Oh what a beautiful morning!
Seriously.
We had a little rain, and I mean a little, which is frustrating, but whatever weather moved through our area last night may have knocked over my deck chairs, but it cooled off the air and got the sticky humidity out enough to make our morning run in the countryside enjoyable.
Seriously.
As my running partner and I ventured out of town, we were greeted by all the sights and sounds that are associated with agriculture: a crop duster (luckily, he was simply turning around and not dusting us as we ran down the road...not that it would really hurt us, but who wants to be dusted in the early morning hours, right?), crops, and farmsteads. However, today, I really drank in the beauty of the countryside.
This is a new thing for me.
I know, I know...natural beauty is everywhere. I usually associate nature's splendor with Maui or somewhere with a breathtaking set of mountains. Not corn.
But what a change of heart!
As we ran down a corn alley, the green of the grass of the freshly mowed roadside, the way the leaves of the corn plant were reaching toward the new tassels and the bushy bean plants in their perfect rows were so amazing. Set against a backdrop of early summer sun, a red barn and a well kept farmhouse, this sight was something to behold. And this is coming from someone who usually thinks a newly unveiled leather couch and a sweet pair of heels is beautiful.
But this is not accidental.
This roadside was not mowed by itself. The rows were not planted straight by happenstance, and the farmstead has obviously been cared for by loving owners.
Farmers are actually pretty fancy, if you really look past the stereotype of dirty faces and floppy straw hats.
I'd like to refer to them as Fancypants, if you don't mind. Farmer Fancypants.
I know it's not every farmer or farmstead in the world, but around here, it seems to be the way that as a farmer you not only do right with the land in a stewardship sense, but you do right by keeping your land, your piece of the world, your "stead," nice. A Farmer Fancypants isn't arrogant about keeping up with the Joneses, but he or she will note if a neighbor has mowed and he/she has not, and will possibly get out there soon to get their roadsides looking nice. Never mind the fact that mowing roadsides has a functional purpose on the farm to keep down weeds, and sometimes not mowing roadsides helps keep pests at bay, but I like to think of it in a more cosmetic sense...
because I'm weird like that.
A Farmer Fancypants may be a little bit of a brand snob when it comes to equipment. I like to think of it more as color coordination. Around us, farmers tend to have run either all red or all green equipment. I know there's blue, yellow, etc., but around here, it's mainly a battle between the Christmas colors. To me, this keeps the homestead in balance from a color sense. It's nice to have it all match...and my husband, as he rolls his eyes while reading this, will tell you that there's more to it. It's easier to do all your business with one dealer, one group of mechanics, not just for color's sake.
I like to think that it's because we all want to look nice.
The farm homestead is the final entity of my Farmer Fancypants theory. This morning, as we ran through our alleyway of foliage, the homestead at the top of the hill with its red barns, and potted plants, and weeded beds, and even a little sign with the family's name on it (not one of those logs...and I'm sorry if you have one, because I detest those and would gladly use it for firewood should anyone ever give me one...and I ever get a fireplace. End rant.) stood out as such a welcoming, homey place. The red barn in the background was so picturesque, it was a stereotype I would gladly accept. A farm needs a barn, and a well kept one at that. It makes you want to have kittens and horses...even though we don't have either. The homestead farm should look well cared for, as it is a direct reflection on how the rest of the farm is perceived. My dad was so thankful that we decided to move here and spruce up the "home place," as it is where all the action truly is. Thus the pressure to keep my flowers alive (on round #2, thanks to a stop at the sale rack at the local garden shop) and the yard mowed and the toys out of the way of the salesman's truck coming into the driveway.
I'd like to think that we're striving to be a Fancypants Farmer. I'd like to think that some day, some runner will pass our homestead and reflect on Americana and the beauty that is American Agriculture.
