Build it and they will come

Today has been busy. yesterday too for that matter.
BR's big truck had some issues, so he dropped it off at the shop and come home a little early. We decided to use that time to work on the Chicken Coop.

We got the rafters, lathe and such done yesterday. Right at dark I finished putting the roof down. There was only one incedent. BR cut his finger on the tin. It bled pretty bad, but wasnt a real bad cut. No-where near the time he ran the grinder over his pinky finger and 'ground' it to the bone. That was a beaut.

This morning we got back up and went out at 7am. I took him back to work at 1pm and came home and got busy again.

Today we got the walls put up completly, realized that we needed to get differnt wire, since we just didnt want to deal with having to wrassle the 6 foot roll. BR said it was like fighting a housefull of cats. I agree'd. We will put the rest up as a 'yard' for the chickens.

We worked on the nesting boxes. It didnt go very well. The plans were all right. There was enough wood. BUT the idiot who went and bought everything forgot to buy nails. ooopppss. So, I went to my grandfathers and stole some. BR wasnt happy with it, and when we quit so he could go to work, I was under the impression that he wanted to scrap my whole set up and start again from scratch.

When the kids got home I decided to let them paint the walls on the back. I had bought a gallon of red paint.

Now I am not a mathamagition, BUT, since the can said it would cover 400sq feet, I felt we would have MORE than enough.
BOY was I wrong.
I dont know. You do the math.

Paint= 400sq feet
square feet needing paint= 144 sq feet (including the nesting boxes)

SO, with those two numbers you would fiqure at LEAST 2 coats on each peice. RIght?

well, neither you nor I added in the variable.
4 kids with paintbrushes.

That means that my inside walls only got half painted, there is one coat on the outside walls, and the nesting boxes were not touched.

OH, and after BR left, I went out, finished up the nesting boxes and got the post holes dug that the posts that held them up were going in. Then I secured the boxes to them and the wall. I still have to put the perches on the front of them, but fiqured if I had them all done, and attached, BR would be less likely to toss them in the burn pile.

Once I got done with that, I took the last inch of paint in the can and tried to at least make sure all of the back wall was covered, and as much of the inside as I could get. It wasnt much. But I did find where alot of the paint went. On the ground. and the kids. Oh, and Bow painted a few sticks, stumps and a tree. Oh and his dads trailer tires.


Here are some pics- I didnt get one of the nesting boxes, or the inside since we have the walls and roof up. I was a little ashamed of how bad it turned out with the paint job. I cant stress how many times I begged them to swoosh the brush across the wood, and not slap it up there. Or to tell them that they didnt have to get paint plumb up to the handle, and it actually works better if you just put it at the tips.

They just didnt listen. Oh well. I just hope it dries darker than it looked. We had to get a second can mixed up the other day, the first can was pink. then purple, and so we picked this one. Its called Barn Door Red, and it sure looked hot pink/maroon.

I am tired now. and sore. and dreading finishing up and starting on the hog pen lean to. I am getting to old to get up there and drill.

OH, before I go. I just have to say "GOD BLESS the person who invented the nut driver/socket thingy that goes on the drill for roofing screws. I did about 20 with the phillips head. Then asked BR if we didnt have a socket thing that would fit that head. He went and looked, sure enough, we did. I had the last 30 zipped in quicker than you could spin and spit.



Hog Pen, Smog Pen.. Its a KID KORRAL!!
HA! I told you I was smarter than the average bear!



OH CRAP! I knew I was forgetting something at the hardware store! a latch for the gate!




And they are loose again. Headed off to hide my hammer, discover power tools, and chip their teeth!


Yep, he really did. Climbing on the water trough, he fell and we reckon thats when he did it. He didnt cry, so we didnt even realize it till later in the day. Of course it could have happened at any time. But I know it happened out there, cause just this morning while brushing them, I was thinking that he had such pretty teeth and praying he wasnt cursed with the same teeth the rest of us have.






Poor baby, they lock him up and run off. Thats alright, he will outsmart them. Just climb the fence!



Its official, the coop has began. Here its just a bunch of poles stuck in the ground. But soon it will look like a top notch operation. OR at least a decent faxsimile. Okay, it will look like some idiots threw up some boards, fence posts, and wire. But I will have fresh eggs and meat :)


When all else fails and you dont like it, get out the big guns.

