Here we go a’campin, again

Our last camp out of the year due to my foot surgery. we have had a good run at it this summer and the ward campout was a good way to seal the adventure.

I think the part I love most about camping is the free range kids.  Wait, no, it’s the lazy days without electronics and tons of housecleaning.  Or… is it the fire?  Nope, definitely the best part is the free range kids. It brings my heart such joy to see their bare footed, dirt covered selves running through the forest laughing and yelling. Something resonates in my spirit that says this is what child hood is supposed to be like.  The freedom to explore, learn and use your imagination and body.  To laugh and yell without being told you need to be quite.

Doesn’t this picture kind of remind you of the book “Lord of the flies”, in a good way that is.

Someone forgot to tell the brainiack that this was a “no school work” zone. I didn’t have the heart to break it to her.

Nana joined us and all the kids got a ton of cuddle time.  Baby K was attached to this stick, wouldn’t let anyone dream of taking it away from him.

My destructive duo trying to look innoncent

At the fire bowl= skit night.  we were plotting our fantastic display of talent (charades and we drew the snake).

Sariah’s most amazing primary teacher. Oh how this girl loves her teacher.  It takes a special kind of lady to deal with and love this dramatic and overwhelming child of mine.  Rest assured this lady can do no wrong and will always be perfect in my daughters eyes. So glad to have people in my children’s lives who truly adore them and let them know it.

The adventure was amazing, as always.  So long summer, so long camping. We had a blast, hope it was mutual.

No more wake up calls, or how to kill a rooster

Here is a pic of our Rhode Island Red rooster.  Not sure why, but in every batch of chicks we have bought from Dell’s we have received a rooster.  He’s handsome, isn’t he?  Thing is, he knew it and would strut his stuff and his call all day long beginning at 5:00 in the morning.  It wasn’t a huge issue for me, except that we live in a community where the houses are literally an arms space away from each other and I was sure the neighbors were going bonkers.  The coop is right outside Seri’s room and every time she fed them she would threaten to kill him if he woke her up the next morning. 

She finally got a chance to exert her revenge and her, Mike and Matt processed the rooster.  I tried to post pics that weren’t to graphic, but for the weak of heart or stomach you may want to stop reading now.

We tried to sell him on craigslist but no one wanted him and Matt wasn’t willing to let me free cycle a perfectly good dinner.

So, here is how to process a chicken 101:

In a large pot, boil water to 145-155 degrees Fahrenheit. any hotter and you will scald the skin.

Make sure you have cutting board, really sharp knives, everything sanitized….

Something to hang the chicken from while bleeding out and plucking.  We find those Plant hangar things work perfectly.  Drape the area under it for bleeding or place a large tub or bucket under the hanging area.

Hubby says you have to calm the chicken first. I find this step comical considering what is about to happen.  “Hey sweetie, you’re about to die, but calm down and breath, everything will be ok”.

Through friends we have discovered that the easiest way to take off the head is to place the head under the rake, step on the rake with enough weight to hold the head in place and then pull the body.  Yep, pretty easy.

Hang it to bleed and then when the bleeding stops, or slows dip it into hot water until the whole body is submerged and then pull it out, don’t leave it in to long, you stand the risk of cooking it.  This helps open the pores and make for easier plucking.

Now you pluck and pluck and pluck, oh… and then pluck some more.

Cut off the legs and gut the bird. sorry no pics for that step.  Well, there are pics, but for those weak of heart I wont post them.

I must say home grown chickens do taste the best.  There is also a certain satisfaction to knowing that we have reached a place in self-sufficiency where we can grow and process our own food.

crafty.

About a month ago I was browsing one of the blogs I stalk and I came across this

click on the pic for the source.

I immediately fell in love and knew I HAD to have one of these.  Seven years ago when we began homeschooling (could it really have been that long ago?) Matt and I dedicated our home to be a house of learning.  This was the perfect way for me to display this intent.

