If I had more time on my hands right now, I'd grab a video camera and stake out a place at our house to watch all the wildlife! Got some good stories for ya from the week...
So, Wednesday, I mowed...which took 4 hours, I believe. And during that time, I saw no less than 10 snakes...only 1 of which I knew I had actually killed (accidentally) by mowing over it. So, feel free to laugh when I say that I did wonder if snakes like to grab onto the mower for a ride after you mow over them. Yes, I was looking! Trust me! Gives me the creeps!
Anyway, later, I took the boys to see the one snake I knew was dead. Jake spotted another dead one nearby. And the next day, I found two more. So, I guess that made me feel a little better...but...not necessarily! Because on Friday, I was pulling some weeds and a toad hopped on my foot. I bet you heard me scream...I thought it was a snake. Did I mention I hate snakes???? My solution...find someone with a disc...and disc up the backyard...repeatedly...letting the snakes know that their destroyed homes are not to be returned to since this is our yard now!!!!
Not sure which day this was, but he boys watched a video from the library which had a "how to make a pig out of play doh" section at the end. Jake proceeded to watch the instructions, re-watch the instructions and pause along the way to do what it said, and create.
Here is the result from his first attempt.
He wasn't satisfied, though. So, we added some more play-doh for him to work with. And mom helped a little (small amount)...and this was his second attempt!
Meanwhile...Joe was trying to kill a fly with the nerf gun!
Jake found some toads at the house this week. We've seen some each day the last 3 days. I don't think I've ever heard him laugh so "giddy-ly" as he did while playing with a toad in a bucket! I'm not sure if it was a "I like to torcher it" laugh or a "I like to watch what it's doing" laugh. But I do feel sorry for the poor little toads after he has "played" with them. Joe is still cautious and doesn't want to hold one (despite having been less concerned in the past). But, Joe has obliged to "guarding" the toads in the sandbox (Jake guards one and Joe guards the other so they don't hop out of the sandbox)...and Joe seems to not mind that job. Today, we found one and Joe picked up a bucket, put it near the toad, and said,"Hop in here, toad!" and it did. Joe proceeded to swing (aggressively) the bucket while heading off to find Jake. I'm sure the poor toad was like, "when will I ever find a place away from these two boys"?
Last night, we camped at the house b/c it was a beautiful night. Just after the boys went to bed, Josh and I heard something in the tree (the dying tree near the family room). First instinct...a coon. First instinct...right. I had just gotten into the tent when Josh decided to shine his light on the tree...and spotted the momma almost down the tree near the ground. She slowly went back up and found a place to perch halfway. I held the flashlight on her while Josh went to get Eric's gun from inside. I spotted 3 kids in the tree with her...up higher. As Josh came around the house with the gun, momma scooted back up higher to her home...but I found it interesting that the kids continued to climb about. (Seriously? Is she selfish...not wanting to get hurt but not caring about her kids? Or are they just disobedient kids...like mine?! :) ) Anyway, the kids were too small for a good shot. And the mom wasn't coming back out. So, I went to bed...only to--a few minutes later--hear Josh take a shot. I wish I could have watched Josh. Maybe he should have been on a SWAT team... He hooked the flashlight on his hat so he could see the coon to take the shot...and he managed to shoot the coon right in the head...thump...it hit the ground! (I didn't hear that part b/c I was initially trying to figure out what just cracked in the campfire...and then realized it was the gun! I haven't been around for any other coon shootings, so I didn't know what the gun sounded like!) The boys slept through it all.
Jack and Josh had started to cut down some of the limbs this week, but the lift broke down that they were using to get up high enough. (or maybe that was God protecting them from the coons)!
So, Wednesday, I mowed...which took 4 hours, I believe. And during that time, I saw no less than 10 snakes...only 1 of which I knew I had actually killed (accidentally) by mowing over it. So, feel free to laugh when I say that I did wonder if snakes like to grab onto the mower for a ride after you mow over them. Yes, I was looking! Trust me! Gives me the creeps!
Anyway, later, I took the boys to see the one snake I knew was dead. Jake spotted another dead one nearby. And the next day, I found two more. So, I guess that made me feel a little better...but...not necessarily! Because on Friday, I was pulling some weeds and a toad hopped on my foot. I bet you heard me scream...I thought it was a snake. Did I mention I hate snakes???? My solution...find someone with a disc...and disc up the backyard...repeatedly...letting the snakes know that their destroyed homes are not to be returned to since this is our yard now!!!!
Not sure which day this was, but he boys watched a video from the library which had a "how to make a pig out of play doh" section at the end. Jake proceeded to watch the instructions, re-watch the instructions and pause along the way to do what it said, and create.
Here is the result from his first attempt.
Jake found some toads at the house this week. We've seen some each day the last 3 days. I don't think I've ever heard him laugh so "giddy-ly" as he did while playing with a toad in a bucket! I'm not sure if it was a "I like to torcher it" laugh or a "I like to watch what it's doing" laugh. But I do feel sorry for the poor little toads after he has "played" with them. Joe is still cautious and doesn't want to hold one (despite having been less concerned in the past). But, Joe has obliged to "guarding" the toads in the sandbox (Jake guards one and Joe guards the other so they don't hop out of the sandbox)...and Joe seems to not mind that job. Today, we found one and Joe picked up a bucket, put it near the toad, and said,"Hop in here, toad!" and it did. Joe proceeded to swing (aggressively) the bucket while heading off to find Jake. I'm sure the poor toad was like, "when will I ever find a place away from these two boys"?
Last night, we camped at the house b/c it was a beautiful night. Just after the boys went to bed, Josh and I heard something in the tree (the dying tree near the family room). First instinct...a coon. First instinct...right. I had just gotten into the tent when Josh decided to shine his light on the tree...and spotted the momma almost down the tree near the ground. She slowly went back up and found a place to perch halfway. I held the flashlight on her while Josh went to get Eric's gun from inside. I spotted 3 kids in the tree with her...up higher. As Josh came around the house with the gun, momma scooted back up higher to her home...but I found it interesting that the kids continued to climb about. (Seriously? Is she selfish...not wanting to get hurt but not caring about her kids? Or are they just disobedient kids...like mine?! :) ) Anyway, the kids were too small for a good shot. And the mom wasn't coming back out. So, I went to bed...only to--a few minutes later--hear Josh take a shot. I wish I could have watched Josh. Maybe he should have been on a SWAT team... He hooked the flashlight on his hat so he could see the coon to take the shot...and he managed to shoot the coon right in the head...thump...it hit the ground! (I didn't hear that part b/c I was initially trying to figure out what just cracked in the campfire...and then realized it was the gun! I haven't been around for any other coon shootings, so I didn't know what the gun sounded like!) The boys slept through it all.
Jack and Josh had started to cut down some of the limbs this week, but the lift broke down that they were using to get up high enough. (or maybe that was God protecting them from the coons)!
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