A winter- wonderland it wasnt.....

well, I am gettng worse and worse at this blogging thing...

Lets see, its been 3 or so weeks. And shortly after I wrote last time Texas had a freeze like you wouldnt belive.

It got below freezing for a few nights. Which reeks havoc when you have outside animals and their various water throughs. Plus of course your own pipes and such.

Now we've been in this house for 4 years, and have never had a problem. So I wasnt real worried about much. Of course, we have to rewrap the outside faucets each winter because the tape comes off, or they just get uncovered.

So, I asked the kids to do the horses faucet, gave them the stuff to wrap it with, the links of tape they needed (because I knew if I sent them out with a full roll of duct tape, someone would either A.) become hopelessly entangled in it and end up attached to the faucet, or B.) be delibertly taped to a tree and left there.

I told them to fill the horse trough and turn off the water, detach the hose, empty it out and then wrap the pipe. I was busy doing another pipe, and winterizing the rabbits cages, and double checking them having pulled the water from the chickens and the rabbits. So I fiqured they could handle such a simple job.

Dark caught us and I never got the chance to check their handywork.

THis was taken about 10 the next morning. The icicle is from a drip in the faucet. Luckily there were no issues.



Within a few days it would be well below freezing both at night and during the day.
We were also out of feed, and BR knew that incase of ice he wouldnt be able to work for a few days, so he was working late. A friend of mine and I drove to get feed, we buy it in 1,000 lb sacks. And you have to unload it with a tractor. We did this the day the front was rolling in. By the time the kids got home, and we everything wrapped and ready to go, BR still wasnt home. the hogs were out of feed and so I got to put it in the feeders.

The kids helped. there is a solid metal hook that we put on the bucket of the tractor, then manipulate the bucket till we get all 4 straps on the hook, then we just tote it where it needs to go.

Under it is a draw string, you release the string and it empties into whatever you are putting it in. This is a MUCH better way that us dumping it in the feeder out of 50lb sacks one at a time. Especially easier on the person driving. I had two of these to get picked up, and moved, and it was COLD. VERY COLD.











Once we got the first one done, I told the kids to run back to the trailer and meet me there, Having Bow on my lap was enough, I didnt want the rest of the kids hanging off the tractor too.

This is what I saw when I drove back up.




the kids singing and dancing. they didnt have any music, it was 45* we had been working hard, trying to get stuff done, and they were still enjoying themselves. Or scared that if they stood still too long they would freeze in that posistion...


BR got home before we finished, and he helped finish up everything that we needed to get done.



The way the rabbits water is set up, is its just a bucket sat on top of their hutch, with clear lines ran to nipples inside their cages. It freezes pretty quickly.
and is a major PITA to deal with on freezing days.

I have tried a few methods, Emptying it out for the most part, then going out with warm water the next day. forgetting to empty it out and having to defrost it the next day. (by toting about 50 pots full of boiling water) , bringing in the whole contraption, before and after it freezes..

Of course on the days that it stayed below freezing all day we had to trapse outside every few hours with hot water and dump in there, to eliminate the slush that was forming and keep it going.

the chickens water is in a galvanized thing... I cant explain it. Its a big bowl, tall like a chili pot with a bottom on it that holds water. Then you put a lid over it and it forms a suction that doesnt allow it to just empty. anyway, the lid goes all the way to the bottom of the pot/pan thing. And when it freezes you have a HUGE 5 gallon block of ice.

The hogs have huge .... pools.. I guess. its a rectangle about a foot and a half deep, about 8 foot by 4 foot. there are pictures of them on previous blogs. the mud day blog is one of them.

and the horses have a 60 gallon rubbermaid ... thing.. its tall, and big, like a bathtub, but taller.

Anyway, The chickens and rabbits we had to deal with constantly. The horses and pigs we just had to break the ice. OH and I still have 2 horses down the road, they too have a tub, about 2 foot tall, 4 foot long and 2 foot wide.

BR had told me that I needed to wrap the faucets at the horse pen, and the hogpen/coop. So we did that.

and we came in, had supper and went to bed. it froze that night. Getting down pretty dang cold. The next morning I woke up to get the kids to the bus, and Rayley went in to brush her teeth. There was no water. The kids came in to tell me that the horses and pigs had almost 3 inches of ice over their water, and that we had ice skating rinks all over the yard. It had rained during the week and the puddles had not dried up yet.

I decided to keep the kids home, woke BR up and told him about having no water, and we waited on daylight.

I was very worried, the rabbits couldnt go very long with out water and they had already been since 7 the night before with out it. . and although we had emptied their lines, a little water had stayed in some and they had frozen up.(doesnt work well to do that sort of stuff after dark..) So I couldnt start defrosting with boiling water with out ... well water! I had the kids bring in all the lines. to thaw them out in here.

