Playgrounds, new friends, and turtles too!

   With a beautiful day of weather forecasted (and rain predicted tomorrow), I asked the boys if they wanted to go to Columbus to ride bikes.  They were excited with the idea.  So, we headed off mid-morning.
 
   First stop, a playground in downtown Hope on the way to Columbus.  The boys especially enjoyed a bouncy contraption for a good 20 minutes...laughing and giggling as they bounced to their hearts delight.

   Next stop, biking at Donner Park in Columbus.  We took a loop on the bikes and then planned to play a little on the empty playground before eating lunch. As the boys got to the playground, another couple of boys arrived with their mom as well.  Long story short, the mom introduced herself and we got to talking about our mutually-aged boys, homeschooling, teaching, parenting, church, and more.  An hour and a half later, we finally decided we had better head out to feed our hungry boys.  The boys hated to end their play as much as we hated to end our conversation as moms. But we hope to meet up again soon in Columbus.  It was an enjoyable surprise to the day for sure!
   We decided to drive over to Mill Race park for lunch because there are some spots along the water's edge that we could sit and eat.  We enjoyed lunch in the "perfect temperatured sunshine" out on a boat dock...with fish jumping to the surface constantly nearby. Then Joe wanted to venture down some paths so he could run (Jake couldn't stomach the idea of running right after lunch!).  As we got around to another side of the pond area, we realized there were about 20 turtles--big and small-- on various logs floating in the water.  So, we went back to the car for binoculars and came back for a look (just in time to catch a view of a train heading through downtown Columbus).   As one log floated closer and closer toward where we were standing, two turtles slipped carefully off into the water.  And one re-surfaced appearing to be pushing the log away from our direction (as Joe noted).  It was fun to watch the little guys for awhile.

   But...ice cream was calling.  So we headed to an old fashioned ice cream parlor in downtown Columbus and shared a banana split (which fortunately came with 3 cherries).  We sat on bar stools and got to watch the whole thing be put together right in front of us.  The boys really enjoyed the experience (and the ice cream).
   Since we were right across from the indoor climbing playground, we headed in there for a little bit.  The boys enjoyed playing with another boy...as Joe overcame his fear and Jake graciously and faithfully waited to help his fearful-of-heights brother through the journey.
   We were running short on time, so we headed back to Greensburg and went to the house where Daddy was finishing up work and was ready for us to grill dinner.  We enjoyed dinner in our garage at the picnic table.  Oh, and Josh showed the boys what he had rescued from George Wilson's dump truck as George was headed to the dump. :)

 

I bet you'll never guess...

...what this is...?!?!?!

   Well, sit back and enjoy this story.
   So on Thursday, I was in the house working and Basil came over and whined/wimpered at me.  I thought maybe he was lonely because the Schwartz's were out of town for spring break. So, I stopped and pet him for a bit.  But then followed over to where he purposefully walked.  He stopped in the original stairway area and perked his ears and froze in his position...listening intently.  I walked around to the north room to see if I could see anything, but I didn't hear or see anything unusual.

   On Friday, it poured rain. So, I worked on tearing up the kitchen floor and then Josh came around lunch time with the boys.  I had just been sweeping in the north room when some of the debris fell through a crack...and I immediately heard squeaking.  I couldn't tell if it was baby mice or baby birds.  But it was the same area Basil had been quietly investigating. So, I kept knocking debris in the crack and trying to pinpoint the sound. 
   When Josh arrived, I took him over and had him listen.  Then as I took the boys upstairs to see all the water leaking through the not-quite-finished-being-shingled- roof, Josh took a flashlight to the spot in the north room to see what he could see.  I never asked if he was surprised by what he saw.  But do you know what it was?   A momma coon and her baby pups...like maybe 2 days old pups.  Four of them.

    So, I was going to take the boys home while Josh dealt with the situation.  Josh didn't have Eric's gun with him, so he headed to the neighbor. Troy (neighbor) and George (another neighbor who was at Troy's) came over and the coon was shot.  The pups were pulled out.  And I asked Josh to bring the pups home for the boys to see.  Basil was allowed one of them.  So, three rode home with Josh in a bucket.

  The boys were very interested in the pups.  We explained the pups wouldn't live long b/c their mom had to be shot since she was in our house.  They seemed to understand.  But they still felt the need to give them some milk when Josh suggested that option just before dinner time.  Jake was especially eager to take care of them and help step in in place of their mom. Joe just enjoyed watching everything and talking up a storm about everything. It was neat to watch the boys respond to various things over the next few hours.