After weeks of gathering the materials I sat at the table all prepared to go.  I then realized that the glue gun wasn’t working.  Then the baby decided he needed attention, the 3 and 5 year old were drawn to me like magnets and proceeded to hover. Not to be out done the 8 year old joined in the hovering.  I began to feel frustration building and then it dawned on me why I haven’t crafted in… well, in years.  So,  I let everything sit and did the only thing I could. I put them to bed and then came down and continued crafting.

It felt so very good. I recognized and loved the feeling of all those creative juices flowing. The thrill of creating something out of nothing. The wonder at how it would turn out.  The alone time where I just had to focus on my thoughts and not on anything else.

So, here is my version. I must say I am very much in love with it.

I felt it needed a little more splash of color so I wrapped the inner circle of the embroidery hoop with red ribbon before inserting it into the center.  It definitely made it pop a little more.

 

I am not much of a flower person, so I made a huge ribbon bow instead.  I was so excited to find the tape measure ribbon in my ribbon stash.

Even though  I intend to use it all through the year and not specifically for “back to school” I really love the colors of fall and so I threw in some fabric leaves as well.

Once I buy a white paint marker I will write “This is a house of learning” on the chalkboard. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s OK. I write really small.

Embellished with a few more scrap book things and I am declaring it perfect. I sat there for a long time with a dozen more embellishments, ribbons and leaves, trying to decide if it was enough and if adding anything else would be too much.  Finally I decided that yes, it would be too busy if I added more.  Sometimes less is more.

It has been up for a little under a week and I love coming home and seeing it hanging on the door.  I hope it will serve as a reminder to my children that our home is indeed a place where learning is of the upmost importance.

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.   Romans 15:4

our brief experience with an exchange student

 

In June I saw an add in one of my homeschooling publications seeking homes for exchange students from Japan.  As a teenager we hosted a girl from Japan and that began the period of my life where I traveled to Japan twice to live with her family. Once for a summer and then again my second year of college.  I fondly remember that experience and wanted my children to have the same chance.

Yeah, our lives were crazy busy, yeah I have a lot on my plate without adding anything else, sure I was having foot surgery the week after she was to leave.  Not a problem. I am super mommy, hear me roar!!!  Ok. so it was a pathetic roar, but a roar all the same.

I had gotten the kids all hyped up and we were super excited about her being here.  She arrived and everything was perfect, going right along with how I had envisioned it……  until I realized that the box marked “speaks little” English was an understatement and may have only included the words “hi” and “yes”.

This was a tad unsettling as I never really knew what she was thinking or if she was comfortable or needed anything.  I found myself continually worried about whether she was having a good time or not.

If you know my children you know that they are a tad overwhelming and out going.  Thus it was with our new guest.  Sariah couldn’t stay off her and T.J. was always following her around.  I got the feeling she was trying hard to be accepting but that she was also a tad overwhelmed at the hustle and bustle and crazyness that is our every day life.

She was so sweet and had brought each member of the family a present.  We really enjoyed the first evening of opening presents and finding out what they were and how to use them.

Over the weekend she started complaining about being sick and I couldn’t really understand her so I was really concerned. We called her translator who talked to her and then told us he thought it was most likely a little homesickness.

The next day we met with her group and she had a chance to talk to her teacher who later explained that yes, our house was overwhelming for her and that she was concerned with the fruit flies.  I had been battling those stupid things for about a week and a half and had finally resorted to putting all the veggies and fruits in the refrigerator and emptying the trash every night among other things.

So, she ended up moving to a backup home the next morning and all of us were sad and half my children were in tears.

I was angry, frustrated, disappointed… How could something I had envisioned going so well end up being so disappointing?  How could she turn away my family?  Were we not good enough for her?  We had chosen her among the other girls and I couldn’t help  but wonder if things would have been the same way had we picked a different girl. 

After consoling my children I spent a lot of time in prayer and I can honestly say that I felt Heavenly Father comforting me and assuring me that those negative thoughts were not reality.  I came to the knowledge that sometimes he has to step in and save us from ourselves.