We had no clue how we would deal with the frozen lines. Our water comes up through the horse pasture, its a pretty good peice from the highway to the house, burried. But BR decided the first thing to do was to check the lines around the house, especially the one coming into the house. Come to find out he hadnt told me to wrap it. And since its at the back of the house, up under it, I never thought about it.

But, that pipe freezing was a blessing. As he was walking around the side of the house to check it, he stepped in slush. and on frozen ice. and it was leading all the way down the hill towards the barn.

We got the kids on blowdrying the pipe that goes to the house, and he and I worked on fixing the broken pipe. It was busted UNDERGROUND, at a freakin T! talk about hard to fix. We had to cut out the T, collar it in 3 places and get all that to go back together. Not hard when you just have lines infront of you. But these were burried about 12 inches underground. so we didnt have much play. Plus, it was bitterly cold and they were brittle. Just cutting the lines we were cracking them.

We finally got it done, and started to cover it back up. It didnt take 30 minutes, and already the MUD was frozen! the MUD!! So BR got on the tractor and headed to get a load of dirt to put on top of it. To make sure the hole was filled in really good and it had a protective layer. This area had eroded a little bit, because part of the T is going up to a faucet and the kids are bad about turning it on full blast to clean their mud boots off. so it had ate into the soil, only leaving a few inches of dirt over the pipes.

When he got the bucket full of sand to put over it, there was literly a layer of frozen earth. Like he had gotten asphalt and brought it up there. It was about 3 inches thick.


Finally we got water, and started trying to break up water for everyone.

The kids got baseball bats, broke it open for all the animals, and then went to beating on the ice patches in the yard. So noone would step on them and fall. Plus it was fun...

We managed this for about 4 days. There were a few more issues. One time when the kids brought in the rabbit waterers, they broke about 3 fittings. Well, I have about 20 fittings, and another 20 feet of plastic pipe. I couldnt find it ANYWHERE. I put it in the 'safe place' and now its gone. So I had to drive to town to buy 3 .25cent fittings..

Then there were the times they would come in the house SOAKING wet. and I do mean WET. in 25* weather.

They were surfing on the water troughs. because the ice was a layer, about 3-4 inches thick, they started off by stomping a hole, well then they realized you could 'surf' on it. and they did. And they used the mud holes in the hog pen as slip and slides. They had a blast.

Luckily that was our only 'no water' scare. My inlaws were not as lucky. She called me and said they had no water, and I told her I'd come and fix it, since I am the only person who will fit under there, thats willing to do it.

When BR (who came along for emotional support I think... ) and I got there, we found the problem strait off. about a 6ft section of pipe had literly splintered all the way up. So, not a problem. I changed it out and got it back together. Granted I would cut it and it would split further, it was still VERY cold, and the pipe was 15 years old. But it wasnt hard.

Then when we turned back on the water we checked for more leaks. and we found another one.


In the meantime, I walked around the side of the house, my sister in laws truck was in the driveway and her son was in it, with my mother in law talking to him. As my mother in law walked away she patted him and I saw his face, he looked like he was sick or in pain.

COme to find out, He and Matt had been playing football and Matt was trying to strip the ball, and Masen fell, trying to catch himself and breaking his arm above the elbow. She was taking him to the ER. I hadnt heard anything. And the yard is NOT that big, None of us knew. Everyone said he screamed pretty loud, but I guess BR and I tune out screaming or something. Matt felt just awful, but we told him that accidents happen.

Once we got to where I could pull the pipe down and cut it we got back to work on it. This was the one where a pipe did about 3 90*'s and went INTO the house. Luckily it was the hot water heater, so we could get to it easy. That one was NOT as easy, as there were drain pipes, other lines, and blocks and beams all with in inches of the broken pipe. I got it together, turned on the water and there was a leak. So I had to undo all the work, get more pipe and try again. More splintering and pulling and pushing. Luckily BR was there on the outside of the house cheering me on. I dont know what I'd do with out him.

come to find out, the dang elbow that I had put on originally had a freakin crack in it. We finally got the plumbing fixed, and the kids played some football with my other BIL and SIL when they got there. No, they dont learn.

I am glad this is not something we deal with on a regular basis. It was a week of constant worry, agervation, and trouble.

OH and because it was getting down in the 20's at night. We ended up letting that stray dog in the house. HE was VERY well mannered. He would come in and lay behind the couch, never moving. But now he thinks he belongs in here. He doesnt.

I also brought in the rabbit momma and her month old babies- it was just too cold for tiny little rabbits to be outside.


I was lucky enough to be able to tarp up the brooder with the baby chicks, and kept them outside for the most part, although they did spend some nights inside.

Other than the hard freeze, things have been pretty normal. the kids have not brought in any live creatures. Although they did find and bring me in a skull. I dont know what it was- I'm guessing possum.




When I told them I didnt have a clue, they said "well maybe we can reconstruct its skeleton and fiqure it out." At which I laughed and said "sure, if you can find it all"
This is the point where they proceeded to produce the peices.....




