And we are back to the REAL reasons for Summer!!

Well I think they are all okay. They still get tired really easy and very quickly. But they are doing much better.

I have been getting up every morning and going to pick peas. It usually takes about 3 and a half to 4 hours just to pick them.

Today I took the boys with me. I wanted to see how well they would do. I was shocked and disapointed.

Uncle Gerald is a cankorous old fart, and treats his pea garden like a baby. Which is fine. He has taught me SOO much. But I was worried about his reaction to the boys.

Well, he was thrilled. I had already went over the rules with them, DONT break the plant, how to feel them to make sure they are ready (the peas we have are not always visibly differnt) , how to pull them off. AND most of all, how to lay them in the bucket so all the ends faced the same direction. It really does make it easier when you are feeding them into an automatic sheller. I just hoped they had heard half of what I said.

Well he took them to the side and repeated all that I had told them and a few more things too.
Matt was enthralled. He wanted to make sure he was doing it right. BRett just listened and didnt say a word. This is NOTHING like Brett. Usually he will ask stupid questions just to keep you talking to him. Or to make himself look smarter.

THen I remembered, I had told them to LISTEN to everything Uncle Gerald says, but not to ask a bunch of inane questions, since he was deef (as he calls it) as a post. The man couldnt stand behind an elephant and hear it fart.
That meant that BRett couldnt impress him with questions, so he could care less.

Matt went to work and I swear, he actually did good. Brett on the other hand had to be proded around like loose cattle.

We had picked the garden so clean yesterday ( I did 3 and a half 5 gallon buckets on my own) that there wasnt a whole lot left. THANK GOD.

Not only did we get done before 10am we also got it all shelled. This is the best time yet!

The boys didnt get the peas put in the buckets in the right way, I did have to reset every one. It was a PITA.

But I had promised them a suprise with my grandfather if they helped me, and they were really looking forward to it. They could hear his mule start up from the pea patch and were excited about it. They couldnt wait. I had even told them that he was going to get to rescue them from pickin. The first time they heard it they just knew he was coming. But he didnt. it turned off quickly.

I had went by yesterday and asked him if he would take them blueberry picking. My uncle has a small grove. And they LOVE them. At first he was not too thrilled. Asked me why I didnt take them. I told him that I dont do heat, and since I cant stand blueberries I wasnt going to sit in the heat while they picked them. Plus I wasnt the one always complaining that I never saw the kids and wanting to do stuff with them. Plus I pointed out he could sit on his rear in the mule, wouldnt have to fight Bow in the heat and could just enjoy the kids being kids and all that. Plus Uncle Gerald had been after me to take them.

He relented.

So when they finally heard the mule start up, Lighting, my little miniature terrier start barking and it coming down the lane they really got excited. They didnt know where they were going yet, but knew the picking was over and they were getting to spend time alone with their great grandfather. I didnt even think his wife would come, since it was so hot. Plus No other kids around, since his new step grandson wasnt there and they might even get to drive the mule!

We were done picking anyway, and we started towards the gate. They said "mom, somethings wrong, Mary is coming and Hunney isnt with her" I looked up and sure enough.. When she got there she said that she was ready to take them berry picking. She had been volunteered.

Oh well. I had tried.
She had to go back and get Rayley from my moms, since I didnt bring Princess pityparty with me.

I went on up to Aunt Etta and Uncle Geralds to help him shell the peas. we got done and I went and got the kids. Brett was outside helping Hunney agervate the guy that was digging a hole in the yard to bury some steps.

As I rounded them up I was also given their gallon bag of blueberries. Oh wow... just what I want.. Them all hyped up on sugar with a little diarhea thrown in.

I brought home a two and a half gallon bucket of shelled peas. To go with the fridge full that I had already that needed putting up. We put up 42 pints already. Of course I put 3 pints to a bag, so its not many meals.

Once I got lunch cooked and BR off to work I decided it was time to blanche the peas and get them put up. It was a mountain of peas and I knew it would take a while. Especially since I have one of them fancy new glass top stoves that SUCKS. I HATE it. It takes forever to boil water in anything bigger than a quart saucepan. It is NOT made to can, you are not supposed to put that much weight on it, and you are not suppsed to use it for that long of a time on high.

But we got it done. The kids really did help me. We put up 63 pints this time. I am literly out of freezer room. I had to move stuff around just to get those in. But thts okay. I have a few idiots I knwo that like squash, so I will be giving them some squash this week. To make more room. As it is right now I cant fit another thing in there and I have NO meat. I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow.

While I was blanching the peas I was piddiling around the kitchen and Brett decided to clean out the fridge. its bare, so its a good thing I am going to the store.

Once we got done with that and a few loads of laundry the kids were hungry again. So I got that done and recleaned the kitchen. Then Matt remembered that I had mentioned making a blueberry cobbler.
So I made that. I had to boil down the blueberries, and of course I was out of eggs. BR had asked for Breakfast Taco's for lunch and Brett had ran out of eggs while he was helping me cook it. Luckily I was able to call around and get 2 eggs. Sometimes living in the country aint great. when you dont have a chicken coop. BR swears that building me one is the next project. I cant wait. I LOVE chickens!!

I got the cobbler in the oven and recleaned the kitchen and was teaching the kids how to put items on my grocery list in my blackberry when Matt kept asking brett which letter was which. He has always gotten the D and B confused, and the L and the J. But when I questioned him he admited that he was still getting them confuesed but he also couldnt see the letter on the keyboard of my phone. I tried to get him to read some stuff.

He failed miserably. I said I was going to have to get him some glasses. So he wanted to write it on the grocery list. I told him taht he had to go and see a DR. He wasnt fazed. He wanted me to call and make one right then. He is almost too excited about the prospect of getting glasses. Come to find out a friend has glasses at school.

Now it might be legit. I have to have glasses. But it wasnt till I was in the 6th grade...

I did get the kids in bed, and they literly fell into it. The cobbler was done about 10 minutes later. and I promised them it for breakfast.

Its pretty good. and I dont even like blueberries.

Quick update, the bed is calling my name

and its not whining, crying, or bitching at me!! Plus, it doesnt drag the word mom out into 8 sylabals...


I am sorry to have kept y'all hanging. SOOOO sorry.

Bow did run a fever all day and through last night, he has been lowgrade today. and jut half cranky.
I called the DR. They told me to give him the same antibiotic as the kids are on.

He is doing better (fingers crossed).

ALl the big kids are doing much better also. only a slight fever from Rayley this evening. They are still a little cranky and tire easy. But they are much much improved.

I have to get up early, perferably around 6 to go and pick peas (again) from my great uncles garden. they MUST be picked in the morning and he cant do it. And it gets WAY too hot by 8am. I went this morning around 7:30 and I bet it was already 85*.

Anyway, Everyone is better, I am hopeing that Bow can whoop it too. And I am heading to bed. more than 3 hours of sleep would be nice :) So since its 1 am I am shooting for 5 and a half! :) WHOO-HOO!!


So thank y'all for your prayers, and when I come back to write about the last few days remind me to tell you what the princess of criesalot has been doing lately... she is getting a real smart mouth on her.... REAL smart.. And the sad part is, I dont know where she gets it from!!

I see alot of trouble in her future..