Until then, I'll keep striving, replacing one dead geranium at a time.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
With a Little Help from My Friends
So when I first started this blog, one of my best buds, Kara, was starting her photography business. She has since become THE wedding photographer in our area. Honestly, check her website out...it's gorgeous. And her wedding anniversary happens to be today, so here's to Kara, too! Anyway, Kara, before she became a big deal, she helped me spruce up my blog by taking pictures of us, and helping me do all the techy stuff to get a cute background etc.
So, I left it alone, because it looked great.
I left it alone for three years.
Which really means: I neglected it.
I guess a better way to put this neglect is that I was more interested in the meat of the post rather than the fluff around the edges. Translation: I had another kid, got a job, and since have forgotten how to format things, thanks to the new blogger.com interface.
Those who are techy are rolling your eyes, but you try editing photos and choosing a background format that also follows the BlogHer ad guidelines all while Jack is spraying water on the bathroom mirror, two girls are fighting over which song to play on the iPad, and then realizing you're late to take the oldest to piano lessons.
Sigh.
Anyway, I did my best. I'm headed to the BlogHer conference next week, and I figured I had better get my act together and at least document that I have four children on the blog's masthead, and appear to be a little more 2013, and a little less 2010.
So, I did, and then by the grace of God, the magic of Facebook, and my dear friend Holly...we have text that you can actually SEE as a title on my masthead!! Oh happy day!
You see, Holly took these pictures for us last fall (I know, still using them, still don't have most of them framed...I'm slow, forgive me), as we were on the cover (ahem...no big deal) of Prairie Farmer. We then cranked them out as Christmas Cards (which my other talented photographer friend Amy helped me make look awesome...I'm surrounded by greatness!). I have thrown out these pictures to Illinois Farm Families, put them on my desk at work, used them as my profile picture on Facebook...you get the picture. We've gotten a lot of mileage out of them. So I figured, what the heck? I'll use them on my blog, too. But I couldn't make the text stand out. I couldn't make it work without having to do another three steps, and having lost my patience with my children, had to leave the desk to race to piano, and then return to play outside with my boy, even though it is over 100 degrees today...but who doesn't want to chase a Power Wheels tractor around? So, I got an email. From Holly. And she had already done it for me.
I love you, dear friend!
And this is what's awesome: It's not just the pictures, friends. It's the friends, friends. Honestly. I love my friends. They are helpful and creative and smart and talented, and I have only mentioned three of them. They help me with silly things like text on a blog, and then will listen to me as I woe-is-me on things that vary from frizzy hair to financial decisions. Life is good when you're surrounded by good people.
So, take a gander...enjoy my new pictures. They'll be up for at least a few YEARS.
Happy Friday!
So, I left it alone, because it looked great.
I left it alone for three years.
Which really means: I neglected it.
I guess a better way to put this neglect is that I was more interested in the meat of the post rather than the fluff around the edges. Translation: I had another kid, got a job, and since have forgotten how to format things, thanks to the new blogger.com interface.
Those who are techy are rolling your eyes, but you try editing photos and choosing a background format that also follows the BlogHer ad guidelines all while Jack is spraying water on the bathroom mirror, two girls are fighting over which song to play on the iPad, and then realizing you're late to take the oldest to piano lessons.
Sigh.
Anyway, I did my best. I'm headed to the BlogHer conference next week, and I figured I had better get my act together and at least document that I have four children on the blog's masthead, and appear to be a little more 2013, and a little less 2010.
So, I did, and then by the grace of God, the magic of Facebook, and my dear friend Holly...we have text that you can actually SEE as a title on my masthead!! Oh happy day!
You see, Holly took these pictures for us last fall (I know, still using them, still don't have most of them framed...I'm slow, forgive me), as we were on the cover (ahem...no big deal) of Prairie Farmer. We then cranked them out as Christmas Cards (which my other talented photographer friend Amy helped me make look awesome...I'm surrounded by greatness!). I have thrown out these pictures to Illinois Farm Families, put them on my desk at work, used them as my profile picture on Facebook...you get the picture. We've gotten a lot of mileage out of them. So I figured, what the heck? I'll use them on my blog, too. But I couldn't make the text stand out. I couldn't make it work without having to do another three steps, and having lost my patience with my children, had to leave the desk to race to piano, and then return to play outside with my boy, even though it is over 100 degrees today...but who doesn't want to chase a Power Wheels tractor around? So, I got an email. From Holly. And she had already done it for me.
