Birthdays, Bunnies, Blizzards and Boots

(okay, so the blizzard part was stretching it a bit... )


Well, I'd like to say that this last month has been uneventful, but it wasnt. Bow turned 2. My baby is 2. I cant belive it. he still doesnt talk much- But he is very able to communicate his needs, wants and expectations.

As you know I was unable to come up with a cake for him. I decided on a farm cake. Little horses, a barn, cows, goats. The whole 9 yards. So my dad and I went to to town to grab up a bag of those 1.99 for 25 playsets. My town, with a walmart, 3 dollar stores, a tractor supply and various other shops didnt have one. PERIOD.

I couldnt belive it. So I had to scrap that idea, and the day before I decided on a construction cake. Cause honestly, thats something he loves to play with. He takes his construction toys to church and plays in the dirt quietly the whole time.

I was actually very proud of how it came out.

















The only thing not edible are the stakes holding up the sign (made of gumpaste) and the actual construction equiptment. the rest is cake, graham crackers and oreos.


can you belive how big he is? its just amazing.






and being the boy he is, everything becomes a gun.



I also had another cake due ( I got paid to make a cake!! :) ) the day of Bows party, here I am working on it.







while my dad was here he made the observation "I fiqured out why Bow doesnt talk"
"really? why?" I asked
now, you have to understand, My dad had been up about an hour, adn Rayley had been sitting beside him on the couch this entire time.
"He's too polite to interupt Rayley"

This girl is the master of inane jabber. I mean to the point of just making noises or singing parts of a song when words fail her. She can NOT shut up. There is nothing that will make her be quiet.

Speaking of her ..... eccentricities.... She has been on a roll with her clothing lately.








Of course, Pictures with Santa were a HUGE deal.





Thats a bow in her hair of the netting of her skirt.



Yes, she wore the rubber boots and overalls to school.
One of those boots was left at her grandmothers; and when she picked out her outfit the night before, she said "well, I reckon I cant wear what I was gonna, I aint got my boots"
I pointed out that her boots BETTER be in her closet
"not my fat babies you silly woman- my rubber boots"
"rayley, you aint gonna wear your rubber boots to school are you?"
"well yeah- why wouldnt I? Plus, if I'm dressed for mud, they MIGHT just let me go outside and play"
It HAS been a might muddy around here lately.

We have also been building up our rabbit harem, and building on their hutch every week. We spent about a month with 4 walls and a roof, but no doors. thats okay, they are fed and watered from the outside, but anytime I needed in I had to unscrew the tin and take it off. Not fun. But we finally got the lids made with doors. Its not done by any stretch of the imagination, but its useable. BR usually only takes a day off each week, its Sunday, which means our day starts at noon, We all get up and get dressed and feed everything on our normal schedule, but dont start anything because of church. And since its football season, alot of my Sundays are cut up with that. I aint missin the 'boys.


These are a few of our bunnies.



And BR and I deciding what to do about 'little missy' our meat hog... She prefers to run loose as to being in a pen.



One Sunday we spent butchering my cousins roosters, well, the kids and BR spent it doing it. Right about the time it came to start the killings I started feeling pretty bad. I had felt under the weather all day, but knew I needed to help. Come to find out, I was sicker than I thought. when I started getting dizzy, and couldnt control my shaking I decided I better drive the 1/8th of a mile home. I left his house with the shakes, I was so cold my teeth were chattering. I got home, leaving all the kids with BR, and took my temp. 103.6. and climbing- I swear I wanted to die. I do remember once waking up when they all came home. Putting a bag at my feet.

As they started trooping in from feeding, and Matt came in to get the hog scraps, BR told him "be quiet, your mom is sick"
"OH NO! But I'm hungry.. now what are we gonna do?"
"I think I can handle supper Matt- go feed the hogs"

oh well, at least I know I'm needed....

I spent the next few days hurting, with a major fever and puking my toes up. I did go to the Dr and got a script. I had a bladder infection. well since I'm alergic to pennicilian, I wasnt given that. But come to find out, I'm alergic to the meds he did give me. Finally by the end of the week I got one that worked, even though once I started feeling better, I was still wore out, and HURT. my whole body was in massive pain. I had dreams, in my highly fevered state that I was on one of those midevil torture things that pulls your arms and legs in differnt directions. VERY vivid dreams. Of course, I contribute this to letting the kids watch a documentery on torture devices the week before.

