Welcome to another addition of "So my kids think they're smarter then I am"!!

Eliya has gotten to the stage that I thought teens had the corner market on. She thinks I am stupid, wrong and that she knows all the answers as well as what I am thinking.

Today, I told her she could watch TV after I took a shower. When I got out, she turned on the TV and it was "magically" on her channel. That's not a major offence, but she thought she'd speed my time table along to fit her wants...Just now, she argued with me about how to spell July. She told me it should be Jluy-actually said I was wrong. I told her I've been spelling July a lot longer then she has (she seriosly just learned how to spell it last week) and I know what I am talking about. [insert sigh here]

I think I'll go read Job 38, 39 and 40. I'm pretty sure God feels this way toward us most of the time. Think I can get the same reaction from Eliya as Job had in 40:4&5? No, me either...

Pics of our yard!!

Here's a few pics of this season's pride and joy...

This is one of my lovely softball size watermelons. They'll be ready the first week of august.

Here's the turtle habitat-we're hoping to expand it next year.

This is Franklin. I don't know where Andy was, hopfully he didn't escape! They love to dig in the dirt to keep cool (and hidden) but like most ladies, Franklin is just too nosey to keep to herself in the dirt when someone clicking a camera comes by!

Here's Eliya helping in the garden. Didn't Wes do a great job on those garden boxes?? You can't really tell from this far away, but there are 5 or 6 cherry tomato plants scattered through out the garden that I didn't plant. I think there must have been some seed left in my compost and since it's been a cool summer (until now) they had time to really sprout. We are going to be up to our ears in those things!!

There's the suspended row. The 'maters aren't doing as well as the rightside up ones. I have a few ideas on how to remedy that. I think I'll try again next year and if it still doesn't work, I'll have Wes turn it into a trellis for vining plants.

So I'm thinking about building a bat habitat...

Due to the recent focus on unwanted bugs, I've been researching natrual and organic ways to get this under control. There's a lot of info about planting a plant that repels a certain pest next to one that attracts it and atracting natual priditors such as ladybugs to eat those distructive little bad guys. The coolest thing I've read so far is building a bat house.

Apparently a singe bat eats 600-1000 mosquitos an hour (yes, an hour) and loves to munch on my two new arch enimes, the aformentioned squash vine borers and cucumber beatles. I think it's a fantastic idea. It's practically free, totally natrual, and will be a great teaching tool for the kids. For those of you who think I'm nuts and putting my family at risk, I've looked up the danger of rabies (especially since a bat with rabies was found not far from here yesterday-ironic huh?) and it's more likely to win the state lottery or be killed by my spouce then it is to be bit by a rabid bat. I do still need to look into the guano situatioin. Will it be a problem? Is it dangerous? Will there be a much higher percentage, say, in the kids sand box etc... Really though if that isn't an obsical, this sounds like the perfect solution.

Wes asked if we were becomming a wildlife reserve, lol. We have a box turtle habitat with two lovely turtles, Andy, the boy and Franklin, the girl (we named them before we kew their sex) We may have more next year. The other day Eliya said "Hey mom, Andy's on top of Franklin!" *sigh* Hey maybe we can get a grant, 2 turtles, 4 bats and a compost pile of worms screams sactuary to me!!

Hmm, I thought I had a pic of the turtles. I guess I'll have to get one up. I did take pics of our school area. It's so cute. I'll try to get those up tomarrow, too.

Damage control

I went larve hunting yesterday. I think I got them all. Then I covered the damaged stem with dirt (that is what I read to do) I didn 't water them since it was the middle of the day and by evening the plant that looked dead was perky. I did use some miricle grow (I know, I know) but I really feel it's neccisary. So I have almost organic veggies...that's still got to be better then the alternative.

