Lorihadams-- hi guys...been busy!

[Bubblingbrooks]

I vote for Tyler feeding off your emotions. And when little ones do that, it usually comes out much stronger then we are even feeling.

 

[lorihadams]

So it has been a busy weekend....first, we went Wednesday night after talking to a girl from freecycle and confirming that she wanted our furniture and bought new leather furniture. Our last furniture has lasted us 11 yrs and 3 houses so it was time for something that fit our new space and we were happy to pass on our stuff to someone in need. Chad told her that if they got to move out of their current place to call him and he would help them move to their new apartment. She was from Brooklyn, scared of the country---mostly cause she hasn't been here long and has already hit a deer, and not happy about the apartment they have but hasn't saved up enough money to move yet and this place lets them pay by the week.

We got ourselves a leather sofa with recliners on both ends, a leather recliner to match and two new coffee tables. We had $1000 to put towards it and we bought the 5 year warranty to go with it. The kids keep calling it the "theater".

Daddy and Papa came up early Saturday morning and while I was gone with the kids to a birthday party pretty much all day, laid all the block for the foundation of the garage. Chad was the "mortar and block b*tch" and ran all day while Daddy laid all the block. It looks wonderful but now we have to backfill around it with dirt after the inspection is done and then we get to level it out and fill in with gravel and then the guys can come with the concrete to do the floor. I think we are going to get some extra concrete to run up next to the outside of the foundation and go over the extra we had left that we put in for a carport later. It was done spur of the moment and needs to have another layer put over it and be professionally smoothed out.

I called and ordered all the materials for the garage to be delivered tuesday, at least the lumber and windows and door. We'll get the siding, plywood and shingles for the roof ordered later. So far we are doing very well on cost and I hope it stays that way. Our cousin just purchased a dump truck so he is going to get our gravel for us and deliver it for practically nothing.

This morning Maddie got up, after sleeping with Papa, and declared that she was leaving to go "see my granny for a week"....so I got her packed up and I am proud to say that today I got both the kids rooms cleaned out and reorganized all their toys. I threw away a lot of little broken pieces and lots of junk and their rooms look a lot better.

Chad mowed the yard and then built some birdhouses for the goat fence with some scrap lumber we had lying out back.

Papa came with some new towels for us, they cleaned out their old house finally and found a big bag of towels with the tags still on them. They are pink....Maddie is gonna love them.

I also did 3 loads of laundry yesterday and 3 more loads today after changing all the sheets in the house and cleaning the bathrooms. I am beat. Tomorrow I get to tackle all the kids school supplies and art stuff. I need to go through all their books as well.

In garden news, all my peas and bush beans are up and so are my cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, and carrots. My broccoli, cabbage, beets, swiss chard, brussel sprouts, cabbage and potatoes are about 1/4 in tall but growing! I just planted corn and kentucky wonder pole beans and my peppers look fabulous, even if they are only about 3 inches tall. My tomatoes look HORRID. I went back and replanted seed in all of my boxes in case they die. I also went back in with more seed and replanted here and there where I had some seeds that didn't come up. Everything looks pretty good so far.

Frawg rolled in cow manure AGAIN yesterday so I had to give her a bath last night. The boys are out fishing at one of the ponds with some big ol worms Chad dug out of the compost pile.

We have tickets to go to "an evening with Picasso" at our local art museum. Not everyday you get to see picasso up close and personal....the exhibit has been here about a month so we are going with some friends of ours but I gotta get a babysitter still.

Bee meeting Thursday and the bees should come in this weekend. I emailed the goat breeder but haven't heard back from her yet so I may just suck it up and call her tomorrow....I hate talking on the phone.

So, I guess that pretty much sums up the latest here on Swingin' Tree Farm.... Now I'm gonna go catch up on everyone else's weekend....

 

[gettinaclue]

Lori, you are sooo lazy .

 

[TanksHill]

 

[Henrietta23]

Busy doesn't quite cover it, does it?

 

[lorihadams]

So has anyone ever read the Scaredy Squirrel books? Today I made a scaredy squirrel for my son....he wants a dog from the same book too. I swear I should just sell little felt animals for a living.

The inspector came and all is good with the foundation for now but she said that because of the moderate shrink swell issues we have here we cannot, or should not, backfill it with dirt. Great.

So, we have a friend coming today to bring gravel....a ridiculous amount of gravel, another friend coming to drop off his bobcat so we can move the dirt around and get an estimate on how much concrete to order to do the floor, and another friend coming with his wife so she can do a "tour" of the farm.

Our materials are being delivered tomorrow and the concrete is coming as well so we have to get the gravel done and everything set for the concrete today.

We decided to go in the field next door and make some "manure tea" to try to help the tomatoes so I have a 5 gallon bucket of manure soup hanging out for the next week or so.

I also replanted pots of chives, cilantro and parsley cause the cold got mine and it looks horrible. I moved the basil seedlings into a big old metal washtub that I had that has a hole in the bottom next to the porch. I hope it does well.

Well, I haven't had lunch yet so I am gonna go and eat before everyone descends on my house. It is supposed to rain tomorrow night and Wednesday morning so we have a lot to get done and a short time to get there.

 

[calendula]

So has anyone ever read the Scaredy Squirrel books? Today I made a scaredy squirrel for my son....he wants a dog from the same book too. I swear I should just sell little felt animals for a living.

Yes! My youngest son loves Scaredy Squirrel. How did you make it?

 

[lorihadams]

I used felt. I have a mountain of it. I used two shades of brown...one light and one dark for the body and gray for the tail and just had him pick a picture out of the book to copy. I glued the front and back together with a hot glue gun and left an opening to stuff it with batting. I cut the feet and tail separately and stuffed them as well and then sewed them onto the body. Glue on some googley eyes and use a black Sharpie to do the details....I even made him a name tag.... If I can pry it out of his room I'll get a picture for you

 

[lorihadams]

Okay Calendula....I couldn't pry it away from him but I did get a pic for you! Here's Tyler with Scaredy Squirrel...complete with name tag.

And....in big news....we are ready for concrete tomorrow!!! Here's pics of the garage foundation with my dad, papa, and husband starting the block.

and here it is full of gravel, leveled out and compacted, and ready for concrete tomorrow! And if you look over behind the clothesline you'll see the future corn patch!

BUT....the biggest news of all...........I talked to the breeder and WE ARE PICKING UP OUR GOATS TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AL]

Wow great progress!! Though I must say that first pic looks like our state road crew - 1 man working the others "supervising"

And yay for the goats!!!! *mutters under breath "I want goats!" *