   After we ate dinner, Jake wanted to get outside to feed the pups again before we took them back to Basil.  Well, the pups were getting cold and weak (even though Josh put some straw in the bucket for them) and they were hardly squeaking so they decided not to try to feed the pups again.  And as I came out from helping with the dinner dishes, Joe suddenly looked very choked up and distraught...saying, "I don't want Basil to have them for a treat."  I hugged Joe and held him on my lap telling him it would all be okay as Joe wiped his eyes.  We tried to ease the worry in the situation by stating we wouldn't take them back to Basil, but we'd take them back to the woods behind our house and maybe another mom coon would find them and be able to take care of the pups.  That quickly made both boys feel much better.

 
    So, we loaded everybody up in the car and listened to the pups squeak during the car ride to the house.  Josh suggested we place them right next to one of the coon paths at the edge of the woods so a mom coon could find them more easily.  We covered them with straw and grass to keep them as warm as possible. And said goodbye.

   Saturday morning, the boys stayed behind at Mama and Papa's.  So, Josh and I checked the pups. They were surprisingly still in the same spot, but obviously dead.  Shortly after checking the spot, along came Basil.  And within a few minutes, he had disappeared and relocated all three pups.
 
   I remember the boys asking us to check on the pups Saturday morning before we left, but I don't remember them asking about it in the evening.  So, on Sunday afternoon as we got to the house, Jake eventually went to check the spot where we'd left the pups.  "They're gone.  Mom, another coon mom came and took them.  Joe, they're gone! Yeah!"  Such a bittersweet moment.  I was in the middle of carrying some large branches to the burn pile.  So, I didn't have to directly become part of the conversation.  And that was all they said before galloping off to some other adventure.

   And an adventure it has been...within the last few days, Joe has declared his desire for a baby goat and coon pups.  I think we're going to have to figure out what practical pet to get!

What do ya think about chickens?  :)

Tractors...seeds...and tire swings

These first few pictures tell their own story.  Enjoy.

   We spent all day tilling a spot to plant some seeds, 

to save/rescue some peonys buried in grass, and

to create a dirt spot for the boys to play. 

Do you think Joe enjoys this tire swing?

It IS spring

   Wednesday the boys and I headed to the house in the afternoon to clean up stuff around the yard (hoping to mow, but we can't get to our mower...and we probably need to actually bush hog it first). The plan was to work and then to build a campfire and cook burgers and marshmallows over the fire.  Needless to say, the boys were very excited...about the campfire!  But they eagerly helped with loading the trailer behind the four wheeler...work gloves and boots on!
   Stop number one in the clean up was up by the road where some plastic bags of tree debris have probably been for years along with some limbs.  I feared snakes if we didn't get to it soon to clear it.  First bag I moved...out came a little snake.  Not a fun way to start since it was a 18" one...."where's your family?".  The boys were interested to see it and didn't seem to let it bother them after a bit. (We all got over our jitters.)
   We added quite a bit to the burn pile (mainly tree limbs that have been cut and stacked various places in the yard and left for who knows how long).  So, parts of the yard look better.  And this was how I discovered the Bradford Pear tree in full bloom on the other side of the barn.
   Then we gathered some of the rocks to build a fire pit and have some seats.  The boys gathered some of the fire wood. And then we got talking with the neighbors before finally getting the fire started.
   It was a perfect evening and the boys were very patient with the wait for their burgers. And they were anxious to roast the marshmallows. Jake's stick had a right angle in it and he kept holding it so the top of the marshmallow was the only browned part.  Finally he figured out why this was happening! And Joe even very patiently roasted his own.  He sat in his little camp chair with his 3-4' stick in both hands with one marshmallow on the end...about 2 feet from the fire. I finally asked is he wanted help and he let me help.
  Over and over the boys said how much fun it was and how they looked forward to doing it again!  So, the first...and many more of the same to come in our new yard!

   

A bleating moment

   We spent some time outside Tuesday with squirt guns because it was so hot.  I asked the boys if they wanted to go back to Mr. Rob's to see the goats.  And I was surprised that they responded with so much excitement (usually the dogs scare them).

   So we took off across the field (squirt guns in hand...which I didn't think about until Mrs. Mariann answered the door commenting on her fear of the armed visitors).  :)  Since both boys wanted me to hold them as we went into the big barn to see the baby goats, I set them up on the ledges so they could look down at the goats.  The goats were trying to climb up...so glad to see visitors.

  Eventually, I asked if Jake wanted to go in with the smallest ones. Surprisingly he quickly said "yes" and headed in.  Shortly after, Joe wanted to join him.  Despite the goats pressing in on them and nibbling on everything they could (including the boys' shirts), the boys handled their fears well in this new experience.

 We eventually went to the bigger goats, saw the cows, watched the chickens, and then went outside and around to the chicken coop (Joes wondered where the eggs were).  While we were out by the chicken coop, the cows ventured out of the barn and ran (yes, ran) over to us.

