Let Summer Vacation Begin......

The kids got out of school for summer vacation exactly 2 weeks ago today.  Other than the "I'm bored! What can we do?" bit, all is well. Except I forgot how much kids eat. When they are in school, there is still food in my pantry....when they are out of school--you might as well call me "Old Mother Hubbard"!  I was really hoping they would all get jobs for the summer but I guess it is hard to come by gainful employment when you are only 5 and can barely read.  He can write his name so that is a plus. 
   I am posting some random pics from our summer so far......hope you all have a great summer!

The first four pictures are the kids playing with the hose.  Albert had to let the water run because he was working on the irrigation hole. The kids had a blast---way more fun than a boring old sprinkler!

Gabriel, Rollie and Sabien were dragging each other around in the pool.

Gabriel had just flipped out from under his "turtle shell". He was chasing the little boys.

A beautiful sunset from my front porch.

A large full moon from my back deck.

A beautiful rainbow after a morning storm.

This was my project. It was full of weeds and wood chips and gravel. Now I have a clean slate!

(I always forget to post before pics!)

Crazy ominus clouds above our house.

More clouds.

My sweetie, Farmer Al!  :-)

Are You Ready For Some T-Ball?

When our oldest was younger she kept our early summers occupied with rookie baseball and then softball.  It was a great time but Mother Nature was very unkind at times.  Well Emily has moved on to bigger and better things so now the title of Sports Jock has fallen to our 7 year old Gabriel.  He was in little kid basketball his kindergarten year and was your typical "I would rather be playing tag with my friends than pay attention" kid. (as was most of the kids in this league)  Well this past year, after watching his first game, we thought "here we go again."  Well, on the way home from that first game, Albert had a man to man talk with him about being a good player and paying attention.  So he started practicing out in the driveway. Well that lasted a day or so but the talk must have stuck with him because at the next game and all the ones after he was an animal. He literally got almost every rebound, including the ones he fought his teammate for....:-/.  Well the same went for T-Ball.  The first game consisted of him playing tag with his friends and not paying attention at all!  In his defense, they only have 1 real practice before their season starts and he didn't get a good feel for the game last year because Mother Nature rained out most of his games! Well, Albert had another man to man with him and now he pays attention better but tries to get every ball in the outfield and always wants to be first at bat.  Hopefully by the time he gets to the higher levels of play, he will have a better understanding that his teammates are actually there to help him! :-)  I also hope that when he is a senior in high school playing basketball, he still waves to me and tells me "Mom, I love you!"

Gabriel playing 2nd base. (in the red shirt...his team is called the Cherry Bombs)

Still on 2nd base

Getting ready to bat.

Slugger!

Just made it to 1st after an awesome hit!

What Rollie does at the T-Ball games.

(notice the lovely shade of blue on his toes...his Dad loves it!)

Another photo op for little brother!

Watch Out For That Hole.....

My husband started a project a little while back.  He decided he wanted to dig a hole in the back yard big enough to hold a big barrel that he wanted to use as a filtration system to irrigate our yard. Well after a lot of talk, he went out and just started digging one day.  I looked out the window one day and wondered where he went and then all of a sudden his head popped up out of the hole! (hahaha)  I decided I better check it out and turns out he had dug it deep enough to stand in! Well, then he had to dig on the other side to try and meet in the middle and that is when the little boys were employed as free slave labor. (who are we kidding? They love helping Dad!) I am very proud of the all the hard work that they have done and we are almost finished!  I will benefit the most from this project since I am the CEO of the Water and Irrigation Dept. at the Myrstol Ranch. (I say ranch because we have an acre...which I get to water and mow....and we raise 2 cats and 4 wild animals here :-)  Hmmm...does that make it a ranch or a zoo?

 Great job boys!

Gabriel digging out the rocks for Dad.

Rollie manning the shovel.

Rollie stopping for a photo opportunity.

"Hurry up and take the picture Mom! I'm busy!"

When We Were Farmers.....

On Sunday June 3rd Munga and JJ came out to the house to plant the garden.  We had terrible luck last year...we planted it on the hottest day EVER and then the garden got hailed on and flooded the very next day!  When things started to finally sprout up a lot of it was not where we had planted it. :-)

Well my sweet littlest man decided he didn't want to get dressed that day so we had help planting from "Superman". They are fuzzy pajamas...he had to be sweating! I was sweating!  When we sat down to take a break Gabriel looked at me and said, "I didn't know we were farmers but we are now."  Apparently his dad told him earlier that since he helped plant he was now a farmer.  I am grateful for the experience that we all got to spend time together and it will be something that the little boys will always remember!  Now lets just hope that Mother Nature cooperates this year because I really really want some cucumbers from the garden!!!!!!!!

Superman helping Munga plant corn.

Superman just being his cool self.

Munga, JJ and farmer Gabe.

   

How many men does it take to tamp the dirt? :-)

Taking Monkies To The Zoo

I almost forgot....I was one of the lucky parents that got to tag along on the 1st grade field trip to Zoo Montana on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012.  It was very hot but very fun.  I had a great group of kids that accompanied me through the zoo. We got to see a tiger, snakes, bears, a wolf, eagles and we even saw a peacock trying to romance a pepsi machine!  They had a blast feeding the goats and we got to sit on a gopher community to eat our lunch.  Lastly, we hit the gift shop and Gabriel found a new buddy...he named him Reggie! Thanks kids....spending time with you never gets old!

"Zoo Boy" from the news talking about the snake in his arms

Mr. Peacock showing off for the his girlfriend

all the kids flocking to the bus driver, Ron, during lunch. :-)

My cool group--Gabriel, Charlie, Jake and Natalie

The Coolies with eagles in the background

The eagles posing for me

The Coolies posing with the monkey

This peacock was actually showing off to the pepsi machine behind him

Too cute....

Jake was capturing the bears

Gabe and Reggie the Snake

I Told You I Would Be Back

Well here I am.  I have survived a preschool graduation and an 8th grade graduation. I have survived making 3 sheet cakes and 48 cupcakes. I have survived cleanup after 8th grade graduation and I have survived letting my little man go to his 1st ever sleep over with someone other than family. We all had a great time and the best part is that I didn't have to fight to get the kids ready for school!  Please enjoy the following pictures of our graduation adventures.....like any good bad mom, I didn't get a very good
picture of my 8th grader but I will be posting some when the "better" ones come to me. Have a great day!

Rollie's preschool graduation cake

Preschool cake....again

Waiting his turn at the famous preschool track meet

Dad was Rollie's race buddy

Maddie spruced up for graduation

Gabe got bored and decorated Munga (Grandma)

I got the graduate and JJ(grandpa) in one picture

Heading over to get his diploma

1 of 2 8th grade graduation cakes

 

                           Cake #2 of 8th grade

                           

48 cupcakes for 8th grade graduation

8th grade graduation class motto (LOVE IT!)

Emily actually getting her diploma (I don't claim to be a professional photographer)

oh, and we ate another smurf!