Seriously, we had such unlevel ground that we couldnt cut the posts off BEFORE we planted them and get them level, so we put them all up, then cut them where we wanted them. It made it MUCH easier. Plus, BR likes to play with his chainsaws.



Guess who gets to screw down the roof? yep. little ole' me. I am thinking that this is one job I wont mind passing on to the kids in a year or two. I am getting too old for this.




Just another shot of me on the roof. I am just glad its this roof and not the 30 year old barn we used to have. that thing used to sway with every move I made. and it was MUCH higher!





I am not sure what was going on here. But I can assure you I was getting an earfull about what I wasnt doing right.
Luckily, it goes in one ear and out the other.

But do you see Bows arm? How cute!





Bow is getting pretty good at 'tamping' the posts when we get them in the ground. Now if I could only teach him NOT to throw dirt back in the hole while I am digging it, or before I get the post in...





We dont need saw horses, we have a Bow and a Trailer. you balance it on one and hold it down with the other.

Are you starting to get a 'WILSON' vibe from BR? He does have a face, I swear. And its a handsome one too.



It really looks like he is explaining to his daddy exactly how he should be doing it. If he could only talk. --- ack! did I really say that?




Here is the Byerly Boys painting one of the walls. I made them put on some of their daddy's old T shirts. And no, I cant tell them apart either. Dont feel bad.



He looks like he knows what he is doing. Scary aint it?

and yes, Rayley did help paint. but she wasnt 'dressed' good enough for pictures. Her words, not mine. I made her wear old pajama's out there to paint in and she was NOT happy about it.

Our last hope is dashed

After the buzzard debacle I was hoping to not have anything to blog about. For a few days at least.

Yesterday was one of those days where you KNOW you have something to do, but cant remember what. Then I remembered that it was Coffee with the superentendant. But thats at 7:30am. I have to leave the house at a little before 7. Which is fine, except I have the other two brats. And I would have to take them with me.

So I opted out.
I felt really bad. Cause last time there was 1 other person there. and I knew she wasnt going either.

Then luckily later in the day (around 1:30) I was talking to Pam about the benifit that we are doing for Bridge City PTA (due to Hurricanne Ike) and she mentioned seeing me at the ballpark. I asked her what in tarnation she was talking about. Tryouts were at 5:30. WELL HELL.

So, I called my mother in law, making sure she was coming strait home. Sometimes she will go get groceries and not get home till around 4:30 or so. She was. Then I called BR. I asked him what time he would be home. He was on his way 2 hours south to drop off a load. But would try to get back quickly. This would put him home at 4:45 at the earliest.

Then I tried to find all the baseball equiptment. I quit soonvafter. Then I did something I never do. I called and asked my mother in law to keep my 2 youngest brats. It was a bad connection and I couldnt hear her reply. I was in luck!

While I was getting ready I had an audience. I finished doing my hair and makeup and Rayley said "well, you'd be pretty, if you wore girl clothes" I had on my Dallas Cowboys hoodie and jeans. It was nasty outside, threatening rain, I was going to a ballpark, AND, if we were there after dark it would get chilly. I asked just what she expected me to wear.
"a pretty skirt would be nice"
I snorted
so she said at least a pretty shirt. I was appalled. a child of mine not worshiping the great blue star!!
Then she said if I wasnt so fat I could wear her Dallas Cowboys cheerleading suit. And suggested I get my own. I snorted again. She told me that wasnt very lady like.

Then, she is playing with my hair and says "why are these ones rotten?"
"WHAT?
"these on bottom, are they dead cause your old?"
"NO, they are just not bleached by the sun!"
I have blonde hair, I dont die it, but the bottom layer is brown. I would imagine if I never got out in the sun it would be dirty blonde on top, but if I get outside alot its platnuim on top. Its just always been like that. I have had a 'dye' line where you could see the brown roots since 3rd grade.

My beautician is always telling me that she has people pay hundreds of dollars to make their hair look like this.

I have some hairs that are so bleached out by the sun they are white, its just a jumble of 50 differnt shades of blonde. and my child thinks its rotten. Just wait, hers will do the same thing. I was a cotten top when I was little too. As was BR.



