Finally Free!

The weather finally turned nice and we were able to get outdoors to do some spring clean up. Last week I was able to get the flower beds around the house all clipped and raked. The kids love clipping things. They each take a pair of some sort of clippers and help clean up the old growth from last year. Then, we rake and pick it up.

I also brought up compost and put it in the raised garden beds. The hens had scratched so much of it out in their quest to get their dirt baths. Then, the kids dug around searching for all my worms so they could go fishing. I had the kids level out the compost. Now, I need to get my potatoes and some sugar snap peas finally planted. I've never planted potatoes, so it will be interesting. 

It has been several years since we put down mulch in the flower beds, and it shows. The beds are in really sad shape. So, Sunday I went into town and bought 65 bags of mulch. Looking at it now, I don't think it will be enough, but it was all they had.

I came home and filled two of the tree rings. Instant gratification! Then, I went to work on the bed next to the driveway. Part of the retaining wall had fallen over and needed to be dug out and put back together. I also had to remove some soil and clean things up a bit more. Then, I added the red mulch. I ooohed and aaahed every time I looked over that way. I just looks so much better!

Mr Farmer wanted to re-do the flower bed right in front of the front porch. He wanted it to be more of a planter box, raised up from the porch rather than level with it. He hopes it will stop the kids and animals from using the bed as a thoroughfare. I told him, "Good luck with that!" The kids will always step on and through it. Anyway, we found some old, used landscape timbers and set to work. I'm so lucky to have Mr Farmer! He's amazing to watch work work with!

And a few hours later, we had a flower box built. I added in some soil and we cleaned up for the night.

Next up is the bed by the back patio. We got rain last night, but it's supposed to be 75 today and then rain and snow the rest of the week, so I need to get things done today.

All finished.

Finally, we added two little plant areas next to the chicken coop. These spots were just ugly and needed something to spruce them up. We had to dig down to make sure the doors could still open all the way.

The concrete still needs to be washed off, but I figure the rain later in the week will do that for me. This area is always such a mess after the winter. The hens scratch around, hay comes out of the coop when it's open for them to free range, and just general muck collects there.

Have you ever...?

I have been working on a big project for over a month now. I'm so excited about it. As part of the bigger project, I am making some pillows. I wanted them to look older and a bit darker. I decided to tea-dye them.

Have you ever tea-dyed something? I hadn't but figured I could do it without much trouble. I didn't even research it on the all-knowing internet. I just jumped right in. Seriously, it's not rocket science.

First, I had to choose the fabric. I started with a recent auction find- an old flour sack. It was incredibly heavy. I washed it to make sure I was beginning with a clean piece of cloth. Then, I cut it into three equal pieces, for the three pillows I was planning. The smaller size made it much easier to handle in the staining process.

Next, I got out my largest mixing/ measuring bowl. I filled it with hot water and four or five family size tea bags. I stuck it in the microwave for five minutes. I slowly dunked one of the fabric pieces into the tea. I pulled it up once or twice to make sure all of it was getting soaked. Finally, I pushed it all under the tea and held it down with another glass measuring cup. Anything heavy would do, though.

This photo is of another fabric with which I worked.

After the desired darkness was achieved, I removed the fabric and removed as much tea as I could by wringing it out. I let it air dry. This was the result.

If you look at the next photo, you can see the difference between the colors of the un-dyed and dyed pieces. It's subtle and doesn't show well in the picture. The result was a piece of fabric that looked quite aged and slightly stained from use. The dyeing wasn't uniform. Some areas were more stained-looking than others.

 

Here is the first pillow I made with the tea-dyed fabric. Here you can the variations a bit better.

Cinnamon Rolls of a Different Kind

I make two types of cinnamon rolls. I posted about one type here.  This post is about the other type I make.

I call these Biscuit Dough cinnamon rolls. These could be as easy as buying packaged biscuit dough, roll it out, sprinkle with goodies, and bake.

But that wouldn't make for much of a post, now would it. I also like to make things from scratch as much as possible.