The time for the baby bunnies for 4-H to be born has came and gone. Only one doe had any, she had 7, and had them on the wire and not in a nest, and we lost them all. Then our meat doe, (hers were not going to be pure bred) had 8 babies, but we ended up loosing them too. I just pray the broilers will pan out, because if not the kids will have nothing to show, and we will be out ALOT of money for nothing. I have rebred the does, hoping for some spring babies, to sell for meat, use for meat, and to keep a few breeders.


Here is Rayley on one of the cold days, dressing for school.




We have also spent the last 3 weekends fixing BR's front end. He has had my truck for 3 weeks.
6 days a week for 3 weeks. I have to wait for him to get home around 9, make sure all the kids are in bed, he is fed, and then go to walmart to get groceries. If I need something from the feedstore, which is closed on Sundays, I have to get someone to pick it up for me. Luckily the parts place is open on Sunday. The first Sunday I spent running to all 3 stores, trying to get each and every part- some had them for much cheaper, some didnt have them, one place would have something the others didnt. I have learned more about tie rods, pitman arms, idler arms, boots, ball joints and various other gunk than I ever wanted to know. And I HATE to be greasy. and a front end has LOTS of grease- ESPECIALLY a 4X4.

We hope to get it finished Sunday. I pray we do, I need my truck back. of course, even if we get it done Sunday, we have to wait for BR to be off, so we can trailer it to town and get it to the tire store to have a front end alignment done on it.


Last weekend was pretty chilly while we were out there, and the kids were banished to their rooms to get them clean. I ran to town to trade in some parts. When I got home, this is what I saw.

THe boys had abandoned ship first, going out under the guise of helping dad or checking on rabbits or something. Leaving Rayley and Bow inside. Well, she knew he couldnt go outside nekid, so she dressed him, so they too could go outside.




Yes, that is a princess jacket. and the socks are pink. Apparently his boots didnt match the ensamble, so they just ignored the need for footwear.


Speaking of the Princess of Whinesalot. She lost her first tooth day before yesterday!! We tried to pull it the night before, well BR and Brett did. I didnt, loose teeth gross me out. But couldnt get it out. So, she ended up loosing it at school the next day.

So, as you can see, nothing has really changed. Even Hoover is still living up to expectations.
Last night he asked if he could make Tuna Fish. I told him yes. And was picking up and cleaning the kitchen as he made it. I had to tell him each step to take, so I was staying close. Walking out occasionally to do something else. I told him to get a colander to drain the tuna in it. And walked back into the kitchen to see the colander sitting on the table. I apparently wasnt clear in my instructions for him to put it in the SINK.

The isle of misplaced items...

Well Happy New Year!!

They say that what ever you are doing on New Years day you will do for the rest of the year.

I debated on not cleaning, because I really dont want to be cleaning all year, I thought about not cooking, not doing laundry, not hollering, not cussing, not threatening someones life.

BUT, to not clean would mean my house would be eligable for consideration as a National disaster area all year.

Not doing laundry would mean I would have the 12 loads in my bathroom floor ALL year.

Not cooking would mean I would hear "I'm starving" all year, plus, it would mean no cabbage and purple hull peas for luck and money.

the hollering, cussing, threatining, and such would mean that I couldnt spend the day with my kids, meaning I wouldnt see them in the new year.

So I just decided to treat it as any other day; clean, cook, scream, holler, and do alot of praying.

We took down the Christmas Tree. Its artificial, and I am kinda ornament happy. So there were ALOT of ornaments to take down. I put them up with fishing string, and unbeknownst to me, my children- apparently everytime they walked by, twirled the ornaments on the branches, wrapping the line around each branch.
multiple times.
IT was NOT fun to try and unwrap them from the branches. each one. wrapped. around and around.

and I REFUSED to cut them, because it took me hours to tie the fishingline onto them when we decorated the tree.

THEN I had to proceed to get the tree apart, its like an 8ft tree, VERY heavy and VERY full. I cant find a box big enough for it, So, I decided to put it in large garbage bags. I had to tie the branches down, then pull and tug the bags. this took quite a few bags and even more Duct tape.

I finally got it into 3 huge garbage bags.

Then we had to start on the actual house.

But as I write this, I realize, I havent even told you about Christmas!

It was nice. Christmas eve we went to BR's moms, where the kids got their gifts from them, Rayley a jewerly box, the boys a Romo Jersey (the Dallas Cowboys quarterback for you sad folks who dont follow Americas Team) and Bow got an airplane to ride on.







Here he is explain how to get it out of the box....





When my brother and sister in law showed up, The kids got into fine form. They dont have children yet, so they relish in corrupting mine to the fullest extent.
At school Matt has learned some... dancing techniques, I guess you would call them and does them every chance he gets. noone can keep a strait face when he starts doing them. And he dances like that everytime he gets around Amanda and Luke.

The kids also got to open their Christmas eve gifts from BR and I, their PJ's and houseshoes and such. They changed into them shortly after.

