U-Pick

But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries; but Peter, who was very naughty, ran straightaway to Mr. McGregor's garden and squeezed under the gate!

Thankfully Peter was not in attendance during our excursion to a local farm to pick thornless blackberries (this fact somehow helped to justify the cost though I could easily spend the majority of our food budget on fresh produce if it were not for the carnivores)

and my three "good little bunnies" helped tremendously. Even Matthew stayed pretty close though his precious blue puppy, clothes, and his face bore evidence of sampling.

So what to do with 2 quarts of blackberries?

Make cobbler, of course.

And for me, there is only one recipe worth eating: Mom's Cobbler (not my mom, though she makes it):

• 1/2 c. butter (1/4 c.)
• 2 c. sugar (1 1/3 c. sugar)
• 2 c. water
• 1 1/2 c. self-rising flour
• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1/3 c. milk
• 3 c. fruit, divided

1. Melt the butter in a 9 x 13 pan. Add 2 c. fruit
2. Boil water and sugar.
3. Combine flour and shortening and mix until crumbly; stir in milk until dough is formed.
4. On waxed paper, roll out dough (long and narrow). Add 1 c. fruit. Roll up.
5. Slice into approx. 24 pieces and put in pan. (If it falls apart, just throw in all in the pan; it will taste the same - I know from experience).
6. Pour water mixture on top.
7. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.
8. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

(The numbers in italics represent changes I made in order to somewhat redeem the calorie/fat content; the result was excellent).

I plan on having French Toast with blackberry sauce in the morning.

And next week? It should be time for blueberries. Oh, how I love fresh fruit!

Crazy Driving

Consider yourselves forewarned: the roads will not be safe in another dozen years or so if this video is any indication.

This Christmas gift from my parents certainly deserves an award. It has seen 4+ years of play and is in perfect condition; it doesn't require batteries yet provides hours of fun; it is good for ages 12 mo to over 5 years; can serve as a NASCAR, lawn mower, motorcycle, mail truck, fire engine and combine harvester in addition to being a train.

Though it was originally a gift for Andrew, he only pushed it until Stephen came along to demonstrate actually riding (not that we didn't try). Matthew needed no coaching and whips around making U-turns like his crazy brother.

Newest Diet Craze

There was Atkins.

Then South Beach.

Then Meditteranean.

Now: The Gnaw Foods Diet.

Eat your fill of ribs, chicken legs, and corn on the cob. Just have some floss handy.

Hard Livin'

...will catch up with you.

I don't know how to explain it, but ever since we arrived home from the beach the boys having been getting up extra early (think the 5 o'clock hour). This practice is definitely not encouraged but I've learned that you can't force a kid to sleep.

This habit can't continue indefinitely and Andrew crashed just a few minutes before dinner was served. He slept soundly as we munched, woke briefly to walk to bed, day clothes and all.

Wonder what time he'll arise tomorrow?

Seize the Day

Doug got up at 5 this morning to help with an event at church. While normally I would mumble something incoherent as he walked out the door, I was afflicted with allergies which seem so much worse than usual (it's probably related to pregnancy). I shuffled into the kitchen to brew coffee, take a Claritin, and settle down with a box of Kleenex.

Then Andrew appeared.

It was 5:15.

He was shooed back his room but he decided to turn on the light thus waking Stephen.

They never went back to sleep.

While they are usually required to stay in their rooms until 6:30, I relented at 6:09 and our day officially began. Since we were off to such an early start (and I managed to drink a full cup of coffee before it got cold), I thought we should take advantage of the cool(er) morning air and go to the park.

It's a perfect place to walk: a wide path, a beautiful river with boats and birds, and lots of shade. We walked a couple of miles and then the boys romped around the playground.

By 9 they were requesting snacks so we headed to the van, made a quick run by Sam's to get essentials like Craisins and chicken nuggets, and returned home (and indoors). Thankfully tomorrow we are supposed to get a reprieve with the high reaching only 93.

We sort of celebrated Father's Day a little early, too. Doug wanted to grill burgers so while he did that the boys and I made a cake (baked in a Pyrex 2.5 qt. mixing bowl and decorated like a baseball): To Doug, an All-Star Dad.

And while the burgers were overdone and the cake wasn't very tasty (probably something to do with our pathetic baking options), we all had fun.

Daylilies at Dusk

I read once of a gardener who gathered her daylily blooms each evening.

It's much more pleasant than dead-heading.