   Joe's comments are so funny some times...I wish I could record most of what he says because of how he words his concepts.  Joe noticed the dirty feet of the cows and their big tongues.  Joe also kept asking the baby goats if they wanted to play.  Both boys talked to the goats like dogs ("sit" "stay" "no").  I explained that the goats don't know those rules.

   As we left, the goats were bleating "baa"  "baa" and it literally sounded like they were all saying "bye" "bye"!  The boys noticed this...and laughed about it.  They later brought Mama back with them...and they still want to take Daddy there, too.  Oh...and Joe wants a baby goat of his own!

Appearances and Disappearances

Appearing...The tire swing the boys got for Christmas was hung this week. And it was a huge hit!

 Disappearing...You'll notice the disappearing deck as the wood gets used on the roofing.

Disappearing...With the disappearance of winter (and snow), the boys decided to use what they could to have fun with the sled.

Appearing...Flowers... new finds each day.  The latest...I was delighted to find a long row of Peony's yesterday and a Bradford Pear tree (on the other side of the barn...huge in full white array) today.  We'll see what tomorrow holds!

 

Gone Green

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Green waffles for breakfast

And Irish Flag cake (green inside) after dinner

    The boys did run on some green, too...the grass that is.  We took them over to the Douglas Dam area to burn off some energy. The view was beautiful and the boys loved running around.

Proof that one can sleep on the couch...

  While at Grammie and Grandpa's, the boys enjoyed several things.

Building...Jake and Grandpa spent a whole afternoon putting together a forklift.  It was tedious, but they were both patient with the process.  And Jake was delighted with the end result.

Sleeping...Joe took a LONG nap on Friday (that's what nearly 5 miles of running does to the body).  And, we had to include this picture for Aunt Jen so she can see that at least one person in the family can find a comfortable position for sleep on this couch!

 Games...Bingo, Dominoes, Chess, and Tic Tac Toe were among the hits this time.

Jewelry...Jake's next letter in his homeschooling course is "J" for Jewels (Jesus is more valuable than anything else.).  So, Grammie has some jewels and some jewelry making items.  Thus, I had Jake spend some time hearing about jewels from Grammie and doing some jewelry making with her.  He loved it and even made a necklace for himself and a beautiful bracelet for me (of which he picked out all the colors and sizes).

Junior Rangers...Both boys completed Obed Jr Ranger booklets with Grammie and received their pin and badge.  They proudly wore the pins and carried around their booklets and other items in small gift bags.

A hiking we did go...

    The boys have been asking for weeks to go on a hike or to camp or anything outdoorsy like that. So, I thought we could catch a hike or two while in Tennessee.  We ended up going to Obed which Grammie and Grandpa had enjoyed a couple weeks prior.

    We started in the boulders area which was a maze of truly large boulders. Although the paths weren't well identified, we were able to navigate without getting lost as the boys darted from spot to spot.  We easily could have spent hours just going in various circles in this area.  But we headed back toward the car after about a mile.   (We were hungry!)

 To eat our lunch, we headed to the Point area where there is an overlook.  The breeze was a welcome relief (along with the periodic cloud cover) since it was a warm day.  We enjoyed watching hawks soar and viewing the river below.

    Next, Grandpa suggested we head down another path toward a newly built bridge over the water.  The boys had a blast dropping things off one side of the bridge and watching for them to "make it" to the other side of the bridge...watching the water carry it onward.  Meanwhile, Grammie, Grandpa and I enjoyed the beautiful setting.

   The boys still seemed to be full of energy (lunch must have re-fueled them). So, we decided to head toward the arches area which was another 1.5 miles.  We figured we could turn around if needed.  Yet, the boys didn't seem to need to stop...in fact, they ran most of it!

  So, we made it to the arch area...and all the way back to the car...in one piece.  When it was all said and done, I figured the boys had easily hiked nearly 5 miles.  And, honestly, they had run at least half of it if not more. They loved it, though, and told me several times along the way!  And that made it all the more fun for all of us!

Another week, another roof

This week has been spent working on the new attached garage.  It has officially been attached to the house!
Tuesday...The cement mixer came back for another visit--much to the delight of two boys. The boys wore their rubber boots so they could stand in the mix (like Papa does) before it got set.  So, they  had looked forward to that and very much enjoyed the chance.  Jake wanted to leave and go to storytime at the library after about 30 minutes (so he could see his friends), but Joe stayed behind saying he needed "to help work".
    Both boys put a handprint into the garage floor with their name and the date.  Josh had Jacob write his own name---which was a big deal to Jake.