I love you, dear friend!
And this is what's awesome: It's not just the pictures, friends. It's the friends, friends. Honestly. I love my friends. They are helpful and creative and smart and talented, and I have only mentioned three of them. They help me with silly things like text on a blog, and then will listen to me as I woe-is-me on things that vary from frizzy hair to financial decisions. Life is good when you're surrounded by good people.
So, take a gander...enjoy my new pictures. They'll be up for at least a few YEARS.
Happy Friday!
Thursday, July 11, 2013
A Vacation from Everything
I now realize why people take vacations.
Did you know I took a whole week off of making a bed? Somebody made it for me.
Did you know that I didn't cook, unless you consider making coffee in the room once, "cooking."
Did you know that I didn't do a single stitch of laundry last week? I do, and now those who have come to my house in the last 24 hours do, thanks to the piles and baskets and drying racks (i.e., backs of chairs) littering my house.
Now, for those of you who "travel," those of you who have "vacation spots," and those of you who are rolling your eyes at my naive excitement and vacation high, you can read on, smugly, and go enjoy your Mai-Tai in your bed made by a maid.
I'm home now, back to reality, and planning my next trip!
Not really, but I am taking a break at work because of my vacation hangover. I can't focus. Mainly because of the time change...shouldn't I still be in bed? However, I am also just marveling at the fact that all of us, not just me, took a vacation from everything.
We are not folks who travel (please say that in a snooty tone...only because I'm jealous). We have livestock, a livelihood without a lot of disposable income, and are pretty landlocked thanks to four small children. However, by the grace of God, thanks to my parents, the Pacific Ocean, and the magic of Disney, we were able to get away.
And, boy did we need it.
Was the hay done perfectly?
No.
Was the mowing complete on the roadsides?
No.
Were the cattle completely moved to where they should have been?
No.
However, when you're thousands of miles away...WHO CARES?
And now I truly understand the phrase, ignorance is bliss, because it was. While we were still in contact with our lovely neighbors who looked after not only the cattle, but our dog and our fish (but not our plants...please excuse the completely withering foliage otherwise known as geraniums on my porch), it was only a few times. And by a few, I mean twice. Joe didn't even watch but one Cardinals baseball game in the seven days we were gone, and that's HUGE.
We were basically unplugged, as unplugged as one can get when you're needing to document moments like meeting Cinderella for the first time, digging chubby toes into the sand, and enjoying ride after ride after ride, all the while still trying to meet up with the rest of the family in time for dinner via texting. So, unplugged, maybe not so much, but apart from the rest of our world, yes, very much.
From an agricultural perspective, our trip was necessary. A hard summer last year, a challenging fall, and now a wet spring has caused nerves to be fried and distance needed to be placed between ourselves and the farm. It can be trying when one is forced to stare at one's work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Honestly, imagine, those of you with a desk job or even one that you work via the computer. Imagine that screen, that chair, that office, that car, in front of you as you eat dinner, out your window as you watch your kids play, on your way to church. While it is amazing and interesting and fulfilling, it can also SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF YOU.
So, let there be vacations!!! And now that Joe and I have tasted the sweet vacation nectar, I'm going to fight for them a lot harder.
However, for now, I'll just get back to it, make my own bed, eat my crackers and Nutella for lunch, and get back to work, with visions of the beach and Disneyland dancing in my head...
Did you know I took a whole week off of making a bed? Somebody made it for me.
Did you know that I didn't cook, unless you consider making coffee in the room once, "cooking."
Did you know that I didn't do a single stitch of laundry last week? I do, and now those who have come to my house in the last 24 hours do, thanks to the piles and baskets and drying racks (i.e., backs of chairs) littering my house.