But it did throw me for a loop.

On the second day I found out what was in the bag. Feathers. The kids had saved them for a friend of mine thats a taxidermist. Why they put them at my feet I dont know. But it wasnt fun to step on that bag- one of the times where I was woken up with the instant urge to throw up things I had apparently put on my stomache 2 weeks before, (I know it had to be what I had eaten back then, cause I had puked up everything from the week before), anyway, here I am, trying to make it to the bathroom, and I step on a walmart sack that mushes, and reach down, still with a VERY high temp, possibly even delirous, to look in it. I saw a feather. then ALOT of feathers. I closed it and decided to revisit it later, when the kids got home.

come to find out, it was nothing but feathers. Thank GOD.

I wasnt that lucky the next week. I had asked the kids to gather up all their jeans and laundry. They went to school, and I went to washing. I was gonna get my house clean- it had been a week. and looked like it had been a MONTH. But I was bound and determined to get something done. so, I put in some jeans. I put them in the dryer as soon as they stoped, I was proud of me for this, usually I forget the load in the washer if the dryer doesnt buzz and remind me- but it was empty- so no buzz, I was busy cleaning the bathroom, and they got dry. I opened it up, going to get them out and start my 3rd load of the day before 8am. Yeah ME!!

And there, right in the opening- was the ugliest thing I have ever found in my dryer. and one of the ugliest things I have ever had the misforture to see.
period.
leaned up against the side, kinda ontop of the lint trap was a BLACK severed chicken foot. I couldnt fathom why. And, it agervated the crap out of me. I mean I am no stranger to expired creatures in my dryer, tubs, washers, in closets, in drawers, in jackets, in my truck. With my kids I find them everywhere.

frogs and lizards, junebugs, beetles, salamanders, worms, - you name it, I've found it. But this one just pushed my buttons. so I waited for them to get home and told them to go and get some laundry done. starting with the load in the dryer..

Of course, they tried to sneak it out the door, like THEY were the ones to find it.. I swear, I dont know what the point was. you DO keep turkey feet, the beards, fan etc. and this one did have an impressive set of spurs, so, it was like a trophy- everyone has a 12 point on the wall, why not a chicken foot with a huge spur (which is the 'trophy on birds') on your dresser? And had I KNOWN, it would have been differnt. But this was my first day back among the living, I was already smarting from ALL the cleaning, and it just was too much. I didnt make a big deal of it. But they did have to do the next 12 loads of laundry. Honestly, they had killed the rooster, and if they kill a buck they keep the horns.. So maybe it shouldnt have irked me as badly, but in my dryer?? seriously?? AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGG

We had bunnie babies last week. of course they came during the coldest snap this year. Right after our 'snow storm'. It actually snowed here. It didnt stick, but the kids LOVED playing it in anyway.
We had bred two does, but only one took. This month we breed for the April Show, so this set of bunnies is my 'trial and error' set. The one who took had 7. They are pretty ugly little creatures when they are first born. Once they are up and around I will get some pictures.

Of course the snow happend the day we took pictures with Santa at Rayleys school Which made for an interesting day.



Luckily we were done by oneish and I could gather what I needed and head home. I opted to get the kids from school early, because in their infinate wisdom (note the sarcasm) our school decided NOT to shut down. Granted, we didnt get much snow, but it was calling for a few inches in the area, PLUS, it was already COLD, and gonna be in the 20's by dark. My kids get home around dark off the bus. AND these kids ALL knew that morning we were supposed to get snow. Do you SERIOUSLY think they learned a single thing? honestly? All they were worried about was the snow and playing in it. Plus it was a Friday, people were ALL over, and it was close to the first of the month. Town was a MAD house. and since we have had the huricannes the last few years folks start to run to the store when they find out we are in for bad weather. Noone wants to get caught in a blizzard, or warzone like after a huricanne with out basic provisions like bread and water. And we have had ice so bad that folks couldnt leave home before.



These are pictures of Bow - the snow was coming down REALLY hard at this point, and he was catching it and eating it.