When the boys got home I told the boys to hurry up and get dressed, then I went and dropped off the brats. BR was running a little late, but was home and almost ready when I got back. We hauled butt to town and were only 10 minutes late.

This year they have the 9 year olds on 'minor' league. Then 10, 11, and 12 year olds have a chance to make the 'majors'. If they dont make the cut they are on the 'minors'.

Each kid got two balls thrown out to them from a pitching machine, they had to catch it in center feild and throw it to second base. Matt missed both, but not by much, and did manage to get it thrown back in quickly.

Brett caught one. Both were thrown back in. Neither kid had time to warm up.

Then it was hitting. They were pitching them out of the pitching machine which I thought was dumb. The machine was erratic and I think ONE 9 year old hit the ball. These kids are not THAT bad. Matt swung at everything, and his swing looked good. But the balls were just in the dirt.

Brett was with the 10 year olds, so by then they had a little bit of the erraticsism (yep, its a word... now) worked out. Brett hit the second ball as a pop up foul, but it went back and over his head, going out of the park we were in and into the park next to us, (about 12 feet away). Then his 3rd ball he hit down the 3rd base line.

Again, very few kids hit the ball. Batting practice pitches would have been better.

That was it and we were done. I am hoping both make the 'minor' leagues. it would be much better on me. Only one team, one set of practices, and much less deisel.

We got home around 7 and did something we have NEVER done. We turned on American Idol. there is a hometown boy on there, Micheal Sarver. So we watched it. and now we know why we dont.

It wasnt that bad, but just not something we are into. Of course, come 8 the TV started to change. We record both Dirty Jobs and Scrubs on Tuesday night. I told BR to just go ahead and turn it off, even though Micheal hadnt been on yet. He said no, we could skip Scrubs. I thought that was very nice. :) I had put a roast in the crock pot earlier and thrown in taters and carrots before we left, so all we had to do was heat up the rolls. Supper was great. I think I ate enough to kill a horse. I was just glad that I had for some reason done supper like this today.

I had forgotten my cell phone when we left. this is something I NEVER do. But when we got home BR went to plug his in, he saw I had a text message. It was from Holly. She always has to remind me about the 4-H meetings. Seems we had one at 6:00. Oopps. I missed it. In all fairness she texted me on Monday to remind me. But we only catch a signal here every great once in a while, so I didnt get it. Stupid At&T.


Oh and while I write this, we got our first pre-order for our benefit!! We are counting on selling 1,000.00 plates, will ALL the money going to the BRidge City PTA. if we do that, we will raise 5,000.00. These kids had NO fundraisers this year, and have done NOTHING. No field trips, no fun things, and its just not fair. We really hope we can do a little something for them.

I have been trying to get the newspaper interested, or a TV station, but they just dont care. I bet if we were doing this for New Orleans they would be all over it like a chicken on a June bug.

Our local businesses have been very generous with us. And Walmart is donating the chips and water. Thats not a bad lick. The few things that we couldnt get donated and are having to buy at cost, some of us are chipping in and getting, so there is NO expenses out of the money raised. Plus we are all cooking desserts. I volunteered to make around 12 dozen cookies. sometimes I scare me.


OH, and I spoke to my children last night. I told them that there are things we cant catch and bring home.

They looked at me funny. So I elaborated.

First on the list. They are not allowed to catch any bears. This would NOT be an issue, except some idiot decided they should RE-introduce bears into the wild here. I mean its worked out so well with the wolves in Idaho... They havent been here for many many years. Our forefathers eradicated them. For good reason. But the mo-rons in the capital decided that bobcats, coyotes, and panthers were not enough of a threat to livestock, children and pets and took it upon themselves to bring us a new species. I am NOT happy about it. But they didnt ask. Its just the small bears, but a small bear will still tear something up, kill small farm animals and tear up a chicken coop or hog pen. Not to mention a kid dumb enough to try to catch them. I am sure there is a 'no kill' on them too-until they 'establish' themselves and they can open a hunting season. I am sorry, but I look at a bear in my yard same as I do a potential rapist. I doubt they are just there to borrow the phone.

They looked at each other and said "even those little ones they just released up here?"
I said "NO BEARS!"
So one said: "maan mom! we have been waiting on them to miagrate over here from Scrappin valley or Tyler county so we could find one! thats no fair!!" (Scrappin Valley is about 30 miles as the crow flies, and Tyler County is about 7, strait down the road)

and the other said:

"y'all said it would be about 2 years before they would be in our back yard we'll be bigger then."
I started listing, deciding alphebetical order would be best.