Now, for those of you who "travel," those of you who have "vacation spots," and those of you who are rolling your eyes at my naive excitement and vacation high, you can read on, smugly, and go enjoy your Mai-Tai in your bed made by a maid.
I'm home now, back to reality, and planning my next trip!
Not really, but I am taking a break at work because of my vacation hangover. I can't focus. Mainly because of the time change...shouldn't I still be in bed? However, I am also just marveling at the fact that all of us, not just me, took a vacation from everything.
We are not folks who travel (please say that in a snooty tone...only because I'm jealous). We have livestock, a livelihood without a lot of disposable income, and are pretty landlocked thanks to four small children. However, by the grace of God, thanks to my parents, the Pacific Ocean, and the magic of Disney, we were able to get away.
And, boy did we need it.
Was the hay done perfectly?
No.
Was the mowing complete on the roadsides?
No.
Were the cattle completely moved to where they should have been?
No.
However, when you're thousands of miles away...WHO CARES?
And now I truly understand the phrase, ignorance is bliss, because it was. While we were still in contact with our lovely neighbors who looked after not only the cattle, but our dog and our fish (but not our plants...please excuse the completely withering foliage otherwise known as geraniums on my porch), it was only a few times. And by a few, I mean twice. Joe didn't even watch but one Cardinals baseball game in the seven days we were gone, and that's HUGE.
We were basically unplugged, as unplugged as one can get when you're needing to document moments like meeting Cinderella for the first time, digging chubby toes into the sand, and enjoying ride after ride after ride, all the while still trying to meet up with the rest of the family in time for dinner via texting. So, unplugged, maybe not so much, but apart from the rest of our world, yes, very much.
From an agricultural perspective, our trip was necessary. A hard summer last year, a challenging fall, and now a wet spring has caused nerves to be fried and distance needed to be placed between ourselves and the farm. It can be trying when one is forced to stare at one's work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Honestly, imagine, those of you with a desk job or even one that you work via the computer. Imagine that screen, that chair, that office, that car, in front of you as you eat dinner, out your window as you watch your kids play, on your way to church. While it is amazing and interesting and fulfilling, it can also SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF YOU.
So, let there be vacations!!! And now that Joe and I have tasted the sweet vacation nectar, I'm going to fight for them a lot harder.
However, for now, I'll just get back to it, make my own bed, eat my crackers and Nutella for lunch, and get back to work, with visions of the beach and Disneyland dancing in my head...
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Week Five, or It Six?
I posted these pictures already on Facebook, but if you haven't seen them, here's week 5-6ish in our corn growth journal.
Joe is not super happy with the location in which I took these pictures, but beggars cannot be choosers, and at that time, Jack was not cooperating (thus the mode of transportation shown here, ahem...bribery), Anna was no where to be found, only to be found snitching a brownie before dinner, and the two middle girls just wanted to pose...and not nicely, semi-trashy, diva poses.
Just a typical American farm family, right?
Anyway, I decided to take a trip down memory lane this morning, and checked out my post from last year, just about on this date. My post's title was Water Conservation.
And I laughed out loud.
WATER CONSERVATION???
Oh what a difference a year makes.
While our corn is looking good: a nice rich green, lush and dense, we are also livestock farmers. While the college teacher/grain farmer's daughter in me still thinks summers are for swimming and vacations and relaxation as we watch the crops just grow, the livestock farmer's wife in me is SCREAMING for a dry stretch. We have hay that needs to be, well, everythinged...mowed, baled, raked, dried (not necessarily in that order). The end of June/early July should be a time when this is happening, and has already happened once before. Holidays in the summertime are generally marked with hay baling activities, not barbeques and pool parties, when you are a livestock farmer. The fourth of July is a good indicator of the "cuttings" of hay.
And we have hardly done any...sans the big chopping day, and some well timed (in between rain showers) baling on Joe's part this past week.