Now, let's begin. Here's my favorite recipe for the biscuit dough I use for these. I use another recipe for actual biscuits.

1 stick of butter- softened
2C flour ( I use part ww and part all purpose)
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
4 tsp baking powder
splash of milk

Combine dry ingredients. Mix in butter until crumbly. Add egg. Mix. Add milk. Roll out thinly. If the dough is a bit sticky, I like to use white sugar instead of flour to keep it from sticking to the counter or your rolling pin. This just adds extra sweetness.

Now for the insides. I use a tub of butter and my fingers and spread the butter over entire rectangle of dough. Then, I sprinkle with plenty of cinnamon. Next comes the white sugar. And finally, brown sugar. Don't be skimpy!

I like these to be small so they can be eaten in a bite or two. So I roll up from one direction until I'm about halfway and make a cut to separate it form the other half. I cut the log into pieces about an inch long. Then, I repeat with the other half. I lay them closely on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

The rolls in these photos were made using another recipe since I was making biscuits, too. The above recipe will not raise much, if any. These cinnamon rolls are completely different from your typical yeasty, doughy rolls, but they are just as good. Ours never last very long!

The result is an almost crunchy outside with an unbelievable inside.

Can You Tell...

What project we are working on today?

If you guessed that we are trying to make it look like a tornado hit the house for Severe Weather Week, you're right!

Or maybe we decided to do some sewing projects. Yep, that's it. Sissy started it all by asking for material to do a sewing project. Baby thought it sounded like fun and joined in. The two of them began ripping out seams on some old curtains I had. That kept them busy for quite awhile! We could hear the birds singing outside and all was quiet and peaceful in the house.

The Boy set to work on sewing a sleeping bag for his stuffed puppy. He made quick work of it. I'll bet he is the only one to finish a sewing project today. (It's a good thing his puppy doesn't move around or part of his lower half would slide out the big gaping holes in the bottom.) He is definitely goal oriented. 

His sisters, however, are detail oriented.

The two girls decided to sew an outfit for Buddy and went outside to measure him. I tried to snap a picture for you, but Buddy ran away so quickly that I didn't have a chance. It was like he knew the torture that would befall him if he stood still. The laughter from the chickens. The heckling from the cats. The wolf whistles from passing strays. Yes, he ran very quickly.

So, the girls came inside and decided to sew their brother a skirt. He was measured. Then, Sissy got out the pins. The boy was terrified! He was mortified. He was embarrassed. His sister giggled, "I'm so excited. My brother is the best brother to let me do this. I can't wait to tell everyone at church!"

Now he is really mortified. Poor thing. (giggle. giggle. snortle.) 

Then he asked, "Mommy, are you going to blog about this?"

"Yes."

"Nooooooooo!"

Then he declares to his Sissy, "I'm done. I'm done."

"You can retire when we're done! Stand still or you're going to get stuck."

"Please don't tell the guys at church, Sissy."

"Boy, I don't think any husband would do this for his wife," Sissy declared.

"I wouldn't do it for my wife, either!" The Boy retorted.

To act a bit more masculine, The Boy starts asking Baby to look at his muscles. "Look how big they are!"

"I need someone my size for this so it fits me," Sissy tells him.

"I'm not your size!"

"That's ok. Don't move a muscle."

"Oh look! It's lunch time," The Boy states hopefully

"Don't worry. You will stay right where you are until I'm done with you," declares Sissy.

Update. The Boy has now escaped! Yay, Boy!!

Baby is making mac and cheese for the kids. The Boy has been reprieved. Sissy is probably secretly plotting how to entice her brother back into her sewing project. All is good in the house again.

Another  update: Sissy actually did manage to get The Boy to be her mannequin again. She promised he could make lunch tomorrow instead of her. Sucker!

Happenings At Home

Today is a fun day as we are mostly done with school for the year. First, I started some cinnamon rolls.

The kids asked to make corn starch goop. They played in that and made a mess for awhile.