When I listed Armadillo, they said "NOW THATS NO FAIR!, you told us a long time ago, if we thought we could catch it, to go ahead"
Well that was BEFORE they caught a freakin buzzard. Now I know there is more than a snowballs chance in hell that they can. So, I took it off the table.

Then I get "gee mom, no buzzards, no snakes, no more rats, no coons, not even an armadillo - but you dont tell us till we do it. you are gona have to make a more comprehensive list, I guesss you just dont want us catchin nothin..."

I told them to quit using words they couldnt spell, and I didnt care how good their argument was, to stop catching creatures and bringng them HOME."

they started listing other animals
I shot each down.
They accused me of taking away all their fun.
Finally, I told them, they could bring home ALL the wild animals they wanted. BUT they had to be DEAD, skinned, and ready to eat!

They started to smile so I added "and YOU have to eat the first bite of it.-AND it has to be a legal kill."

I thought that, maybe, JUST maybe, if they know they have to eat it, they will stop bringing it home. Cause I could see their little wheels turning, they would expect us to eat EVERYTHING they brought home, but fake not being hungry.

I think I was wrong. Apparently they have a country kids version of a 'bucket list' and they were in their room modifying it last night...


I doubt that this will stop them. And honestly, I dont want their courisosity to end. I just dont want extra hospital bills. And this could be partly mine and BR's fault. In the past, we have been asked if they could go outside and catch something, or in a fit of agervation, we have told them to go outside and chase something. Something we never fiqured they would find, or could actually catch. So, our version of "go play in the street" has to be modified. before they bring home an Emu.

I mean when a kid says "were going saber tooth tiger hunting" we just smile and tell them good luck.

or when we get agervated and want them out of the house, we will tell them "go catch a Turkey"

I thought they were just playacting, and actually GOT that we were being facetious. I was wrong.

I am not sure I have alot of hope for them. I have a feeling they will be a handful all their lives. So, I decided last night I have one chance left. Maybe ONE of my kids (one out of 4 aint bad right?) will grow up, make REALLY good money and support me in my old age. Princess whinesalot is out. She is gona have to marry a millionaire just to afford the dry cleaning of her clothes. Her shoe habbit is going to cost a pretty penny, and it will take all of the poor mans time and effort to deal with her drama. so that leaves dear little Bow.

Then, I am sitting here working on this benefit, and Bow comes from the kitchen whining. he crawls up on the couch and gets right in my face, with this pitiful little whine. Since he cant talk he either grunts or whines.
and then I look.

My last hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, the last 11 years of my life, and the next 18 are dashed in one fell swoop. Stomped on. Killed. burried and burned.

I have NO chance of even a decent nursing home when I get old. They will probably still be living with me when they are 40. Missing a few fingers, an eye or three, maybe even more important limbs. Aflicted with some animal borne desiese like leopordsy from the 'dillers, and draining the life out of me.


Look what jumped up and attacked me mom!! GET IT OFF!!


Apparently my amusement and laughter was not catching, he decided I wasnt going to rescue him so he rescued himself.



He is actually MAD at the offending Bread tie.

5 words you NEVER want to hear from your kids.

"Mom, Look what I found"

THis blog was supposed to be about the last few days. So here is a short synopsis.
Thursday and Friday were both spent with me at the school. We were supposed to make about 500 cookies for the kids that were getting to go skating, Our principal had got 4 boxes of otis spunkmeir (sp) cookies and we had borrowed the ovens. They each cook 3 dozen cookies at a time, for 18 minutes. We had it down to the minute on how long it would take. And I knew exactly how many to put in each of the 8 tin pans that we had bought.

Then the time came and went and the pans were overflowing, with another box to go. Finally I called the 800 number on the box. She told me 105 cookies per box. Not the 150 that we were told. That was NOT good news, we had promised each kid 2 cookies! But then I heard her say 3oz cookies. Ours were 1.33 oz cookies, so I asked again. OH, there are 240 cookies in each of those boxes.

