Beguiling Brother

Yesterday Carson and Rylie were playing in their bedroom. I was routinely putting away laundry so I went into join them. As my back was turned to their closet I overheard Carson whispering in his little sisters ear,

"Rylie, say, 'I don't like you!' Okay Rylie, can you say that?"

Curious as to what he might be up to and having an idea, I thought I would make my task of putting clothes away last a bit longer so I could watch his plans unfold.

So Rylie then whispers back in the same quiet tone as her brothers, "I don't like you."

"No Rylie, you need to say it louder, can you say it louder?" Carson urges her on.

So she dutifully blurts out in her very largest voice possible, "I don't like you!"

Carson then reacts immediately seeing that his plan was in swinging motion he declares, "Mom did you hear her? Did you hear what she said to me? She said she didn't like me! Did you hear that mom?"

Naturally I voice his plan had been foiled by a very smart mommy and let him know how terribly wrong it was to do what he did, but as I walked out of their room and turned the corner a smile played at my lips. Sneaky little devil.:)

But then shortly afterwards it occurred to me. How often does he actually do this and get away with it?

Oh dear, my sweet boy has just made this parenting thing much more difficult. Now I need to add to my many hats and titles as a mother, "Interrogator, Out to Seek Truth and Justice!"

My Piano

Harvey surprised me with this gorgeous 1950's piano. It is in beautiful condition and I love the style of the older pianos. I have visions of my children playing the piano and practicing for their concerts. Harvey has now created for me an outlet; something to calm my nerves and lift my spirits. Thanks Harvey, you are too good to me.

The Pet

I have birthed animal lovers. Each and everyone of them are entirely opposite of me not only in looks but in the very fact that they crave an animal to call their own. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike animals. I just find their habits and smells a bit disgusting. I think a dog licking my face is a bit repulsive and a cat slinking along my legs nothing but hive causing and allergy disposing. A bird is too messy and its screeches are headache rendering, and reptiles cause me to feels the creeps throughout my entire body. Maybe it is being subjected to "poop scooping" at such a young age, or the allergies that they cause me to be in a state so debilitating the mere presence of a furry thing frustrates me.


Whichever the cause, my opinion stays true. I do not want any pets. If I want to look at my animal kingdom friends I will gladly go to a zoo or for that matter gaze out on my acreage where the deer, fox, wild turkey and hedgehog play daily.


But there is one slight hiccup in my plans to never domesticate my bestial buddies...I have married a man with farming in his blood. Don't let his debonair demeanor and his pin strip suits fool you. He is determined to take what he can of this nearly 4 acre piece of land and fill it with a smallish farm. In his sights he sees goats, horses, chickens, and of course a dog named Jack that Carson so desperately desires. Not much as you can see; he has after all, had to negotiate with his wife who refuses to participate in taking care of farm animals. I will have my own farm of 5 children to tend to in the house, what need do I have of more?

So Harvey is excited and his plans are underway. For proof we have received our first partially welcomed farm animal or as all of my children are stating, PET. They introduce them as our pets, they tell the tales of their pets, and any chance they get they are being caught looking at their pets. I must admit my cold-heart is turning warm as I watch these cute little furry things, and my heart melts as I watch how tenderly the children are caring for them. Savannah is up at the crack of dawn to tend to their needs and stand watch over them. I believe she sees it as a few steps closer to getting her horse.!

It's Stinky!

We have just recently been potty training Rylie. One time while we were doing our monthly "Sam's Club" shopping she informed us she had to PEE! So we rushed to the toilets. She wasn't ready for the huge toilets, the loud noises, and most of all the stinky smells. When we got in there she hesitantly sat on the large and scary toilet. As she sat she got the most disgusted look on her face and shouted out,


"It's stinks in here! Someone trumpeted mom! Someone farted! Oh it smells so disgusting! Oh stinky, Mom I want to go now!"


I tried to talk her voice down but all I could get out between the laughs was,


"I know it does Rylie, that's what people do in toilets!"


Seriously, whoever was making the smells in that lavatory had to be embarrassed, if not in total hysterics.

Unfortunately this event completely turned her off from using the toilets and now she is back in diapers. I am not sure if it was the very loud flushing of the very large toilet that nearly scared her to death while we were in there, or if the smell will forever permeate in her nose and the toilet now only holds total disgust for her. If only she had to change her diapers! Then she would truly know what disgust is.

Little Miss. Confidence. I love to watch her.

She moves with style. First, she flips her hair off her shoulders. Then, she proceeds to walk towards you with her hips swaying and her hands flexed, oh so prissy like. Then, she stops in front of you, does a turn, smiles at you so cunningly and then does a flirtatious laugh. Oh heavens, what are we to do. When I watch her I used to get a little nervous about our future with this child. But now all I see is cuteness and confidence. Oh, how I wish I had her confidence.

The Savmad Room

We've just recently turned the girls beds back into bunk beds to give them more space in their room. As a result things got a bit exciting there for a moment and they got all hyped up about how cool their "new" room was. They spent hours in there the first day compiling lists and rules of conduct for their rooms. Harvey and I stood outside their door laughing hysterically as we read their rules.

They've titled their room "The SavMad Room"

1. No farting (I swear they were ladies before this summer spent with their boy cousins. They used to use the proper word "tooting." Oh well!)

2. No burping

3. Listen to us and only us!

4. Never disobey

5. Knock when you want to come in!

6. Don't knock anything over.

7. No hitting or kicking

8. Always ask when you want to go in one of the forts. (Fort meaning their bed)

9. Listen to the owner of the fort when your in it.

10. Always be happy.

11. You're only allowed up to 2 toys.

I think what made us laugh so hard was the realization that these rules were made specifically for Carson and Rylie and neither one of them can read. Too funny, but the rules themselves are brilliant. I think I will make them the new house rules. Especially the "Listen to us and only us" rule!

Our Unexpected Guests

While we were away for 5 weeks we had a few visitors that liked our place so much they decided to take up residency.

The kids discovered them and informed Harv and I by running into the house telling us that someone had built us a birdhouse! A little curious Harvey went out for a little look-see and discovered that the birdhouse was in fact a very large and very intimidating hornet hive.

As beautiful and unbelievable as it may be we want them gone. They are the bald-face hornets and they are aggressive (what a great mascot they would make!) I was so freaked out just in taking these pictures that while I snapped my last one a hornet buzzed in my ear and me and my fat self took off running like a stampede of elephants! I would say like a Jaguar or a leopard or something cool like that but with my large belly; elephant is just more fitting!

Nature at its best

For the last 2 years we have stayed at my cabin while we visit friends and family in Utah. I love it up here. The surroundings are incredible. We are engulfed in Utah's majestic mountains. And at night we are lulled to sleep with the river that runs behind us. Without the influence of technology the kids spend all their time outdoors. They check in on occasion and when the day is through they are covered in dirt and exhausted. Does life really get any better than this???


Well one morning life certainly landed us a surprise. As I was walking outside I watched a man run around looking for something. Fearing he may have lost a child I asked if he needed any help. He then told me that he wasn't looking for a child but he had spotted a moose and was trying to find where it had gone to. Completely excited I joined him in his search. They weren't hard to find for they decided to take a water break right in our backyard! I quietly ran into to tell Harvey which to no one's surprise he came out with the camera and snapped dozens of photos of our furry and probably dangerous neighbors. Harvey was gone for at least an hour.


When he got home he told me that at one point he was cornered by the two moose and both staring right at him. He was literally 10 feet from them. His words to describe the event, "exhilarating!"



Oh I love this place!