The One About Several Things

Operator error? System malfunctions? Evil, conniving machinery? A virus? Or perhaps the fact that I haven't updated my computer since I got it (no judging, updates change things, I don't like my things changed!)...Whatever it was my computer was taking a hiatus from working properly for the last few weeks. I've been getting lots of "Program Not-Responding" messages and such. Magically it started working again today.

That means we get to play catch-up!

First off lets start with BK...

 

                                                        Ornery as ever. And that's no lie.

 Every day she wants to go outside, outside, outside first thing! Its 90 degrees, but we are outside! I'm not really complaining. I love being outside too. She scrapes her toes and knees crawling on the rocks and concrete, but she is happy as a clam when she is outside.

 She has also become quite the reader. Or, more accurately, quite the picture-looker-atter. Her books are her go-to thing in the morning (course she needs to take every book off the shelf in order to find the right one.)
It makes this momma happy, happy, happy that she likes books so much!

 

(Studying the Great Book of Pooh.)

We all finally got our library cards again, and have been going to there about once a week. She absolutely adores this toy, and would play with it for hours if she could. We do need to work on our quite abilities at the library though. Its ok to say hi to people, but not to shout at them from across the room...which she does when she sees a man or a baby she likes, which is all of them.

Climbing things is also very 'in" right now. The stairs are a favorite, for example. Although she's not allowed to climb them, she tries at least 67 times a day. Getting up them isn't the issue, its the part where she turns around at the top and tries to come down head first where we run into the problem. So we are working getting her to not try to sneak up the stairs when she thinks I'm not watching.

She has also become a little beggar-face, even more so than she was. You have it, and are eating it, you will end up sharing it, not doubt. Bubby has become her Dorito buddy. Daddy is her coffee buddy. Sissy is her sandwich buddy. And I am her whatever I'm eating buddy. Kid loves the food, but I'm not complaining. I'm actually really *cough* proud of how well she eats. (It's gonna come back and bite me now that I've said it.)

 

 

We found these Arrowroot cookies for babies at Wal-Mart...her face says it all.

 

On the Farm...

Our chickens have been doing well, the glutinous beasts!

But hey, you cannot beat fresh eggs. You just cant.

 

Also...we have, another, new addition!

Daddy got BK an early birthday present.

                               Meet Albus. A.K.A Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
He is a cream mini Dachshund, extremely sweet and mild natured. He is NOT house trained but we are working on that. He's got the part figured out where he knows he's in trouble for going in the house, as he tries to hide, but not the part where he's figured out what to do about it.
But he is an angel, not a nip, growl or snarl out of him. Not even when the baby pulls his tail, or crawls over him.

He and McGonagall are best of friends. She will wait by the door for him to come out and play, and they will rough and tumble all over the place.

                                                                   (Best picture ever!)

Baby girl loves them both. She leans her head on them every morning as her way of saying she loves them.

Now on to other things...lets reverse to the 4th of July, which our family celebrated on the 5th.
Each year we have a big get-together at our uncle's house. There is a big dinner, water balloon war, an obstacle course, shaving cream fight, among other things, followed by a fireworks display put on by the younger men of the family.

                                                         (Sissy had some stick-tights)

                                                            Cole got the water bucket.

The obstacle course/relay race ran like this (if I can remember it all). Jump over (or through) a pool of water to the slip-n-slides that led to a ball that you had to kick around some poles, then jump rope 5 times then do a dizzy bat, then you had to toss bean bags through a hoop into a bucket, then you had to grab a water balloon, crab walk with it under your chin to a chair where you had to sit on it and pop it, then run back through the slip-n-slides, over the pool and tag your team-mate. I did not play. I watched safely from the sidelines and played with this patriotic baby...

Each year the 4th of July party has a theme. This year it was supposed to be neon, but since my uncle was turning 50 we all surprised him by wearing white shirts with a 50th birthday message on it. (He was the only one wearing neon...heehehe!)

                                                                           (BK's front)

(And back)

                                                                             (Mine)

It was a great time had by all. One of the biggest highlights of this particular holiday (for me anyway) is the homemade ice cream that Grandma and Grandpa Southard make. Get in my belly! But you better get it fast cuz its gone in a hurry. BK woke up from her nap just in time to get a little. She liked it so much she darn near threw a tantrum when it was all gone. But...

            Someone gave her a cup and a spoon and she pretended to eat ice cream for a while. 
When it got dark the fireworks began...

                                                          (obligatory firework picture.)

 

Baby girl did ok, she didn't mind the noise too much, until about halfway through, then we went in. But she loved all the lights.

 

 

                                         But she still had a ball inside, watching the colorful fish.
                                                   
                                                                        THE END


And that brings us too something a little closer to date. The boys birthday bash/swim party! The most people to have been in my house (and pool) at once!

It was a blast. Almost everyone got to go swimming then hubby grilled about a ton of hotdogs and everyone visited for a long time.

We had cookie cakes and brownies and lots of ice cream...

...and presents!

 

Annnnd we get to do it all again in 2 weeks for BK and Fritz who are turning one! Party at my house!

 

 

The last few weeks have been completely exhausting, and completely amazing.

Some days I think I would trade it all for a few extra hours of sleep or some alone time, but I'll let you in on a secret, I really wouldn't. Except for teething days, those I would gladly give up! 

 

 

It's not every day you see a horse with two rear ends!