Our harried looks about hay are not just because of the weather, but because we are actually headed out of town...out of STATE (I know...take a deep breath for me) for a trip next week. We are trying not to focus upon the not-dones, but the fun that we will be having. I know that it's hard to step away from projects unfinished...thus my tendency to never sit down at night until all dishes/toys/laundry are put away.
I get that.
However, in this situation...HAY IS FOR HORSES!! We have a plane to catch!!
The good news is, we have a dry day today. We had no rain last night. It's humid and dewy, but with some breeze and sun, we should at least be on the right track.
If not, we have a lovely neighbor who I'm sure has a spare afternoon, between his own chores, kids, and cattle, who could help us out as we soak up sun, right?
Right.
Just a typical American farm family, right?
Anyway, I decided to take a trip down memory lane this morning, and checked out my post from last year, just about on this date. My post's title was Water Conservation.
And I laughed out loud.
WATER CONSERVATION???
Oh what a difference a year makes.
While our corn is looking good: a nice rich green, lush and dense, we are also livestock farmers. While the college teacher/grain farmer's daughter in me still thinks summers are for swimming and vacations and relaxation as we watch the crops just grow, the livestock farmer's wife in me is SCREAMING for a dry stretch. We have hay that needs to be, well, everythinged...mowed, baled, raked, dried (not necessarily in that order). The end of June/early July should be a time when this is happening, and has already happened once before. Holidays in the summertime are generally marked with hay baling activities, not barbeques and pool parties, when you are a livestock farmer. The fourth of July is a good indicator of the "cuttings" of hay.
And we have hardly done any...sans the big chopping day, and some well timed (in between rain showers) baling on Joe's part this past week.
Our harried looks about hay are not just because of the weather, but because we are actually headed out of town...out of STATE (I know...take a deep breath for me) for a trip next week. We are trying not to focus upon the not-dones, but the fun that we will be having. I know that it's hard to step away from projects unfinished...thus my tendency to never sit down at night until all dishes/toys/laundry are put away.
I get that.
However, in this situation...HAY IS FOR HORSES!! We have a plane to catch!!
The good news is, we have a dry day today. We had no rain last night. It's humid and dewy, but with some breeze and sun, we should at least be on the right track.
If not, we have a lovely neighbor who I'm sure has a spare afternoon, between his own chores, kids, and cattle, who could help us out as we soak up sun, right?
Right.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Hay Is Not Just for Horses...or the Weak
Oh the joys.
Haying season is upon us. Actually, haying should have already occurred, but since it's been wet, everything is off.
However, today is the day. Yesterday was the culmination of a lot of worrying and nashing of the teeth and threatening of not being able to go on our vacation (which is in a few weeks, and when I hung a paper chain as a visual learning tool for our kids... Joe freaked out). Hay was mowed. Hay is DOWN, PEOPLE...and the choppers are en route to work until it's done, even if that means that I am now the third base coach at the softball game...never mind that I haven't played since the early nineties...
So, hay is not just for horses...it's for those who are steadfast, strong, and okay with worrying about not just the precipitation aspect of the weather, but the list goes on. When one is haying, one must also consider (read: worry) about humidity, wind speed, temperature in the air and of the actual hay itself (ever heard of spontaneous combustion...welcome to haying). Joe does most of our hay mowing on an open station tractor, so he has to consider his comfort, to an extent, so sunscreen and a wide brimmed cowboy hat is a must.
Then there's the chopping aspect of it. Generally, we bale our hay in big round bales. However, we have some custom chopped, so not only are we at the mercy of the weather's conditions, but also the availability and timeliness and, heaven forbid, potential breakdowns of the custom choppers.
Sigh.
So, Joe's nerves are shot. He's ready to go...actually gone at the moment, and will be gone for the rest of the day and potentially into the night, but that's okay. He's strong in mind, and I'll keep him fed and hydrated as best as I can.
Haying is not for the weak, people, but boy do we need a vacation after this craziness!