I had no business trying to add something else to our lives at this time.  During the short period she was with us I was anxious and concerned.  The next morning as I ate breakfast I noticed how much stress had been erased and how much more at ease I was.  And the fruit flies?  There were less than a handful remaining.  Hope I can count this as a lesson learned.

summer time

Such a great, lazy, laid back summer vacation we had.  It was truly over way too soon, and yet, I am so ready for my favorite season of all….  Yep, fall is on the way.  Sooner or later, although here in washington you can’t tell quit yet.

Even with both arms casted Mike wasn’t about to miss out on any of it.

I sure do love this crazy boy. Life is never boring (or quiet) with him around.

Of course Auburn kids day was must have on our itinerary.

And no summer is complete without weds at Les Grove park.  A playground, water park, museum that’s free for kids activities every wed., library, concerts and free lunch.  Yeah, it’s all good.

As most of you know. Baby K was the last of 7 babies at church born within a four month span of each other.  He sure does enjoy all his friends.

although, I admit, it is strange when they suck on each others fingers.

 

After all is said and done though, his best friends are his siblings. He adores each one of them and the feeling is mutual.

The best thing about summer? Hands down it is the flip flops!!! I adore flip flops and live in them as often as I can.  During the first few years of our marriage it would annoy Matt to no end when I would wear them in public.  His train of though was that they were shower shoes and only meant for the pool or public shower. Not sure whether to blame his retired Air Force dad or the Army for that one.  No fear though, I broke him of it with my patient persistence.  Now just for spite I have every member of my family except him in love with their flip flops. The preferred shoe in the Olson house :)

It was definitely a crazy summer medically speaking.  Mike broke both arms at the same time, and got bit by a dog. T.J. ended up with the tissue in his ear being infected and his whole ear swollen to the size of his head, wish I was exaggerating on this one, OK. maybe just a little, but it was huge!!!!!

These pictures seriously don't do it justice but you can get an idea.  It started out a little red in the morning like he had slept on it funny, been bitten or hit it on something. I wasn’t too concerned until about three when it had swollen so much. I called urgent care and they said to take him straight to Mary Bridge, forgot what they said it could be.  We are not ones to freak out so I finally got ahold of the nateuropathy and they fit him in.  Dr.’s opinion after looking, consulting with other docs and calling a pediatrician at Mary bridge was the same.  They were worried that a bone behind the ear was infected and it’s position is close to the brain.  Could mean serious trouble.

So, it was off to Mary Bridge. They were amazing and I will use them for any and all future incidents. So much better than st Francis.  The dr. there immediately said the same thing and the boy got an iv and a CT scan. He was so well behaved through it all.  While we were waiting for results interns and other Dr.s kept coming down just to see this “interesting” case.  After awhile I think T.J. got annoyed with being a zoo animal.  good news was it was just the tissue that was infected, still not sure how.

So, with all this happening our deductible was met and I figured it was a great time to have a foot surgery I have been waiting on, now that we pay 15%.  So, mid August I had my left foot done and mid Dec I will have the right one done.

Crazy summer I tell you. Guess it was payback for all the years we have made it so far without any medical traumas.

I am grateful for it though and grateful we all came out unscathed. Well, for the most part….

Better late than never

On the day of Mike’s scheduled birthday party he was casted on both arms and going to Laser Quest was pretty much out of the question.  So, at the end of August he finally got to have his long awaited birthday party.

He requested a white cake with white frosting and crushed oreos in the batter and on top. However, since I recently had foot surgery and am non-weight bearing I was not in the mood to make a cake. I got as close as I could though.

Here they are headed into the “briefing room”. I have never played, so I am not sure what is beyond these doors. All I know is that it is a huge area and they have a ton of fun and come out all sweaty and giddy.  works for me.

Singing Happy birthday.

It may have been late but I think he had a blast and it was just what he wanted. Happy Birthday bud. Love ya.