We have a new addition to the family.  The Walnut received a beef calf for his birthday.  Her name is Sparkle.  She lives in a hutch at the end of our garden.  Since Sparkle is a heifer calf, she probably won’t be in danger of being turned into steaks, but when she get older, any steers she has will!  Yum!  We have had a great time this week doing our chores to feed Sparkle.   She needs to be fed in the morning and afternoon.  The Walnut is always very excited to help with the chores.  Since he is only 3, his helping consists of walking out there while I feed sparkle, and giving me encouragement and support while I do it.  It is very cute though. He talks to her and says hi and pets her.  It is very cute.  We will only have Sparkle for about 2 months, then she will go back to the farm, to big for the hutch.

Wow, I have really been bad about posting.  Not that ANYONE is reading this.  I guess that’s ok.  I don’t write for others.  I have been busy.  Garden stuff is coming in.  We just has two birthday’s withing 4 days of each others.  Lot’s going on.  I did manage to find a job.  Kinda, or the job found me.  I am doing some painting.  Something that I absolutely HATE.  But if that is what God sends my way, I will paint.  I am nearly done.  I should finish most of the painting tomorrow and then finish the clean up and touch up on Thursday or Friday.  It all depends on having someone watch the kids on Thursday.  I should just plan for Friday.  After that I may be putting a door in someone’s house for a few dollars.  So I guess that I just need to keep my eyes open and alert for opportunities.  But ya know, it’s hard to make arrangements for the kids when I am not going to be home!!  I just don’t know what I would do if I found a full time job.

Enough of that already.  Time for bed.  I have a antsy Walnut that needs to go to sleep.  The Peanut is staying as grandma’s tonight and the Almond has already gone to sleep, without any problems!!  I wish I could say the same to this one.  I will let him snuggle with me for a while. Then he should fall asleep and my wife can put him to bed when she returns home.  I like how this will work out, yes I do.

I have a problem.  I like pickles.  That, in itself is a good thing because I have lots of them.  More exactly, I have LOTS of cucumbers.  Who would have thought that they would grow so well here in Minnesota.  If you know of anything else to do with them other than pickles, please let me know.  As for me, I make about 6 quart jars of picles A DAY!  This has led me to a few conclusion.  I either need to start EATING them at some point, or find a lot of friends who would all like a jar.  I have a section of my basement that is starting to look like a grocery store aisle.  Maybe I should just put a register by the door and let people in.  I just don’t know why cucumbers, zucchini, and other squash are so prolific when the stuff I want to grow lots of, peppers, are not!  If only hot peppers grew like cucumbers, I would be in salsa heaven.  I really like salsa.  Probably too much, at least as far as my waistband is concerned.  I know, salsa is good for you.  Especially when fresh.  Full of tomatoes, peppers, and if fresh, so too much salt.  Unfortunately, you need some type of chip to go with it, and then I have problems.  With a good salsa, I can finish off a bag of chips in less time then it takes to read this.  So I make it HOT.  Too hot to eat much at once.  Of course, I make way more then I could possibly ever eat myself so I give it away.  It fun to see people say, “Hot, this isn’t hot!  Where’s my water??” 

 As for now, I will just have to be happy with the pickles.  The tomatoes are just starting to ripen, and the peppers have a LONG way to go.

The Peanut and Walnut are watching a movie.  Of course, getting them to agree to a show is like watching a debate between presidential candidates!  Peanut wants to watch ‘Cars’.  Pretty innocent movie, all thing considered.  But, the Walnut thinks that Frank is too scary, and very vocally lets his sister know that he doesn’t want to watch that one.  He would like ‘Shark Tale’.  The peanut thinks the sharks are too scary!  So they are watching Dora the Explorer.  At least they learn a small bit of Spanish with that one.

The Peanut isn’t really watching it though, she is playing with the balloon she got from the fair.  Blow it up, let out the air, blow it up, let out the air.  I can see  know that I will never have to buy another toy for any of the kids.  Just food, balloons, gardening tools, etc. 

That’s all for now.  Just a quick break.  I will let ya know if anything funny happens later today.  It’s Friday, so anything could happen (but it probably won’t.)

The Almond (1 year old next week!!!) has learned to open the pantry.  He likes to take out the boxes, cans, etc. and spread them ALL OVER THE PLACE.  I don’t know why I buy toys for the kids.  The only things they ever want to play with are: dishes, pots, pans, brooms, my face….you get the message.  But I digress. I let him play and explore.  I don’t want to stifle that trait.  Let him figure out how to open the box of cereal and I get to sleep 15 minutes more in the morning!  “Look!  He can feed himself now.  Let me sleep!”

As I write this, he is getting himself a snack, an ice cream cone.  No ice cream, just the cone. I really enjoy this stage in the kids where everything is fun, new and interesting.  All too soon, the pot is a tool to cook with instead of a hat and the lid a shield.  How I wish for the simple joy that tupperware seems to bring them.  Maybe when they are grown and gone, then it will be my turn in the tupperware cupboard. 

 My wife can clean it up.  She won’t mind.