What a Little Fresh Air Does For Mr. Edwards

Mr. Edwards is my child who will come up with 5 million excuses as to why he can't go outside. If he does manage to get himself outside then, undoubtedly, there is a book in his hand and he has plopped himself in a chair to read. I can't really complain, though, he gets it very honestly from one of his parents (uhm, that would be me). The camping trip, of course, meant that he would be outside for several days in a row. All that fresh air did have an impact. Here is a funny picture of Mr. Edwards on the camping trip. And, yes, that water fountain Mr. Edwards is drinking out of is meant for creatures of the four-legged variety. He was quite disgusted when I told him, but then asked that I take a picture of him doing it again. Mary declined her turn at it and opted for one of the other drinking spots intended for us naked apes.

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Mr. Edwards is also my serious kind-hearted child who would never intentionally hurt someone else's feelings. He does not tease or pick on his siblings, although he stoically suffers their teasing quite often. One morning as I was helping Miss Almanzo with lotion, I asked her if she had put it on her face. She replied, "No. I need some for my other face." (I think what she meant was that she needed more lotion for her face). Mr. Edwards teased her, "Let's just hope that your other face doesn't have a mouth on it." It is no secret that Miss Alamanzo can carry on three conversations and sing and hum and make nonsense noise all at the same time, but Mr. Edwards teasing was uncharacteristic albeit funny. Even Miss Almanzo smiled.

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Did you know that the ant lion larvae holds its bodily waste inside its body for three years? Yea, me either. That is until Mr. Edwards and I were sitting all alone at the campsite. He is not much of a talker. He daydreams and reads and often prefers his inner life to what is going on around him. Anyways, as we sat there together, I made several attempts at conversation. He answered my questions but made no effort to keep the conversation going. I finally asked him what he would like to talk about? His eyes and face gave me that "Oh brother" look. I changed tactics and said, "Tell me something I don't know." That is when I learned all about ant lion larvae and their impressive holding capacity.

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We Survived (and it was fun)!

We're back with five somewhat filthy, minimally sunburned, slightly bug-bitten, extremely exhausted kiddos. We managed to get all that we needeed either in or on top of the van. The trip was fun and uneventful in a good way. Our day at the beach was a lot less stressful than I was anticipating. With Tropical Storm Gabrielle off the Carolina coast causing rip currents and rough waters, I was worried about keeping track of our 5 kiddos plus the other 2 kiddos of the family we camped with. Once they got the idea of having to stay in front of our umbrella, the day went well. I'm not sure what was most fun for them; the beach, the water park, the playground, playing in the woods, or eathing lots and lots of food that we don't normally eat at home. Here are a few pics while I go and attend to the not-so-fun part of the trip - the cleaning and putting away of everything.

More Info on the Jena 6

I first heard of the Jena 6 this past weekend from Emily at Collecting Raindrops. I found some more information on Egypt 4's blog today. I am also posting it to spread the word. Just when I think we may have taken a few steps forward with race relations in this country, I am always disappointed to find out that not everyone is in step.

More Info on the Jena Six

A Packing Paradox

We are going on our first camping trip this coming weekend as a family of seven. When the four of us use to go camping, the van was packed to the gills. So with reduced cargo room due to the fact that three more people will be in the car and the need for double the clothes, sleeping gear, and food, how does one make it all fit?

I'm thinking simply and creatively. I think I have gotten us down to the bare bones and that it will all fit. I'm concerned, however, about the inevitable expansion of our things that always seems to happen as you try to repack everything for the trip home. I'll let you know how it went when we get back.

Pa Gets His Walden Freak On

It has been a while since I have updated the progress at the farm. Construction was slowed way down this summer due to so much going on with my mom and to the extreme heat we experienced in late July through mid August. This Labor Day Weekend has been wonderful both weather and temperature wise. We have been out working at the land for most of it.

The barn is mostly complete. The lower walls are not on yet, but it basically provides us with shelter to store building materials which is what we wanted. Here are a couple of pictures


Pa has moved on to building a small (think Walden) cabin. He has been working diligently lately and has finished the foundation, the floor joists, framed the walls, and put the exterior sheathing on. Next he will work on the loft floor and then the roof. We plan to use this cabin on the weekends while we work on the farm and build the real house. This way we will have a place to escape to for breaks and meals. Here are a couple of pictures.

This fall we will get the portion of the field we don't currently have leased to a farmer cleaned up and fenced. We plan to plant pasture grasses and get a few goats and maybe a few chickens as well as get ready to plant a kitchen garden, with okra of course, for the spring.


The kids all protested spending entire days out at the land although they quickly busied themselves with filling in holes, cutting a path through the brush to the barn, sawing where Pa needed it, collecting nails, and discovering an abandoned hummingbird's nest and a black widow spider. Here are some utterances I overheard from the kids this weekend even though it was the last place they claimed they wanted to be.

Mr. Garvey: Sam, you didn't play with any of the toys you brought.
Mr. Laura: I know, but this work is just too much fun.

Mr. Garvey: Can we come everyday and do this?

Mr. Laura: This is so nice to have our whole family playing, I mean working, together.

Miss Almanzo and Mary: "It's my turn to saw.", "No it isn't.", "Yes it is.", "No it isn't.", "Yes it is.".......

Mr. Edwards: I am so mad that I have to go out there today. It will be so boring.
Mr. Edwards (after 10 minutes of being at the land): Wow I didn't expect this to be so much fun.


All: Do we really have to go home already?

A Challenge - Take 2

O.K. I had more fun than I expected doing this. The following ABC poem has been percolating in my head all day after hearing the term "bathroom cruising" on NPR this morning. It finally came together. Here it is below:

Arbitrary bathroom cruising
doesn’t exactly favor great hall incumbents.

Just knowing lust momentarily negates options;
produces quantifiable repercussions.

Senator’s toe-tapping;
unspoken vibrations which (e)xpose yearnings zealously.

A Challenge

Slouching Mom (who got the idea from Sanne) wrote a 26-word poem, each word beginning with a consecutive letter of the alphabet. She challenged others to do the same. Here's my attempt:

Adoption begets confusion,
Desperate events form grieving hearts

Inconceivable, jagged, karmic losses,
Many never overcoming parent's quivering relinquishment

Sorrowful thoughts, unimaginable,
Voracious wishes xhausting your zest