And Matt being Matt, he put back on his cowboy boots. cause thats just how he is.



Then he proceeded to dance around - at my sister in laws request I do belive....



Dont ask... I dont know. all I know is- the kid needs some sun on them legs..




When we finally left it was late and Rayley was in the truck whining. She said "ya know, its late and we should be snug in our beds by NOW!"

I had planned on a special Christmas picture of the family that we did when Rayley was a baby. I had talked BR into being Santa at the kids school that year and got some pics of him and the kids.

FINALLY on CHristmas eve night after we got home, I was able to get the picture.



I had gotten my sister in law over early in the evening to take our family portrait infront of the tree. IT didnt turn out well. BR looks like he was snatched off a murderous rampage and shoved in the chair. Of course, he really doesnt have a poker face, so this might be his true feelings about having to take the picture.


.


But once we got home I was able to take our santa pics. And Bow LOVES santa. He didnt want me in Santas lap, he didnt want ANYONE but him in Santas lap. He doesnt look happy, but I can assure you, this is his "dont even think about moving me" look.
.

.


.

He was quite disapointed when Santa left to finish his duties.
.

Christmas morning we all woke up, the kids opened presents and then we went to my grandfathers and his moms. We were having fish at his moms for Christmas dinner.


All in all it was a nice Christmas, BR was home and we all enjoyed ourselves.

IN addition to their other gifts, santa also got each kid a card game. One night they were playing poker. Matt had gotten out all his change, and they were playin poker. After a little while Rayley came in here mad as a wet hen. Then she started gripin about the boys, in a way that only an overly dramatic five year old can. something about havin to go 'all in' and loosin all her money. I asked WHY she went all in. "well MOM, its Matts Money and Bretts cards, they said I had to- they were mad cause I was winnin.. I KNOW'D I shoulda folded. Stupid BOYS!"

this is why momma doesnt let the kids HAVE board or card games, they dont play pretty. Sometimes I could just STRANGLE santa.... He even gave Bow a deck of cards. I am not sure why... something about trying to 'even out the gifts'... needless to say, they were all over my floor for about 3 days, till I caught them all asleep and threw them away...

I can say that I despise gift cards, especially given to children. The boys get it, and were happy, Rayley was just confused. and then they spent them on some of the dumbest stuff. They all traded some of it to me for a McDonalds meal, then Brett bought food from the deli with some more of his another time, (they were walmart gift cards) and Rayley and Matt bought toys with part of theirs.




OTher things that have happened this week:


We hatched out baby chicks this week, I tried to put them outside, but I cant keep the brooder a good temp. I was attempting to rig up the light one day, got the drill, and started screwing in a board to hang it off of, when I couldnt get it to grab the screws. THe bit was just ate all up. I was so mad. I had planned to start the kids chicken coop that day too. But couldnt do it with out the drill. Now, I cant imagine why the drill was put up with an ate up bit on it, well yeah, I can, but the bad part is, I cant get the bits out. I am just not strong enough to do it. So that entire plan went down the drain. I was so mad that I swore I would get me a quick connect for the drill and bits to fit it no matter what I had to do to get it. I hate when my plans go awry because of someone else!


The kids also got into an arasol fight. One had deoderant, one hairspray, one athletes feet spray and Bow had a spray water bottle. My house still stinks. Its really never a good idea for me to take a shower. It always ends in disaster. or at the very least with me having a miagraine.



So- as you know, Matt has a slight problem with HIA syndrome. Usually its reserved to you asking him to get you a glass with ice and a Dr Pepper and after 5 minutes you holler and ask where its at and he says "oh THANK YOU, I was wondering why I was in the kitchen holding your glass" Then he brings you back some tea with no ice.
OR my favorite when he comes back empty handed and the dishwasher is now running: "huh? I thought you wanted me to put it in the dishwasher"

And sadly, the kid isnt playing. I mean he isnt mentally challenged, he just doesnt pay attention. I've sent him to the barn, to check on the rabbits and he has came back to tell me there are no eggs. I ask how the rabbits are and he says "I dont know, I didnt check them"
so you ask "WHY"
"well when I got down there, I forgot what I went for, so I just checked the chickens."

OR I will send him with a pot of food down to give it to the hogs,

an hour later I ask him where my pot is. there are usually two places. ONE, he fed the hogs, dropped the pan outside the fence, and walked back home. OR two: he set it down by the door, opened the door, went outside, forgot what he was doing and decided to chase a grasshopper.


Now, most normal people would not rely on him for anything, I am not normal. Dont get me wrong, the kid is QUICK. he is VERY smart, he is just one of those people with his head in the clouds. I mean we call him Christopher around here. After Christopher Walkin. He is notorious for just busting out with some off the wall statement in the middle of anything. Like the family just sitting watching something on TV, and he comes up and says "hey- Did you know Lions dont live in Jungles?"