Haying season is upon us. Actually, haying should have already occurred, but since it's been wet, everything is off.
However, today is the day. Yesterday was the culmination of a lot of worrying and nashing of the teeth and threatening of not being able to go on our vacation (which is in a few weeks, and when I hung a paper chain as a visual learning tool for our kids... Joe freaked out). Hay was mowed. Hay is DOWN, PEOPLE...and the choppers are en route to work until it's done, even if that means that I am now the third base coach at the softball game...never mind that I haven't played since the early nineties...
So, hay is not just for horses...it's for those who are steadfast, strong, and okay with worrying about not just the precipitation aspect of the weather, but the list goes on. When one is haying, one must also consider (read: worry) about humidity, wind speed, temperature in the air and of the actual hay itself (ever heard of spontaneous combustion...welcome to haying). Joe does most of our hay mowing on an open station tractor, so he has to consider his comfort, to an extent, so sunscreen and a wide brimmed cowboy hat is a must.
Then there's the chopping aspect of it. Generally, we bale our hay in big round bales. However, we have some custom chopped, so not only are we at the mercy of the weather's conditions, but also the availability and timeliness and, heaven forbid, potential breakdowns of the custom choppers.
Sigh.
So, Joe's nerves are shot. He's ready to go...actually gone at the moment, and will be gone for the rest of the day and potentially into the night, but that's okay. He's strong in mind, and I'll keep him fed and hydrated as best as I can.
Haying is not for the weak, people, but boy do we need a vacation after this craziness!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Accepting the Challenge
Life is never easy on the farm.
Last year was dry. Remember that?
This spring is wet, wet, wet. Have I mentioned that?
So why wouldn't one also add in the challenge of acquiring a rather unique gift for a four year old's upcoming birthday?
Why the heck not? I'm up for a challenge, right? I've weathered some crazy seasons as a farm wife. Heck, I even gave birth to our four year old, Amelia, during one of our craziest springs, and you can recount that story here, if you're interested.
But, I'm digressing...
Amelia Jane is four today, and boy is she a jewel. Seriously. This kid has to be one of the sunniest, funniest, craziest, cutest, ball of joy you've ever met. Honestly. I know all parents think their kids are the sunniest, funniest, craziest, cutest...but perfect strangers even note her sunny disposition. Even in her newborn pictures, her facial expression was alert, full of surprise and joy. We think that might be because she had two very inquisitive, very young older sisters, but I also think she may have rainbows running through her veins!
So, when I asked Amelia what she wanted for her birthday, I shouldn't have been surprised that she wanted something that would add to her character:
A Pink Ukulele.
Seems simple, right? Wouldn't that be at a music shop...but where is there a music store around here?
Couldn't it just be at Toys R Us? Yeah....no...
So, my best attempt of finding it at my local Wal-Mart while I was also doing my grocery shopping was an epic failure.
Holy rain clouds on the rainbows...this was going to be a challenge.
However, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I was able to procure this lovely pink Ukulele, shipped from the great Aloha state itself, and this morning...well, you can see her reaction:
See? Rainbows. The girl bleeds rainbows.
Amelia has brought so much joy to our family. I tend to be moody, and can be a downer at times. Joe gets concerned, and, although rather even-keel in his personality, can be a bit of a worrier. Anna is the most serious of our kids. Josie is moody (where did THAT come from???), and Jack...well, the jury's still out, but he's another story. However, when Millie gets on the scene, my moodiness and his worrying, Anna's seriousness and Josie's mood swings, all seem to dissolve like rainbows in sunshine. Her smile, the way she still incorrectly says her "r"s, her swingy, perfectly straight hair (where did THAT come from??)...all of that makes her a perfect fit in our family's personality.
I know I'll have days when my sunshine girl is not so sunshine. I realize she'll be fourteen one day, not four, and that comes with a whole different set of issues. Today, though, I celebrate my sweet, full of sunshine four year old. She's just happy to be four, have a pink Ukulele and a new bike, and I'm just overjoyed to be her mommy.