    As we left the house, we were heading back to Mama and Papa's and as we pulled in the driveway Jake asked, "Will those handprints, letters and numbers still be there?".  I could tell he was trying to process the whole idea of what he had just done.  So, when we got out of the car, I showed him where Papa, Mama, Rachel and Josh had letters and numbers still in the wood burning stove slab.  Then, Jake understood and also remembered Papa had written on the wind generator slab as well.  Needless to say, the boys were both anxious to check on their handprints the next day...and were very excited they were still there! :)

   Wednesday was a prep day for framing since boards had to be brought from the barn, de-nailed, and cut.  Grammie and Grandpa also stopped by on their way to Denver to Aunt Jen.  So, we enjoyed showing them around.
   Thursday was rainy, rainy, rainy.
   But Friday (chilly and windy but sunny), the framed walls went up. Joe's face was priceless when he came around the back of the house Friday afternoon and saw the walls. "Mom! Look at what they did! It has walls!"

   Saturday brought a welcomed warmth and lots less wind. So, the trusses were lifted and they started adding plywood.  Joe (aka "Helper Joe" as he self-proclaimed and repeatedly referred to himself as) was watching Papa and Dad as we ate lunch on the deck.  Out of nowhere he stated he wanted "a thing to hold my hammer like Papa and Dad have...and to hold nails, too".  So, I took a rope and rigged up a contraption for him...since he had hung the tape measure on his coat pocket, filled his pockets with random allen wrenches (big and small), and was carrying his hammer.  So, with sunglasses on and everything in its place, he now felt he could work with authority.  And, he did.  He jumped right into what Dad and Papa were doing with the trusses...unafraid to clarify where the next truss was to go, helping carry the trusses, moving the scaffolding for Papa, climbing ladders...well, you get the idea.

   Meanwhile, Jake was at work earning money by removing screws from the wood on the deck so it could be re-used elsewhere. At one point, he commented, "This rusty screw should go in the bucket (where we've collected nails that have been removed so we can get money for them). It's orange-ish and can probably be turned into a penny."  I think he was referencing the copper color of pennies and thinking that the phrase "being turned into money" was literal! Who knows!?:?:!!! :)

   And today, the plywood and the felt paper were added.  I left the site before the felt paper was added, but here's how it looked when the boys and I left.

A Picnic in March...and we weren't even cold!

On Thursday, we decided to pack a picnic lunch and venture into the woods behind our house.  We found a nice little spot where the breeze was blocked and we were still in the sun (following deer paths mainly).  It was pretty peaceful...other than Josh's hammering.

Later, Joe found a mask...which he just wanted to wear on top of his head!?!?!?!!

   Then, Joe didn't want to have to leave the house...because he still had work to do.  We found it pretty cute that he was walking around with tools in his hands and a tape measure attached to his coat pocket.  He would hear what Josh and I were discussing (windows) and add his thoughts (using words he had heard us say...in no particular order).

Finally, he told Daddy goodbye and let us head to the library. 

Funny comments...
   We were about to watch the Mater's Tall Tales video which is from Cars 2.  Joe heard them say "Cars 2" on the TV and he turned to me and said..."I guess this is for people that are two."

   This morning Joe was asking about the electricity being off yesterday for the repairman to fix the transformer.  He was very concerned that something dangerous had or would happen.  I explained that the electrician had come to help fix something that was broken so we could have what we needed when we needed it.  Out of nowhere, he eventually said, "I want to be an electricity boy when I get bigger."

The race against Mother Nature

   So, as of Sunday night, the trusses were lifted to the roof.  Monday was spent placing them and adding OSB.  Then, Tuesday was spent finishing the OSB...and racing against the anticipated rain coming on Tuesday night.  Thus, our goal was to get the paper on the roofing and then protect the side of the house from run-off into the newly covered part of the house.  This meant we had to add plastic covering to the side of the house and over the roofing as well as the exposed/open south end of the roof/trusses.  Long story short, Jack took of a second day of work and we finally finished around 7:15 pm...just as the rain started.

   Unfortunately on Wednesday afternoon and evening, we got some really strong winds that tore off half the paper on the roof causing Josh and Jack a re-do job on Thursday morning (along with the addition of some 2x6's to ensure they wouldn't have to do it a third time).   Friday morning was spent adding some 2x6's to the east side of the roof since 80 mph wind gusts were predicted.  !!!!

In other news...
   A couple weeks ago we went to the Reigers for a junior high swim team dinner.  After people left, the boys were still in the basement playing with Drew's John Deere tractors, plows, trailers, spreaders, sprayers, planters, etc.  Then, Andy took the boys out to his toys in the barn.  Jake and Joe each got to climb up in this monster of a tractor.  Joe wanted to just sit up there for awhile by himself. I think he was in tractor heaven.  He did ask a few days later when he could go back and help Andy in the fields.

   We've had a tractor near our house that has already been in the field plowing this week.  It's about 1.5 miles down the road but can be seen going back and forth. So, Joe stands in the yard or runs upstairs to watch from the window in the boys' future room.   I look forward to seeing Joe's face when he can sit at the dining room windows or his bedroom window and watch a tractor just feet from our house.