Now this kid is the clown of the family, always making someone laugh, and he is a mimic on everything, he can do some really good impressions and can quote lines from movies and commercials all day long. even movies he has seen ONCE.

BUT, none of that is really relivant to what I am tellin about today.

My cousin had came over to do my hair, and she washed it in the kitchen sink. Well the next time I was in the shower I rememembered that I had forgotten to bring the shampoo into the shower. So I waited the 3 minutes and 27 seconds it took for one of my children to have some catastrophe that noone except me could solve and when they did I decided I'd catch them and ask them to bring it to me.

It happened to be Matt.
so- this is what transpired.

"hey babe, will you go and get my shampoo out of the kitchen? its by the sink"
"why do you need shampoo?"
"well, I decided to wash the shower walls while I'm in here bathing"
"oh, do you want the pinesol too?"
"nope, the shampoo will do"
and I proceed to stand under the hot water, washing away my troubles and pretending not to hear someone bouncing off the walls.. I think they were throwing ornaments at each other.

"mom- there aint no shampoo by the sink"
"yes there is baby, its called 'mane and tail' its a big white bottle, with a blue lid"
"alright, but I didnt see any, you sure the pinesol wont do?"
"I'm positive"
and I went back to scrubbing. ignoring the slamming front door, just hopin it wasnt Bow going out in the freezing rain with just his diaper on again.

About 5 minutes later he came back. "there is NO shampoo in there, "
"are you looking by the sink? there is a bottle of Ivory dishwashing soap, then on the other side between the sink and a plate with whats left of Bretts cake, there is a big white bottle with a blue lid, thats what I need"
"why aint it in here? aint this where you use it?"
"remember, Pat washed my hair the other day?"
"oh yeah"
So he goes off again, by now I'm runnin out of hot water. But it wasnt long before he was back
"mom, its NOT there" He says with a mouthful of something.
"whats in your mouth?"
"some of Bretts cake"
okay, so he found the cake, maybe it had gotten moved. so I wash my hair with ivory bar soap, remembering how hard it is to get body wash out of it, condition it, and get out of the shower in time to hear a glass ornament shatter, there are only like 10 out of 100 balls on the tree that are glass- Bow always seems to find them to chunk at someone- next thing I know I look down and there is Bow with a belt telling me to go and whoop someone. He doesnt say it, he just grunts, hands me the belt and says "ett". I'm guessin "ett" was not happy with him throwing the ornament and had gotten onto him.

I walked into the kitchen, and then went to retrieve my camera.







Because, there - right where I said it was, was my shampoo.

I called Matt into the kitchen and asked him what that was.
"oh"

I asked him why he couldnt find it.
"I didnt know you meant the KITCHEN sink"
"so I thought back over the entire conversation, maybe he had missed the word kitchen in the first sentence.- so I asked "between the SINK and Bretts cake?- what did that mean? close to the ivory DISHWASHING soap? do we keep that in your bathroom?, There are FOUR sinks in this house. TWO in my bathroom, so those were eliminated strait off, ONE in YOUR bathroom, where we dont keep Ivory DISHWASHING soap OR Bretts cake- that leaves?????"

"well, you still never said KITCHEN its not like I can read your mind"

at this point I just decided to laugh. seriously, what else could you do?


Then fast forward to today. I told the kids that we had alot to do, we had to get the house picked up and everything before we went to town I HAD to get dog food and cat food, even after spending ALL day in town yesterday, I was out. They were NOT on the list. - BUT I did get me a quick connect for BR's drill. AND while I was there, I saw a good price on another drill and flashlight combo and just decided that I did deserve a Christmas present after all. *smirk*

Anyway:

As I was cleaning up the Christmas tree mess, packing it up and getting decorations put away I asked the kids to pick up the livingroom and lets vaccum. I would turn around and they would be watching cartoons. I decided to let them watch the bugs bunny marathon, for one, because you seldom see bugs on TV anymore, its mostly just those stupid cartoons with crummy jokes and worse animation. and because I love them. And, I didnt want the day to be ALL work, we can work and watch TV too right?

Not here.

everytime I turned around, from doing laundry, to pulling Bow out of a toilet full of pinesol (Rayley was cleaning their bathroom... ) they would be sitting watching TV.

"at least get the living room cleaned up so you can vaccum"
"mom, I cant find the vacuum"
"well, if you clean up a little, it will magically appear." I said, looking at it.
After an hour of wressilin the tree, the duct tape and trying to keep Bow from throwing all the ornaments like baseballs, and asking them to vacuum up the broken glass from the tree area about 10 times, I finally lost my cool.

"GET THE VACUUM AND GET IT DONE! I want to set the bags with the tree in it back where the tree was, till I can get it outside, and then we can have enough room in the rest of the living room to get it picked up and vaccumed" I said as I shooed Matt out of my chair where he had been sitting watching TV.