Luckily this lady was not offended by salty language. As a matter of fact she was laughing so hard she couldnt speak. a THOUSAND cookies, give or take 40. No wonder it was 3:00 before we were done! We only had about 5 dozen left at this point. So why stop now?

Then on Friday it was Carnation day. We wrapped, water pic'd, beribboned and delivered 200 carnations to the kids.

Matt had said weeks ago that he wanted his to go to Laney, this little girl is the daughter of my best friend from High School, and the reason we have Rayley. He has been in love with her off and on since he was 4.
Then she started 'going with' his friend, so he changed girls, then they broke up, Then he changed girls again, so's not to hurt his friends feelings, then he went back when Laney told him that they were 'going together' again. But, this didnt happen till Thursday. Come to find out, his teacher didnt even let him give her the carnation. She didnt give them their flowers till the bell was ringing, and they couldnt go and find their recipeients. He was broken hearted.


On Saturday we went and planted taters. We got most of them planted, but still had some to go. Uncle Gerald was going to see if a cousin wanted the taters, but his feilds are underwater. So he came up to the corn patch where BR was plowing and mentioned it. We ended up putting in 2 more rows. about 70 feet long.


The small tater feild its only 8 rows



The old and the new. This is BR and Uncle Gerald. BR stop working on my corn feild long enough to break up the tomatoe patch.


This is about half or 3/4 of my corn feild. save the last two rows. Those are in taters. and 80 days from now we will be diggin them up! WHOO-HOO!!


This is Brett driving the Mule in from the fields, Notice the death grip my grandfather has? I think he took the turn on 2 wheels.



Sunday we started to look at where we were going to put the coop. While we were measuring it we were trying to do a 10x10 pen. We measured 10 feet out, 10 feet down the hog fence, then 10 feet out, and 10 feet back to the first 10 feet out. Then we did the diagnal. one was 13.6 feet, the other 14.6. We did everything we could think of. It just wouldnt come together. we knew their was a formula. But couldnt come up with it.
The Pythagorean Theorem was kickin our butts. Finally we came in and fired up the trusty internet to get the formula. a2 + b2 = c2. And then we knew 14.1 feet was our answer. I will admit, I called my grandfather, the engineer for a little help. He got out his calculator and was able to help.

Once we got the places marked I fiqured that we should go ahead and dig those holes. So, I got the post hole diggers and started. Fiquring that BR wouldnt let me do it and take it from me. I was wrong. I managed to dig that entire hole. Does the word MO-RON ring a bell?

He did dig the others.

We did each one then set the post. While we were working on it, my darling kids came running up, They were carrying a jacket all balled up. And screaming "Guess what we found!?" "yeah mom!! Can we keep it?!!"

There was the moment of sheer terror. I felt my stomache drop, my palms began to sweat, and I stuttered "what is it?"

Out popped a crawfish. They had been down in the drain playin in the mud. And had- acording to them- chased that thing all over. Now, I much prefer my craw fish in a pot of boiling water, but dont freak out when I see one. I was just glad it wasnt another snake.


When you cant find your kids, look up.



The crawfish in its new home- I am sure its thrilled.

Even Rayley was in on the action. I told them that they could put him in the empty fish tank that the crab used to be in.

We got everything set, and I came in and started crunching the numbers on getting the materials needed. I might not can do the pythagorean theorem off the top of my head, but I can fiqure out how to get a 10X5 wall, two 4X5 sides and all the chicken boxes out of 4 4X8 sheets of OSB.

And how to make the most out of the other lumber I needed.

Today I didnt really want to go to town, but we were out of milk. And a few other things. Plus, I may as well go ahead and get the lumber too. I didnt want to, but dang. Then while I was still on the fence about going in today, or waiting until tomorow when I go in for the 'coffee with the superentendant, a mystery shopping company called, a hardware store in town needed a shop done. and the bonus was 25.00! that sealed the deal. I decided to go in today. BUT the kids (who I kept out today since it was Presidents day) were down at the drain again! I called them up with the truck alarm. Matt came in first, and tried to hide at the door, then run past me.

I stopped him and told him I KNEW they were in mud, just to get dressed. We were going to town. I was going to get ready while Bow was asleep and NOT to wake him.
BRett was next. He had a little less mud. Matt was muddy plumb up to his thighs. and his boots were full of water. Brett was just muddy to the knees and his boots were soaking wet.