This month we also ordered the kids broilers. each boy had to order 25 birds, just to take 3 to show. So I have to build a pen for 50 birds in addition to the chickens I already have. Luckily this is a short term project, basicly they are 2 1/2 to 3 months from hatch to table. And we will have quite a few chickens for the freezer if they all live. These dont usually live longer than a few months, they are a cross breed simply hatched for the dinner table.


I have been real proud of the kids lately. They have really stepped up to their responsibilties. A friend brought her horses over here to pasture them, and of course we still have the hogs, the chickens, the rabbits and the dogs. Every morning I wake the kids up and they get ready for school, then they traipse down to the barn, feed everything, water everything, and catch the bus around 6:15. Even Little Miss Drama does her part, she is the 'rabbit feeder'. And on the weekends they wake up pretty early, (before 7) and go feed and water before they even ask for their breakfasts. Sometimes they slip, they are NOT perfect by any means, but they are working harder, and I dont think I can express to them what that means to me. I am VERY proud of them for it.

They are also stepping up in their grades, I promised Hoover if he gets all 100's on a report card I'd give him 100.00. Since he has never gotten the 20.00 for all A's I'm not scared- but in his defense, almost all year for at least 3 years he has gotten all A's. except in handwriting. One year he got all A's all year, except handwriting, other times its been a B in conduct that kept him down.

Brett has 8 classes and is not doing as well with keeping up. He can do the work, I just dont know why he wont. I dont know if he is bored, or thinks he has the system fiqured out or what. He has been told by some idiot that he can 'bring all those up with a good showing at the end' and pass the semesters. NOT what you tell a kid that loves to procrastinate...

there are a thousand little things the kids have done that I have said "I have GOT to blog about that" but of course, I couldnt find the time. I really didnt have the time today. Matter of fact, my cousin in law is due here any minute to cut the kids hair, and I havent got things picked up, but I took the time, sadly, I have missed a bunch of fun and funny things that I wanted to write. Maybe in my search for being a new and better person I can also ask God to show me how to manage my time a little better.

Next week will be pretty busy though, its the last week of school before Christmas Break, and the annual school store is going on. At both Matt and Rayley's schools. I love these stores, unfortunatly, this year I will only be able to work one day. Plus, its Bretts birthday, and my dad will be in. And we need to get the tree up. Which I looked for for hours the other day. couldnt find it and gave up. Then a few days ago my mother in law called and asked me "when are you gonna come and get your tree?" I forgot, I'd stored it over there. I swear, I need a secretary...


I had about 15 minutes left to edit this and fix the pictures- before the kids got home, and Bow woke up. I made him some hot chocolate and tried to finish.

The kids came in, they all kissed me hello, Rayley threw a FIT because she ended up wearing a size 12 boot and a size 1 boot- This was SOOOO not my fault. But honestly, I dont have a clue where the match for either one is. the 12s are too little for her though, so that would be the one we find the mate for. These were hand me downs from the boys, They could be anywhere....



anyway, Brett went to get him something to drink before heading out to feed and asked me why Bow was 'plantin taters in the kitchen'

"Huh?"

yep, Brett explained that Bow had gotten in the potting soil that was in the
utility room and dumped it partially into a box in the kitchen and was sticking taters and everything else he could find in there.

so now, I have to go and clean up THAT mess, I still have 5 or 6 pones of cornbread to cook for the High School Rodeo our church is hosting tomorrow, and feed all these kids who act like they havent ate in a month, and Pat should be here any second to cut their hair!

Even the day of rest is full of excitement around here

Not much has happened around here, this morning I was trying to sleep in and Matt bust in the room at 6:52- "mom a rabbit done broke out!! I need the staples and the gun!!"

So, needless to say, I was awake. I handed him the staples and the staple gun, then I went and turned on my coffee. Once it was done I went down to the pen. The rabbit was back in. Come to find out, BR had went to double check on Matts feedin and waterin before he went to work (thankfully he was runnin late), and one of the does we just bought for WAY more money than I ever wanted to spend,(it couldnt be the $10.00 buck... of course not...) was runnin around the cage sideways. Not listing, she was actually running on the upright wire, the 4 sides, feet never touching the bottom... Like one of them circus acts where they ride their motorcycles in the cage and go upside down and all in a circle. Well, it seems she was runnin the sides of the cages, and even though we had put a staple every 2 to 3 inches, on 1/2 inch square hardware cloth (meanin the wire is set so it makes 1/2 inch squares), she was able to pull them out and plopped down on the ground. By then Brett was out there in addition to Matt and BR said they just stood there.