 Then, they decided to make a schedule and take appointments for their animal hospital, nail salon, and hair salon.

The first appointment was for surgery on the Boy's puppy and Baby's "Marigold". Here is the operating room. Shots were given. Sympathy was shown to the waiting owner as he sniffled and cried. In an attempt to distract the owner, a book was sold to him.

After the successful surgery, the Boy took Sissy, his customer, into the hair salon. He asked her to wet her hair down so he could put curlers in it. He told her, " I want to make you look like grandma." Sissy told him she didn't want to look like grandma. The Boy responded, "Then you could look like George Washington!"

Now who wouldn't want to look like our first president? It was an offer she couldn't refuse.

She wet down her hair and he set to work.

When he finished, Baby was tasked with drying Sissy's hair so they could see what an awesome job he did.

I tried to tell them Sissy's hair wasn't dry yet, but it fell on deaf ears. Does she look like George? The Boy is disappointed.

My cinnamon rolls are done. Mr Farmer is on his way by the house so I said I'd run one out to him. He couldn't get it any fresher from the oven! Then, I needed to taste one. You know, to make sure I wasn't going to expose my children to something horribly awful and be accused of mistreating them. Yummmmmy! And as I finished, Mr Farmer called to tell me that he wasn't sure he got a good enough taste and needed to come back for another one. (He didn't but would have if he wasn't on the clock.)

The kids approve of the cinnamon rolls.

Baby gives them two thumbs and five toes up.

And finally, the nail salon. Apparently, if you have a brother with yucky toes and fingers, it becomes a self-serve nail salon.

I love watching my kids use their imaginations. Of course, it helps when two of them are grounded off of all electronic entertainment.

My Life In Funny E-Cards

I've come across quite a few of these funny e-cards lately and figured I could show you a glimpse of my life through them. I want to let you know there is a word on one of them that I would have changed if I could. Please don't be offended. Here we go.

First, we start our day with school. Math. Let the torture begin.

This is how it looks to the kids.

 

And so, they move on.

Then, I remind them of the task at hand and the importance of getting it done in a timely fashion. (Did that sound kind and loving? Good. I was hoping to fool you.) And I get crying and gnashing of teeth. So I sweetly respond...

They respond appropriately and so I let them know...

 And in my mind I'm not so kind and sweet as I think...

Now, knowing that...

I feel I can possibly still pull out a success if I work diligently at parenting my kids. So, I set to work. As the day progresses, I find myself reminding the kids...

This does so very little to make them see things correctly, but I keep trying because I don't want to be a failure. You see, ...

Stay at home moms do get tired of bored kids, however. So, I let my son play a video game on the Wii. After this allotted time is up, he comes and finds me hiding in the closet busy at some task. He proceeds to tell me for the umpteenth time about how he fought off a bad guy and all I want to do is scream...

After biting my tongue, I decide it's time for a nap, and the kids need one, too.

You see, ...

But, as a parent, I've come to realize...

And in between kids' questions and refereeing their fights, I have very little brain matter left.

Then, the kids start yelling and I realize they might be hungry.

And just when things can't get any worse, our great leaders decide to mess me up.

Yep! They go and snatch an hour of my sanity from me.

So now, I'm even more tired and grouchy.

Because...

Except, I must go to town to get groceries.

Then, Mr Farmer gets home and asks a completely innocent question about my pajamas, to which I respond...

And I crumple in a sobbing mass onto the floor as I realize...

The following day is a Saturday. So much time, so little school. But a mother's work is never done so I get to work. On my computer.

And then I think I'm starting to feel something.

I have a better idea!

And finally, I find one more thing at which to fail.

So I try...

That didn't work so I try...

When that doesn't work, I try some housework.

And so I go with the old stand-by. I just suck it in. Until...

Thanks for visiting my life through e-cards. I hope you enjoyed it and see how good you have it. Or feel really jealous at how good I have it. If you're in the latter group, I'm so, so sorry for you. And I'm laughing hysterically. Not at you, but near you. From far away.