Happy birthday, Sweet Amelia Jane! We love you!!
Last year was dry. Remember that?
This spring is wet, wet, wet. Have I mentioned that?
So why wouldn't one also add in the challenge of acquiring a rather unique gift for a four year old's upcoming birthday?
Why the heck not? I'm up for a challenge, right? I've weathered some crazy seasons as a farm wife. Heck, I even gave birth to our four year old, Amelia, during one of our craziest springs, and you can recount that story here, if you're interested.
But, I'm digressing...
Amelia Jane is four today, and boy is she a jewel. Seriously. This kid has to be one of the sunniest, funniest, craziest, cutest, ball of joy you've ever met. Honestly. I know all parents think their kids are the sunniest, funniest, craziest, cutest...but perfect strangers even note her sunny disposition. Even in her newborn pictures, her facial expression was alert, full of surprise and joy. We think that might be because she had two very inquisitive, very young older sisters, but I also think she may have rainbows running through her veins!
So, when I asked Amelia what she wanted for her birthday, I shouldn't have been surprised that she wanted something that would add to her character:
A Pink Ukulele.
Seems simple, right? Wouldn't that be at a music shop...but where is there a music store around here?
Couldn't it just be at Toys R Us? Yeah....no...
So, my best attempt of finding it at my local Wal-Mart while I was also doing my grocery shopping was an epic failure.
Holy rain clouds on the rainbows...this was going to be a challenge.
However, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I was able to procure this lovely pink Ukulele, shipped from the great Aloha state itself, and this morning...well, you can see her reaction:
See? Rainbows. The girl bleeds rainbows.
Amelia has brought so much joy to our family. I tend to be moody, and can be a downer at times. Joe gets concerned, and, although rather even-keel in his personality, can be a bit of a worrier. Anna is the most serious of our kids. Josie is moody (where did THAT come from???), and Jack...well, the jury's still out, but he's another story. However, when Millie gets on the scene, my moodiness and his worrying, Anna's seriousness and Josie's mood swings, all seem to dissolve like rainbows in sunshine. Her smile, the way she still incorrectly says her "r"s, her swingy, perfectly straight hair (where did THAT come from??)...all of that makes her a perfect fit in our family's personality.
I know I'll have days when my sunshine girl is not so sunshine. I realize she'll be fourteen one day, not four, and that comes with a whole different set of issues. Today, though, I celebrate my sweet, full of sunshine four year old. She's just happy to be four, have a pink Ukulele and a new bike, and I'm just overjoyed to be her mommy.
Happy birthday, Sweet Amelia Jane! We love you!!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Corn Growth Journal, Week Two
These pictures are deceiving.
First of all, there’s no kids.
Second of all, it’s sunny.
Don’t worry, the kids are still around. They will be around
A LOT more, as school wrapped up this last week. The girls all had a great year,
and I’m looking forward to not having to pack lunches or rush around in the
morning.
But, I digress…back to the corn.
We’ve had a lot of rain since Saturday, not as much as our neighbors in the northern part of our county, who have reported via Facebook four inches…but in Iowa, there are folks who have had up to TEN.
Yikes.
Anyway, these pictures were snapped on Thursday, as the sun was setting, and while the kids were around, they were bathed…all of them, and, let’s be honest, I didn’t have the energy to get them out there and potentially rebathe them. So, Joe’s the measurement tool this week. We thought we’d get out there this weekend, but thanks to crazy rain, we haven’t ventured across the road.
Joe has a more detailed caption of this picture, but since he’s out of the house, you’ll have to settle for my layman’s terms. The corn on this day had just “spiked.” Its leaves had not unfurled, even though as of today, they have. The color is a little more lime green than the deep green most readily associated with corn plants. This is because photosynthesis has not yet occurred. It will, don’t you worry, and I’ll snap a picture when it does, and you’ll walk around, telling your friends all about the wonders of science, right?
You’re welcome.
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