The same boys who willingly catch and carry a nasty vulture over 3 acres just to bring it home.

The same ones who catch cardinals and bluejays and everything else, and bring them in the house.

The same ones who will catch a lizard in mid air, bring home snakes so I can tell them IF they are poisonious or not, the same ones who have no qualms about spending hours trying to catch an armidillo, or possum.

who set traps for spiders and let scorpions crawl on them.

They just stood there like a deer in the headlights. You'da thought the dadgum thing had rabies or somethin. BR finally got them to move, right about the time it went behind a tree, not 8 inches from the hog pen which runs alongside the tree.

Now if fluffy bunny would have gotten into that hog pen, she would have been a tender 10 lb meal for them hogs. there wouldnt be no savin' her.

There have been more stupid chickens loose their life in that hog pen than in a KFC plant.

Anyway, Finally the boys got in front of her and BR picked her up. he threw her back in and went to stapilin every single inch. up, down, top and bottom. This cage only had 3 rabbits in it at the time. But its an 8 hole, 10 foot long 4 foot wide hutch.

Thats alot of staples.

We hadnt put doors in it yet. The three that were in there were put in before we put the roof on. Since they are watered from the outside and their feeders stick through the wire you dont need to get in or anything.

We were trying to fiqure out where we wanted to put the doors, what we wanted to make them out of, if they should swing up, or down, or to the side. I reckon its a good thing that we hadnt cut doors, any weak spot would have let her out much quicker.

After that, BR and I spent the next hour out there trying to fiqure out what we were going to do. Where we were going to cut the doors and what we were going to make them out of. Finally we decided to lower it, right now its on 3 foot legs. But we are going to lower it, and take the tin off, cutting it, hinging it and using it as doors. Hopefully this will eliminate this problem.

This left us just enough time to get ready for church. Then I had to run all over time lookin for fence staples, we are gonna make this into a fortress, no more kamakazie rabbits.

My dad texted me today, he is due in on Wend for Bow's birthday party on saturday. He inquired about that silly little ball of wind in the gulf. I told him to come on, wasnt no stupid ole huricanne gonna screw up our week. Finally after a promise of a case of beer and no harm coming to him he relented. LOL

Of course, then I got to thinkin about it. I have all these rabbits, and alot of money invested in them, between gas drivin all over hells half acre to find them, buying them, building the cages, and buying all the crap they need, then I have hogs that were just bred,and of course all the time, money, and crap they need, not to mention almost a years worth of food, building pens and fences and lean-tos and various other crap, and all the high dollar chickens they have eaten---

AND I have the chicken coop, where each egg I get is costing me about 5.00 till I pay off the coop, wire and feed, buying the original chicks (of which I have 5 or so left... Thank GOD for my incubator....), and all these roosters I feed cause we havent had time to butcher them.

Plus my horses, who did get out last week cause my grandfather didnt double latch the gate and Tapper can open anything, luckily the sherrif was able to get them back in. I didnt even know they got out till my grandfather saw hoofprints everywhere and found the card the man had left in the properly tied gate.

anyway, I got to thinkin, with all that, then yep- IDA might just make a right turn and come see me. I'm tryin to decide how to convince which ever family member we stay with that I really DO need to bring 4 hogs, 6 rabbits and a dog to their house so they are safe... LOL



As I mentioned in the last post; I have a friend that loves to hunt, and her birthday fell on opening morning, so all week I have worked on her cake. Poor thing she was on the deer stand before daylight opening morning and stayed all day, but the only deer she saw got ran off by a dog. and it was the biggest she's ever seen she said.

Then a few hours later she was sitting there, quiet as a mouse, and a squirrel tried to get into her stand. She says it scared the daylights out of her.

I jumped up right then and tried to make a squirrel. I aint the best sculpter in the world but I put it on there anyway.


so here is the cake.
everything except the deer and the poles are edible. the deerstand is a cake in its own right, covered in fondant.

Halloween and Rabbits, only in my world do they mix...

I have sat down quite a few times to blog, and always get called away. the entire week was spent on a cake and running around.