$5 Worth of Fun

I snagged this Slip 'N' Slide at the end of the season last year with the thought that it would be the perfect way to cool off on a hot summer day. It's not officially summer yet, but with a high of 97 and the heat index over 100, I figured it was close enough.

Andrew was very excited as he remembered playing on one with his two big cousins three years ago in Mississippi. After connecting the hose, it was a different story.

"But I might fall down." It is a Slip 'N' Slide. "But I will get wet." That's kind of the point.

(My emaciated son, the only one without food allergies, gingerly walking down the slide).

Stephen wasn't any more enthusiastic and Matthew just fussed or tried to dive into the ditches.

I gave up on actually sliding (I wasn't about to personally demonstrate considering our neighbors were watching) and let them do their own thing - water bowling.

Meanwhile I played "Mule on the Trot Line," pulling Matthew in the wagon around the backyard.

At least they had fun.

Don't Be Fooled...

by his cute looks.

He is sneaky,

adventurous,

a daredevil,

and down-right mischievious.

He keeps us on our toes.

Summer Schedule

We returned from the beach to face Summer in the South (a.k.a. Heat & Humidity) and therefore a return to our Summer Schedule which involves doing all outdoor activities in the early morning so that we can return indoors by 10 am.



A/C is a necessary evil around here: it keeps my husband happy and creates a non-humid atmosphere, but it's cold, costly, and noisy.

We still escape outdoors to tend to the yard, play ball, and make "cement" and in turn work up a sweat.

But there's always a cool treat waiting inside.

Our Weekend

It was a busy but fun weekend here in Chattanooga.

On Friday night we once again braved Riverbend with the kids.

It definitely ranks as one of the top people-watching events of the year, especially on country night. It was pretty hot but thankfully there were samples of Coke Zero and free water.

There was a large sand sculpture featuring the faces of the individuals/groups performing during the nine-day event (like Willie Nelson) as well as a large sand play area for kids.

We were "spotted" by the local paper and the boys "spotted" a real NASCAR.

On Saturday Doug did duty as Mr. Mom as I made my first semi-official foray into the homeschooling community. I was a little intimidated by the large number of 15-passenger vans and long-skirted women at the used curriculum fair, but I was able to snag some great deals.

One vendor was very anxious to leave and marked all her items down to $.25/each so she could go home. I got a lot of children's books as well as some items that will be held for Christmas gifts.

The next item on my to-do list was to get fabric for our baby's quilt. I went to Hancock; no luck. I drove to Hobby Lobby; nothing. I went back in the direction of Hobby Lobby to a specialty quilt shop which was fabulous. It took me a good deal of time to browse their bolts and a great deal more to make up my mind.

Ninety-minutes later I left, headed towards another Hobby Lobby which had batting on sale.

We celebrated Flag Day with patriotic waffles

and an afternoon baseball practice.

It ended with a really small Small Group Meeting (one other couple with no kids) so we met up a local playground where the kids roamed the woods and the adults talked and ate scrumptious Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting. Delicious!

Beach Re-do

My in-house critic did not approve of my Smilebox creation (I had to agree) and requested more photos. Here goes (WARNING: there are lots!).

When I finally broke down (on Thursday night) and told the boys we were going to the beach (on Saturday morning), Stephen immediately asked if the toe would be there. Yes, it was.

The Big Dig: the tide was out in the mornings allowing plenty of room for building

until we realized it was a lot easier to move the operation closer to the water source.

Andrew & Stephen digging the first of many trenches.

Don't forget the heavy machinery.

But be sure to fuel up on sausage first - a 1/4 lb. will do nicely.

The grandkids/cousins:

Abby (age 7)

Andrew (age 5)

Nathan (age 5 - 19 days younger than Andrew)

Stephen (age 3 3/4 - "my little guy" according to Peter)

Peter (age 3)

Matthew (age 1)

I really slipped when I failed to get shots of the two new ones on their way. Oops!

We had sand in the eyes and the ears and the nose,

And sand in the hair, and sand-between-the-toes.

Whenever a good nor'wester blows,

Christopher is certain of

Sand-between-the-toes.

My guys

Construction requires big tools

and great concentration.

The Three Stooges.

Digging to China.

T-shirt time with the wild animals.

He's dug his own grave.

This shirt is so apropro, don't you know!

Brotherly love at its best.

Andrew was on the move.

Matthew's great feat - climbing into a beach chair.

Andrew & Abby crossed the channel.

Stephen tried to follow, but it was too deep.

Adios, beach house! Hope to see you again next year.

nnel.

)