struck a deal. The llamas (not Tina) have been voted off the Island along with Dan the Energizer Ram. We have doubled our investment in the sheep department, Dans job here is done and the snobby llamas can go guard someone else's flock.

Snowball avoided elimination ❤



I made soap yesterday, pearberry again, my favorite. I also made some pearberry soy candles which smell deeeeelish. I figure it won't be too long before I'm sick to death of pearberry, but for now I can't get enough! I really like red clover tea too, maybe I should switch things up a bit and alternate. Wyatt made some cotton candy candles that smell soooper good too.

Ok, thats all for today. I just sold a llama so now I have to get 6 to help me catch her!

Summer Fun!

Hello, hello... Is this thing on?

Wow. Where does the time go? I have so much to say I don't even know where to start.

First... 6 is home! KBR ended alot of contracts early and tons of people got sent home. Seven hundred people came home the same week six did. Someone in the government must have known I needed my lawn mowed.

When 6 left for Iraq things were pretty sketchy between us, but time and distance heals alot of things and so does making amends for your wrongs. Before the bomb went off we had a great relationship, so we are starting over from there and rebuilding the trust as we go. So, welcome home 6, I'm glad you're back safe and sound!

Since 6 is home Maddy soon followed. Summer vacation means time with 6's favorite girl.

Maddy lives in the country with her Mom and Step Dad in Washington, but they don't have quite the menagerie that her Dad and Crazy Step Monster have in Oregon! I think it's always a little bit of culture shock when she first arrives, but it doesn't take long to settle in and enjoy the chaos. While she was here we aquired four peacocks from my moms friend who could no longer keep up with them. Two blues and two whites and the male white one is blind. We brought them home in the back of the pickup and three of them are in the barnyard, but Pepper, the blind male lives on the patio and roams the premises on his own or with the assistance of his seeing eye kitten Pansy.

Also while Maddy was here, Ewe Two delivered twin lambs!



But she only liked one of them so she kept one and we kept one!

This is the one we got. We named her Belle and then we got her a bell.

She comes in to eat and play but sleeps in her playpen in the garage. During the day she plays outside with the dogs, or in the barnyard with the goats or goes up into the pasture to show off her pretty pink collar and tinkly bell to the other sheep and chases Tina the llama until Tina gets annoyed and sends her back down to the house. I'm going to call around to some nursing homes and see if I could bring Belle and Barty in to visit with the old people. I mean really, can you imagine anything more fun for people who don't have any fun then getting to visit with a lamb and a black and white dog?

I bet you can't.

So, the other great thing that happened this summer is Consuela came to visit!!

We had SO much fun! We made soap and soy candles and went to Costco and bbq'd and drank wine and Consuela rode Joe

and played with Belle!

We had a great time :)

But all good things must come to an end, and soon it was time to say goodbye to Maddy and Con. Since they both live in the same area, Consuela drove Maddy home and saved us a trip up and back.

Bye Guys...

So things are pretty quiet around here now. Good thing Trina and Chrissy and Lexi and Jordan and Erik are coming this weekend! We are going to have SO much fun, we'll make hemp jewelry, and do trailer park tie dye, and make ice candles and maybe we'll make some soap and play with the dogs and the lamb, and ride Joe and have a camp fire and go swimming and go fishing and sleep in the tent, I can't wait!!

I love summer ❤