Halloween has come and gone. First Matt got his cake done. He had to 'bury' verbs they dont want them to use in class.

I showed him how to make tombstones and then sent him on his way. Brett wanted to help constantly, and he wouldnt take no for an answer. He would get mad because he didnt get to help. But Matt really did do this cake. I baked it, and put on the crumb coat, then the last night BR and I sat down with him and made suggestions. You cant see some of the details really well. Like the hole dug in the ground for the new casket, or the mound of dirt infront of the fresh grave, but its there.

Matt painted them, and I had to threaten him to keep the ingrediants of the paint a secret. Its a well known fact that its best to use a liquer to mix your colors in, and it disapates, leaving NO trace as it dries, all thats left is the paint. But I didnt fiqure it would go over well if the kids at school went home tellin what was all over the cake.

Everything on it, except the posts holding up the sign are edible. Made of gumpaste.

It was a huge hit at school. All the kids loved it and Matts teacher loved it.









Halloween was one of those days where you just couldnt get it all done in one day. I went in and picked up the kids, I had to take the cake in anyway, and had a few erronds to run, that Friday, which is when we DID halloween. We did it on Friday because Saturday was youth opening morning. and the boys would be hunting.

I knew the bus wouldnt have them home until 5, and I wanted to take them to a carnival in town that was from 4:30 to 8. I had to paint 2 of them. and had to take them to about 6 houses.

Of course we couldnt find Matts costume, ANYWHERE.
that wasted about an hour. Bow wouldnt stay out of anything while I was trying to put the makeup on them, and There were fights and squirmishes the whole time.

My house is basicly like two warring parties that live in the same town. only there is NO place to seperate them. its like the gaza strip. day and night.

Finally we all got dressed and were ready to go. It took a while to paint them. and we finally fiqured out how to make Bretts 'bolts' stick to his head.

I did such a good job that noone recognized them. their own family was confused if Brett or Matt were the first to the door. Bow didnt wear his mask while we trick or treated, it kinda felll down to his neck, or he pushed it there.








We did finally make it to the carnival about 7. its a free carnival with lots of jumpy things, various games, and snacks. the kids had alot of fun and were able to just run around and do what they wanted.

they even had a small petting zoo. I didnt think I'd ever get Bow out of there. He LOVED loving on all the animals, he would just hug and love on them.







The weekend was spent in the deerstand, they didnt see anything, but both boys got to go twice. BR would take them before daylight, then again that evening, after a 2 hour nap, and then come home and get dressed to go to work. He worked all night, and when he got home he took the other boy.

Tuesday Matt didnt feel well, I ended up giving him milk of magnesia- which kicked in the next day- he said he could make it to school- around 9am Brett called, he was sick, so I headed in to get him- Then we went to walmart to get him some congestion meds. about that time Matt called, he had a bad headache. so I had to go and get him.

I had just about decided to go and get Rayley- and we saw the kids bus driver in walmart. she asked what I was doing, and I told her heading to the school to get another one. She thought I meant Rayley, since she had said on the bus she felt pukish this morning.

When I got in the truck BR called, and told me that he really didnt want Rayley to ride the bus alone, it was too long of a ride, and she would freak if the boys wernt there. So that cemented the deal.

I headed to her school, and was walking down the hallway, her class was in front of me coming back from lunch. I saw her stop her teacher and talk to her. About that time I caught up and she was telling her she didnt feel good and was fixing to go to the nurse. talk about perfect timing!

So, I gathered up all my children and headed home. the next day everyone stayed home, they all have bad sinus infetions, resulting in bad headaches and all the drainage is making them ill.

I had a cake that I had to get done in the meantime, and am trying to get my house spotless because my dad is coming next week. They are NOT helping any. the cake is for a friend of mine, she wanted a deer hunting cake. I have been telling her all week I am making a 'woodlands fairy cake' adn if you knew her you would understand just how 'not her' this is. She is more country than me. LOL she cleans up real good, and all, but butterflies and fairies and nympths are not her forte.

I finished it finally today, because the week has been so .... I dont want to say hectic, it really wasnt. but it was just.... time consuming. I never got to just sit and enjoy making the cake.