"mom, I really cant find the vacuum. I looked in YOUR room, in MY room, in Rayleys room, its NOT in here! I think you loaned it to someone and you forgot.. like when you lost the tree last month... " (and I didnt LOOSE the tree, I just simply forgot where I had stored it.... )

I looked at him, and he shrugged and said "I promise, its NOT here"

"did you look everywhere Matt?"
"YES"
"what color is it?"
"green" he says like I have lost my ever lovin mind
"how tall is it?"
"bout yeigh high" he says raising his arm up and looking at me funny.
"does it have a long black cord?"
"mooom, what are you getting at?"

"nothing Matt- I am just shocked that I am amazed that you lost the vaccum." and I took out my camera, while sitting IN my chair mind you, and took the following picture, never missing a scene from the Bugs Bunny Cartoon on the TV.... .

Now I know why some Animals eat their young....

Christmas Eve Gift, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.




Here is what my kids do for fun. We were outside last Sunday after Church, BR and I were trying to decide which project to start on. and the kids disapeared.










We just left them to have some fun.

Keep in mind, those pants Brett had on? they WERE camo pants. and those boots Matt had on? took them 4 days to dry, and thats his GOOD BOOTS!!

Oh- Did I mention it was quite chilly that day? I'm not talkin 'your used to 110* weather chilly" I'm talkin downright Chilly! But I wasnt gonna tell them not to do it... I just didnt sympathise with them when they said they were freezing....

Once Brett got enough of the cold he took Bow to the house to get warm in the bath. And I had the other two kids get started helping me. I had a pretty messy job and they were dressed perfectly. BR and I had decided after already filling up the hogs water trough, to move the pregnant girls to baby girls pen, and to move the meat hog (baby girl) to where the pregnant sows were. But they had to take their tub of water with them. So it needed to be bailed out. Like I said, we had already filled it up. Since Brett had emptied out the one that was originally in baby girls pen and being moved to the Boars pen earlier it was only fair that these two did this.

8
7

6




Like I said before, the kids got out of school last week. We had the santa stores at Rayleys school and Matts school, They went great. I got to work at Matts school one day and went to shop with Rayley. Then the fun started.

On Tuesday, the day I was headed to Matts school, Brett told me that his teacher had said he could bring his project in for their party on Friday. Well, his project was to be the 3 stages of a land form.

He chose a volcano. The first stage was it erupting in the middle of the sea. The second was the aftermath of it erupting and 'making' an island. And the Third was when vegitation and life was evident on the land form.

he had asked if he could make it out of cake.

No problem. EXCEPT it was due FRIDAY. My dad was coming in Wensday afternoon, after I spent all morning in town buying their gifts and working a little more at the school. I had to hand out Turkeys and all the trimmings at the Food Pantry on Thursday, go to Matts party (and bring the cheese dip, although on Tuesday morning he had asked me to make homemade chili for his class), and shop with my dad for their Christmas and Birthday presents. Oh yeah, and Bretts party was Saturday.

But I told him we would.

OH and on Wensday evening, Rayley got off the bus with a note saying "tomorrow is Pajama day at school" well crap. I had JUST spent ALL day in town, AND bought the kids Christmas eve gifts, which is ALWAYS PJ's. Of course the ones I had gotten her were not something she could really wear to school, they were the tightish pj's, not the traditional button ups. And she would have been cold. As it was, she wore long johns under her button ups that I had to drive BACK into town at 6pm to buy her.

Anyway, we DID get the cakes started, on Thursday morning. OH and I forgot, I had to start breeding rabbits on Thursday. This isnt as simple as 'throw them in the same pen and let them have fun'. You have to watch them, to make sure noone kills the other, and to see if they actually DO do it. The thing is, to have them born and at the right size for show you have to breed on Dec 17. It was cold and rainy that morning too. YUCK. They DID NOT breed well. After days and days of trying, I am pretty sure I got ONE doe bred. so the chances of the kids showing rabbits in 4-H this year are slim to none...

Oh and between breeding rabbits and baking cakes, I was trying to get ready to go to town to hand out the Turkeys and fixins. The National Wild Turkey Federation donated dozens of turkeys to be handed out, and me and 2 other ladies on the committee were on hand to assist in handing them out. Bow was ADORABLE while we did this. I would tote a huge box and a frozen turkey, and Bow would tote the sack with some trimmins and fruit in it. All the way out to folks cars. It was cold, and misting rain and he just kept plowing on.

Of course, he had the energy to, once I came out from putting on my makeup, fixing to go down and throw a doe in with the buck for another 15 minute round and found he wasnt interested in his cereal, instead, he had pushed it to the side to eat a volcano. The ENTIRE thing....







So, instead of being 2 volcano's and a sheet cake down by the time we headed into town, we were 2 short and the one in the oven wasnt even done yet, so basicly, I had a sheet cake done.


