Shatto

A brief, sob story about this post. Wednesday, I arose from a peaceful slumber (not really) at 0520. Highly unusual for a weekday, but so that I could run to Walmart, buy some of the weekly dry good stuff, shower, fix a filling breakfast, feed everyone, bathe Charlotte, dress everyone except David, and clean the kitchen all before 0900. So that later that afternoon, I could fix dinner and take the kids over to my dad's in hopes of going to a baby shower/dinner.

As we are about 8 minutes out from our house, I was feeling pretty pleased with myself. Oh yeah, except I forgot my.....you guessed it. Thanks to modern technology we used the camera phone. Okay, no more babbling here are a few pictures.
In the milking pit.

Calf barn

I'm holding Charlotte and milking the cow.

Milk shots

I ended up buying a gallon of whole strawberry milk, so that I could make ice cream. Literally, I just threw the milk in the ice cream maker, no extra sugar, no eggs. Pretty good.

Thomas 2010

Wednesday, we are going to Shatto dairy farm, so I thought I should post some Thomas pictures from June 4th. The kids usually aren't in the car this long, so documenting the occasion seemed appropriate. Trust me, they were excited.
Sunscreen, and waiting to line up and wait for our train ride.

Waiting for our train ride. Hot dog, this is when we really started to swelter. A hot day indeed, especially under this big tent, and riding on an old train. Charlotte and Dad.

One of my new favorite pics. Despite the heat, the kids were great.

I kept pushing water. "Take a drink", "are you thirsty", "here is some water".

After the train ride, crazy people waited in line to take pictures upclose with Thomas. This is our picture with Thomas. Sane people, like David and I headed to the shade with cold treats for the kids.

Cold treats for the kids, and lots of water. Guess which they preferred...

Not the water.

Then we headed to the activities. Tatoos.

Somber Charlotte. After the tatoo was on , she thought is was pretty cool.

After tatoos, we headed to the coloring and toy tent where Joe conducted his interview with the Baldwin City Signal. Then to the moonwalk slide. This was Joe's first time on a moonwalk/inflatable type apparatus.

Firemen's gear.

I need to frame this and put it in his room.

Are we tired yet? Hanging out by the misting hose and playing in the sandbox.

Ready to board the shuttle (school) bus and head back to our car. Joe is visiting with the Baldwin City FD. The boy has never met a stranger. Sometimes that worries me...

Riding the bus, although it wasn't meant to be, is a fun activity for the kids too. It really is a great and easy family event. We might skip next year, not sure about hoisting around a six month old, nursing and most likely potty training the two and half year old. But then sadly, we may not have too many more years where Joe wants to go see Thomas. Time will tell. Maybe there will be another little man in the family.

Copycat

So this post is a copy of a post from one of my favorite blogs, Whatever. When I read the lightning bug post, I thought to myself, hello, duh, this is what Summer is all about. And, didn't I catch lightning bugs with the Burt boys year after year. Oh yah, hasn't your son grown increasingly excited each night the lightning bugs appear.?.

So here we are waiting on the front porch swing for the lightning bugs to make their entrance. Actually, we were watching the neighbor boy and his remote control car almost cause numerous motor vehicle accidents.

Finally, when the lightning bugs started lightning, Charlotte and I created a little habitat in our jar. She is picking grass.

Examining the bugs. I have to admit, I also wanted to catch lightning bugs, because I wanted to try to snap some cool pics of the bugs as they lit. But two things, lightning bugs aren't easy to photograph. Number two, they don't seem to glow quite as much when they are stuck in a jar that smells of salad dressing remnants.

Reluctantly posing when asked by Mom.

Letting them go.

As I write this, in my backyard there is a light show. I tried to take pics but they didn't turn out, and plus I was all sorts of Silence of the Lambs, infrared light, creeped out being in the pitch dark. Maybe this happens in every back yard, but literally, the lightning bugs are twinkling like Christmas lights on a tree. Too beautiful.

Lately

Summertime, and the living is easy. Well, not easy, but fun, sweet, ornery, and awfully hot so far. I have some pictures from Day Out with Thomas that I will post soon. In the meantime, check out Joseph @ The Baldwin City Signal.


Painting outside
Chickens are growing well. Although, tonight David caught two owls sitting on the chicken coop roof, so who knows.?.

Entertaining the kids at the sink, so I can struggle through cooking dinner. The mess created usually consumes mucho time.

Finally, SurPRisE, a third little Toland is due this holiday season!