Then came in the princess. Hot pink pants, suede boots (that she is NOT allowed to wear to play in) and a T shirt. She was not only soaking wet, but mud was all the way to her hair!

Finally I got them dressed. Then it was time to hook up the trailer. Brett tries, and one day I will have to show him the proper way to back someone up to a trailer. Finally I decided I was close enough and just pushed the trailer the 4 inches to get it on the ball and off we went. 2 hours at the hardware store, part of which included mixing two cans of paint, cause the first one was HOT pink, then purple. FINALLY I got a somewhat barn red. Plus a trip to another for some boards that were half the price, and another to Tractor Supply, for my wire (half price from the hardware store... major shocker!)

Then we had to go grocery shopping. Oh, did I mention I had all 4 kids? Bow was SOOO good.

I was actually so wanting to get home, OH and it was raining and I had UNTREATED OSB on the trailer, I didnt even use coupons.

So, when we got home I grabbed up the tarp, threw it on the trailer, and we unloaded all the groceries. It wasnt much. I just got the bare essentials.

I came in and started supper. Fried Chicken, Fried Okra, mashed taters and corn on the cob. Not the kind of supper you want to cook when you have been in town for 7 hours with 4 kids. BUT, it was what I had ready to go.

While I was cooking the kids busted in the house, They had been outside playing while I cooked and Bow screamed at my feet.
"mom, we have a small problem"
"what?"
"Duke and Darla are out at the fence barking and after something"
"well I am frying okra, I cant do anything right now"
They went back out and I got to the point of being able to set the grease off the fire, so I walked out. I could hear Darla raising a fuss.
I asked where the dogs were.
"down by the highway"
our fence runs on the side of the highway, and the dogs can go through the fence. Duke isnt bad about getting on the road, he has done it once, and got ran over. I mean SMOOTH over. by a doulley and a tandem axel trailer. He was fine. I dont know how. But I saw it, waiting on the kids to get off the bus. It was so scary. I mean I have had this dog since before I had kids. Matter of fact, BR got him when I was told I could never have kids.

So, I started to freak out a little. If they are after something, they have no sense. Then BRett hollered that it was just Darla, Duke was with them.


I told them to go and fetch Darla. See what she was barking at, and bring her home.

About 10 minutes later, Matt busts in the door.
"We lost the trail of it, but look at this cool feather I found!"
"get that OUT of my house. I am cooking and its nasty!"
"its a buzzard feather and I wanta keep it"
"I KNOW what it is! GET IT OUT!!"

So, he sulked and then hid it in his room.

Next thing I know, while I am shoveling breaded okra into hot splattering grease, with a screaming kid under my feet and Rayley on a stool trying to 'oblsarve' and 'learn how to cook'; the door busts open and in comes Brett.

"I found what Darla was chasing!" He said, while holding a black blob.
I looked harder. It had a HUGE beak, and it was OPEN.
"GET THAT OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
"buutttt mom...."
"OUT! NOW!"

So he walked back out.

Then it dawned on me. the CAMERA!
so I ran to get it.
ran out the door and he was letting it go.
*disclaimer* there were some other words in there that I didnt repeat here.

I mean how often does your wonderful and loving son, the one you have borne, raised and have high hopes for, bring a freaking GROWN buzzard into your house?

a LIVE, GROWN, VERY PISSED buzzard?


When asked how in the hell one catches a buzzard, Brett answered "I just jumped on it"


When asked why did you catch it, cause I thought he had more sense than that I got "you never told me not to catch a buzzard"

As a logical and therorizing human, I just assumed that there were certain things you dont have to TELL someone. Apparently I was wrong.

I fiqured it was hurt, I mean no kid can catch a buzzard, but still. what kid would want to?


I dread what they come up with next. I really do.


*edited to add*

I got up to get something to eat and look at what I saw about 10 feet from my window.

So, being the idiot I am, I ran outside - barefoot- to get you some pics.
I couldnt get with in 20 feet of it. I have no CLUE how that idiot caught it.


And let me tell you, this thing is UGLY. and menacing. *shiver*

look at this beak. It could tear you LIMB from LIMB! he was carrying this thing against his chest. with its head by his head. He is lucky to have a NOSE!

I am telling you- this thing is evil! Look at the beak.