The day went well, we dropped off Matts Cheese Dip with sausage in it, did our food pantry duty, which I really enjoyed doing, until the folks who couldnt do anything but complain showed up. Not enough food, not the right kind of food, that we were not working fast enough, that not enough people were volunteering there to help them all.... That for me was just too much. I pray I dont have to ask for food at any time, and dont in any way begrude those that do, Lord knows we are all a paycheck or two away from it, But I guess being raised on the old adage "never look a gift horse in the mouth" just sticks with me. What we are given is not always the best, the newest, the biggest, or even the prettiest, But its something we didnt have before. And heck, if the horse wont ride, sell that sucker to the glue factory and get you some new shoes, so at least its more comfertable to walk.

Anyway, once we left there we headed out and got the kids gifts. Then we headed home. to find some wet bunnies... I brought them in and tried to get them warm.

Here is the result of that.




He was SOOO scared we were gonna take them away from him.












This is not a funny face, Bow reallly thinks he is smiling.



Rayley in her PJ's she wore to school and the bunny.


And we were back to cake making. The volcano cakes had to be done before 7am. I was driving them in the next morning.

Each cake consisted of a base made of 2 1/2 batches of cake, then the volcano that sits on top was another batch (made in a pyrex bowl).

We had to show lava, both red hot and flowing, and cooled and hard. We had to show the devestation, and then the regrowth, complete with trees and grass.

Trees have been my arch enemy on cake making since I started. I have scrapped many a cute cake idea because the trees just confounded me.
then I found the simplist trick.
grapevines, chocolate and green rice crispy treats.

Please ignore all pictures of me- remember it was rainy and nasty, and I had been outside trying to sweet talk bunnies into breeding.


























































Brett really did most of the work. I did help him, working with chocolate, (the cooled lava), piping gel (the water over the blue frosting), making the trees, all of that sounds easy, but you do need some guidence. PLUS, there was just some that I didnt want him making such a monumental mess out of.
Once this cake project was done I still had to make 60 cupcakes. That were also due first thing Friday morning.

There are some things I would do differntly after the finished project was done, but I am pretty happy with it.

My dad was instumental in helping, he kept the batches of icing going in the NEW SUNBEAM mixer! Yes, I got one!! whoo hoo!! and its a good thing too, cause Saturday morning BR was trying to get the green paste color mixed into the green icing with the hand mixer and it finally gave up the ghost, smoking and makin all kinds of noise!


Anyway, We got it done. Complete with a dolphin and swordfish who where none too happy to have their nice warm ocean water turn to a boiling mass of liqued fire.


Then it was time for everyone to go to bed and me to get started on my cupcakes. Easy enough, just throw some icing on top. I decided on a peppermint on top instead of decorating them. Honestly, I just didnt think I would have the time to get them all iced with a cute little tree or Christmas bell.



They wernt that pretty, and this is a bad picture, but there was 60 of them.


Friday morning I got the kids up and on the bus, It was Rayley's party day, and we started loading the cakes and cupcakes into my truck. The entire backseat was full of sweets, I still had to stop at my mother in laws and get the divinity that she has made every year for 20 plus years for her youngest sons kindergarten teacher (who also was Bretts teacher) plus she made a batch for Rayleys teacher (who was also Matts teacher). We just prayed that Bow didnt throw his sippy (as he is known to do) into one of them, dig in one, or drop a boot in one!

We started out the driveway, three times, and even got a mile down the road once, but I kept having to turn around and come back cause I forgot something. Finally we got to town. Dropped off the cakes, (they were a hit), dropped off the Cupcakes

and headed to Rayleys party.



This is her with her Teacher. She refused to dress "Christmasy" because I had only gotten her ONE Christmas outfit and she wore it for Pictures with Santa.


She came home with us and we spent all day in town. Waiting on the kids to get out of school. finally 1:30 came and we drove up to Bretts school- There he stood with what was left of one of the cakes. He had given one to the front office, One stayed in his class, and the other went to his other favorite teacher. For them to enjoy. But there he stood, with about an 1/8 of a cake. I rolled down the window and my dad and I hollered at him to NOT bring that cake home with him. PERIOD.

We still had to make HIS birthday cake for saturday!!

Once we gathered ALL the kids we headed to a few more stops and then to the Radio station. The kids were going to get to draw the tickets for the 3 gun raffle the NWTF was doing to raise money for 4-H shooting sports- Both of which they are a part of. (thats the National Wild Turkey Federation-)

We met the chapter president there and she and I were shown to a little room with the kids. there was a set of headphones and a microphone and we could see the local mayor and radio station owner through the glass in his booth. It was pretty neat.

Till I found out I was the spokesperson. I had NO clue. All I knew I was doing was bringing the kids to draw names. All the way there I had versed them in how to act. Incase for some reason Mr Lout, or Mayor Lout, or Mr Mayor as the kids decided to call him, spoke to them and they had to speak. we pretty much went over all the scenarios. till my dad said I sounded like Sheriff Andy tryin to teach Earnest T Bass how to speak to a young lady.









Anyway. I put on the headphones, threatened my kids and prayed I rememebered my own name. I dont really mind public speaking, which I reckon is obvious from all my rambilings, I just am always aware that I tend to speak before I think.

