This and That

 Last Saturday just before bedtime, the tractor across the street was planting.  So, the boys found their stadium seating in the master bedroom and enjoyed the view!

We finally decided how to add color to the kitchen. 

Jake had his first summer swim meet.  There was a stud on the other team that was also six years old.  But Jake improved his times (4-6 seconds) and swam well in new events (butterfly and breaststroke) for an overall really good racking up with red ribbons!

 And...the latest on the treehouse!

Rabbit hunt

 We have had rabbits roaming the yard. And our neighbor commented they were eating her plants, too.  So, it was time to take action. 
  Josh shot 3-4 rabbits.  And the last one happened to be earlier in the evening.  So, the boys begged to skin it. 
  We did.  And then Josh grilled some for lunch. 

   It wasn't as hard of a process after butchering a cow.  But it did make me appreciate how folks used to have to live and eat!

NOthing to Do...

   Well, as the three day weekend approached, we realized we had NOthing scheduled that we absolutely HAD to be at.  Wow, when was the last time that happened?


   So, mid-day Friday we decided to head to Cincy for the Cubs vs Reds game.  It turned out to be a perfect evening...just the right temperature, a full moon rising over the Ohio River, an enjoyable game to watch...!   About mid-game, I took the boys around to the Cubs bull pen area so they could watch a pitcher pitch.  They were impressed with the close up sights and sounds they experienced there. 
   We didn't plan this, but it was Fireworks Friday.  So, after the game, we enjoyed an incredible fireworks display...which made up for not getting to watch fireworks last year with the fire/burn ban!

   Saturday was a work day around the house/yard.  Josh worked on the tree house.  I worked on something (can't remember what now).  And then the boys and I headed to downtown in the afternoon for the Big Wheel Race.  Teams of 6 journeyed 5 miles (20 laps) around the courthouse on adult sized big wheels.  The annual race was begun a couple years ago in honor of Carl Fisher who inspired the speedway in Indy...http://www.indianahistory.org/our-collections/library-and-archives/notable-hoosiers/carl-fisher.
  It was humorous to watch and the boys were eager to try the big wheels out! :)



   Josh had a chance to hang out with some friends in Indy Sat night.  So, he road with a friend to Indy and then the boys and I drove up Sunday morning to pick him up.  We spent the day around Indy (no where near the track, of course)...biking along the canal, running a couple errands, and spending a good chunk of time at a park/playground.  It was a great day to be outside and we enjoyed the time as a family.

  Monday found us back outside working on the yard and the treehouse.  It was a long day of work, but progress was made!

 

 Jake can read the newspaper now, too! :)

Jake's writing

 Thought you might enjoy reading what Jake has been writing the last few weeks.  I have let him choose a topic and then he writes a page about it.  Several of these he has done while I am in the other room with Joe.  So, he is starting to show the ability to put thoughts together and figure out word spellings pretty well...for 6 years old!!! :)

We tried a comic strip this week, too!  Jake dictated and I wrote...

The week (s) in review

  So, we have had quite a bit of wildlife around.  Hence the target practice...

  We have had mice int he kitchen often...just one at a time.  And we catch them within a couple nights.  However, this last rascal was a monster.  He nibbled on several packages of food...settling on chewing nearly through a Rubbermaid lid to get to wheat germ.  Then, last Saturday night, the thing dragged my bread machine tine (the piece that rotates the dough in the bread machine) across the counter to the stove top where Josh (who happened to be sleeping down on the couch b/c of a bad cough) witnessed the mouse dragging the tine up into the air vent (where hot air is released near the stove top from the oven) of the stove/oven.
   Good thing Josh actually witnessed that b/c otherwise I would never have known where the other tine disappeared to.  I could hardly believe it when Josh told me..."Yeah, the mouse dragged the other one across the counter and into the slot here.  I watched it.  He looked at me, grabbed the thing and jumped up to that area!"

   Josh was able to dismantle part of the stove and retrieve the tine.  Whew.   Oh, and that mouse didn't make it through the next night...!


   Then there are the rabbits that are nibbling on garden plants in our yard (and our neighbors).  Josh, the sharp shooter, shot 2 of them.  The boys wanted to skin them for the fur.  (we'll have to learn that process...)

   And, there is the caterpillar Jake found near the sandbox.  We have it contained in the butterfly container.

And the Joe's basil is growing in the kitchen window.


Jake has plants growing in a ecosystem which will water itself.

The mushrooms are growing.

 

And the garden is planted! :)

Green fuzz

   It's been a busy landscaping week.  But after perfect rain and heat, there is green fuzz poking through the straw in the backyard.  Grass is arriving...finally.

In other areas...we planted and mulched near the front door.

And, Josh completed the deck and steps (that cover the septic hole)...

view from the upstairs bedroom

So, things are starting to take shape outside.  Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy it, right?!?

Sandbox

 The boys have found great entertainment in the sandbox...building all kinds of things.  But this was the huge development created last week.  It's quite a war zone...

fishing

   On Sunday, the boys finally got to use their fishing poles from Christmas gifts 1 1/2 years ago.  They were so excited to say the least.

   Some friends invited Josh and the boys to join the fishing adventure at a nearby pond.  And it was a success.

Jake caught the most fish out of the crew (5 or 6).
And they waited around for Joe to catch one all by himself...finally!

Trent cut up Sydney's 8.14 lb catfish as the kids watched the process and identified internal body parts (homeschooling at its best!).  And then we cooked it up and ate some!  

Comparisons

 Here is what we were doing at the end of May last year...

And here is what we have completed this year in May... so far...

Happy Mother's Day...Daisy...

 Josh went out the back door into the garage after we at breakfast Sunday morning.  He quickly realized that Daisy decided to have her kittens under the steps at the back door.  We had prepared a place in the cellar for her.  But apparently she didn't care for that spot. 

  We detached part of the stairs just to see if we could tell how many babies she had.  It seems that she had just given birth to the last kitten before we got the stairs apart since the umbilical cord was still attached to the last kitten. 
   We could see 5 kittens.  So, we put the stairs back together and will wait for Daisy to bring them out in the next few days.
  For now...we'll just listen to the baby "meows" from under the steps every time we go in and out of the house.