BR was off on Thursday, and we had alot of things planned. We only managed to get done a few of them. One was driving an hour away to get 2 more rabbits. This brings my total to 6. 2 does are the breed I need, and 1 buck for sure. 1 buck might be the right breed, he looks a little off, and one doe might be right, their color is just real faint. One doe is NOT the right breed. but might make for good breeding for the meat.

I still need at least one more doe, to guarentee I have 3 good babies for each boy to show in April.

After running to get the rabbits, going to walmart, and getting some other things, we were pretty much out of time. Plus about the time we got started on the rabbit cage we were supposed to build for all of them we found out I had gotten the wrong wire. We ate a late lunch and hauled butt back to town to get differnt wire. When we finally got back we started getting everything together to get started. First was finding BR's tape measure. I had found it outside, pulled out and in the rain, so I brought it in, tried to fix it and set it in the living room. With two hours till dark, we didnt have time to search, but search I did. after about 45 minutes I found it where Bow had hid it. I gave it to BR who then tried to use it. It wouldnt wind back up. he tried everything. finally he took the screws out. he couldnt get it apart. Finally he was able to break it. Resulting in a not so happy camper.

Then we went out to get started ripping the boards and the blade was too dull. It just wouldnt cut them. After that, our day was pretty much shot.

anyway, on Friday Rayley wanted to go to school, Matt said he was still sick, and Brett had a headache and was still real congested. Plus, he had failed to mention that he didnt have a clean pair of uniform pants. I sent Rayley with my mother in law, so she wouldnt have to ride the bus alone, and told the other two that they were not that sick and would be working all day.

We all were up before the sun, and ended up breeding the two rabbits of questionable linage, I want to make sure I know what I'm doing before I breed for the show in December. I'd hate to screw that up.

Shortly after that I headed to town to get a new blade. I also found some plastic tin that was buggered up, so I bought that at a discount. fiqurin BR would gripe, but he was suprisingly not agervated. I was also instructed to buy him a new tape measure. So I did.

My friend had went with me, and we gathered up our stuff and left. After I had to go to customer service to get the money back on the taxes charged. Since its for farm use its tax exempt.

When we got back to the house BR asked for his tape. We had forgotten to get it. He wanted me to drive BACK to town. I declined. But did ask him mom to pick it up for me when she got off work.

Instead he broke 12 foot off the 'broken' tape and we used that. All day he would tell me "dont forget to bring the fancy tape" or "dont step on my fancy tape"

I plan to keep that section of tape forever. because a tape measure is something we are always loosing, and I can always drag out his 'fancy tape' and prove its just as good.
This project actually came together pretty good. Oh there was the normal stupid crap. Like him listening to my ideas, then telling me it wouldnt work, and we end up doing it like that anyway, but with his explination so it sounds more right. I dont know if I dont explain it thoroughly, or he doesnt listen or what, but this happens all the time. I just ignore it. But concidering that we just had an idea in our head, didnt have any plans, or know how to execute exactly what we wanted, we did a jam up job. and everything fit perfectly. We didnt waste any boards, and other than me breaking a nail, noone was hurt.

We finally got the roof on it and the wire done at dark thirty. We opted not to cut doors last night, BR said he just was too tired and might screw them up. and once you cut wire, you cant fix it.

We did put the three rabbits who were not in a hutch in there, we just put them in before the roof went on. They are fed and watered from the outside, so thats okay. We will get the doors cut sometimes today I hope.

All in all it was a great day, a rabbit condo got built, we bred 2 rabbits and bred one of the hogs. I just hope it all took. I cant very well run a pregnancy test on any of them, so I just have to wait till their due dates to make sure they 'took'.

Once I came in I got a shower, fed the kids and at 7:20 the boys were begging to go to bed. I let them.

Rayley fell asleep not long after and I got to work finishing the cake. its a cool idea, and if I was just a little more talented it would have came out so great.

Today we have been cleaning, the kids have alot to do, and I did the last of the stuff on the cake. I have to go into town later, to pick up that tape measure, my mother in law forgot to pick it up, and get one more peice of tin. I will start cleaning in earnest this week. Right now I'm making the kids do it. Plus I have to fiqure out what on earth to do for Bows birthday cake. Its next week and I dont have a clue what I can do for him. He doesnt like cartoons, is only 2 so he has no hobbies, and other than his boots he doesnt have a favorite anything...