It was fairly easy, he asked who I was, that I knew.
he asked who was with me, - whoo-hoo thats an easy one! I gave birth to two, and was silently thinkin of ways to get back at the other....

He asked what orginzation I was with- BINGO! it was all written on that little raffle ticket I was holdin in my hands...

The rest was just reading off the names drawn. And prayin that noone in radio land could hear my kids arguing over the bucket of tickets, me jerking it away from Brett and givin it to Matt, him coughin up a storm like he was the last survivor of a whooopin cough epidimic, one of them sayin "sucks for him" when the last name was drawn and he got his 3rd choice and the only gun left.... (even though they KNOW they are NOT supposed to talk like that).

After the introductions 'Mr Mayor' did ask me why the boys held such a resembelence to me. I awnsered honestly, that I had NO CLUE. so I am safe, I still havent publicly claimed them.


And when we drove away from there, all of my civic duties for this year were declared OVER. I have NO MORE voluneteer items on my agenda until 2010. I have nothing else (except ONE cake) expected from me for a few weeks!! Honestly, I am at a loss. What am I going to do for the next 3 weeks? clean house? do laundry? play mommy? I suck at all of them!


Now there is someone that didnt get alot of credit this entire week, thats Bow. He was with me every step of the way, from Monday through Friday. All 286.7 miles that I put on my truck since I filled it up last Sunday. and the sad part is, I DIDNT leave the county! I didnt even drive past Jasper- JUST from MY HOUSE to Jasper. That was IT!! and that 286.7 miles was BEFORE Friday!! I had to fill 'er up again before the weekend!

But here is my baby. Now he wasnt an angel. I pulled him out of more crap, and threatened his life so many times that I am pretty sure he will be scared for life, but he was beside me-




We did come home. and we got started on the shotgun shell cake.

No we really didnt. Brett wanted to cook the first cake, so I told him okay. He put in double the ingrediants, except the actual dry cake mix stuff. and cooked it. By the time we fiqured out why it hadnt risen, why it looked so dense, and why it wasnt done yet, I got one more cake done and that was it.

the next one had to be put in the next morning. Party day.


Luckily, I had my dad and BR home with me on Party day.








the cake was to look like a shotgun shell.
And I DID spell it right on the cake. BR and my dad thought it was just HILLARIOUS that I mispelled it on the test run.

I wasnt happy with how this cake turned out. AT ALL. Now the lines, those are supposed to be there, look at an express shell, they have an uneven surface.
they are kinda wavy.




This week has been just the kids being kids. I honestly could strangle them sometimes. They havent been bad perse, but just not real swooft. Like Bow burning his hand on the griddle when Brett was makin grill cheese sandwhiches for Lunch. Or Bow running on the ONLY sidewalk at our church and falling, literly skidding like a cartoon, on his face. He now has a bright red nose intime for Christmas. he scraped EVERY bit of skin off his nose. And, for future refrence, he DOES NOT like being called Rudolph. That is fighting words.

Brett not being able to water the chickens because the rooster sees him as a major threat and attacked him.

Rayley was invited to go to Lufkin with my cousin, I asked before she picked her up if she wanted me to dress her normal or let her dress funky. She said to let her be her. So I did.

this is the result.



And, I must brag on her. She got 5.00 for Bretts birthday, and while in Lufkin she bought the kids all a slinky from the dollar store. I thought that was very nice of her. I had told her to take her money so she could buy herself something.

I cant brag on Brett moppin the kitchen (he had to because he made a HUGE mess), and then leaving the mop in the floor, the sink full of mop water and going to feed- which resulted in Rayley and Bow soaking the floor trying to 'finish for him'.

Or the time that Brett decided to see what would happen to the candle I had on the warmer (its a 'pod' not a wick candle, so it goes on a warmer) if he put water in it- then how long it would take for it to become a solid again when he put it in the fridge. Of course, it was hot, so he dripped wax all over him, my counter, my fridge, and my floor. OH and his brand new sweatshirt.

and the broken kitchen window. The kids swear Bow headbutted it.. which I could belive. He tends to do that kind of stuff- but they had also had to sweep and mop noodles and various other crap off the floor from their 'lunch' that they made, at 10:30am. no less than 15 minutes after I got the kitchen SPOTLESS from their breakfast, and went to take a shower... so was it an accidental mop drop, or an intentional headbutt?

Now, the house is clean, Rayley is changin Bows diaper, (yep... he still is holding on to diapers... ) completly of her own accord- and we are fixing to enjoy a Christmas movie on TV. We have went over what Christmas really is about. Why we exchange gifts, and what we really need to think about during this wonderful time. I think they understand.



as a side note, I'm thinking this will be the last blog with pictures for a while, its too hard for you to load them all, and it takes me HOURS to get them on here and get them in the right places. seriously, HOURS. So I do appologize for all the time it takes for them to load.