Anyway, we started school this week. It's so fun. I'm doing the most conventional things...it's weird. I love unschooling and Eliya does so well, but she seems to crave the look and feel of a class room. She's asked me several times this summer if she could go to school. I told her maybe but not for Kindergarten. Ugh. I know this is best for her and for our family and all she wants is the highlights of school, you know the first day, show and tell, recess, etc. We've talked about the down side and she's convinced this is what's best for her but part of me feels guilty. Maybe if I buy her a supergirl backpack and pack her a lunch in the morning she'll feel better. Actually that sounds like fun.

Well, I've got nothing more to say. I may need to do this later in the day when I actually have something to say...we'll see.

Stupid, stupid, stupid bugs...

I had three impressive zucchini plants. Huge dark leaves supported by long thick stalks and many many baby zucs. I was expecting to have more zucchini then I knew what to do with in a week or so. I went out yesterday to asses the garden and the front plant was all but dead...upon further investigation I found that something had been eating the base of the main stalk of all three plants. My stomach turned, an ugly mixture of anger and dissapointment swirled within me. For the life of me I couldn't figure out what had caused such devistation. Then I searched the net and found that the interesting bug I tried to identify a few weeks ago had laid eggs and the fat little worms were feasting on MY plants. Now I'm furious. It's as if the internet has let me down. I tried. I looked up the bug to see if it was a danger. Nothing. Now I find a site(a site by the University of Kentucky, no less!!) that has pics of that ugly menicing bug and what to do if one is seen. Why? Why of all places does this bug destroy the base of the plant? Eat the leaves-eat the stems, I'd even be okay sharing some of the zucchini but to cut off the plant at the roots...that seems excesive and just plain mean.

Thankfully this bug (The Squash vine boring moth, fyi) is not interested in the lovely watermelon vines right next to it. You better believe I'm keeping a close eye on those little babies.

Man, it's hot

I took the kids and bought school supplies yesterday. It was so much fun. Bean wanted a Spiderman folder. It's so funny. He doesn't know what Spiderman is-he just knows it's cool...for that matter, he doesn't know what a folder is-but Sissy has one so it must be awesome.

After we shopped we swam all day-well two long stretches anyway. I am SORE!! They kept asking me to make waves while they bounced arround on floats. Motrin, here I come! Eliya kept practicing going under-all way under-I'm so proud of her. She always finds the courage to do even the things that terrify her (usually to find whatever she was afraid of is really a lot of fun!) I keep telling her that being brave doesn't mean not being scared, it means you do it anyway. Man, I should market that. She also wrote her first sentence yesterday. What a big day.

Okay time to hobble to the coffee pot and dig for the meds otherwise it's going to be a rough morning!

Debt free world-here we come!!

We recieved the lean release for our car Saturday. That's right, all paid off. No more car payments-hopefully for the rest of out lives!! Now we can use that money to make a serious dent in the rest of our debts! (BTW, Wes and I will be facilitating Financial Peace University at church this fall!)

Wes started working out last week. I'm so proud of him. He's meeting a friend at 6:00 every morning. I'm trying to get up the will to start excersizing in the morning. Blogging counts right? It certainly sounds like it should. "I'm going to go blog now." Yep, sounds like I'm doing something that requires serious effort. Really, I'm going to start (again) doing pilates-now that sounds easy, it actually sounds like a fancy latte "I'd like a half-caf nonfat pilate grande." Wow, my humor has been reduced to Gallagher style word play. Excuse me while I reflect on where I went wrong...

Well, I'm sure I've bored you and am waisting precous time-the kids are sleeping!! I've got so much to do before the craziness that is morning time begins!!

UGH...Now I have to catch up

Wow, I can't believe it's been over 2 months since I've blogged...I'm trying to spend less time in front of the computer. I've gotten my 'puter time under control, so maybe I can work this back in-within reason!

Well, Silas turned one...my baby is one. It's so hard knowing that this capter of my life has closed and it's time to move on. God is showing me that the next capter is pretty exciting, so I'm focusing on that. It was a huge milestone when I held a friend's newborn and simply apriciated her. I didn't want one, I didn't morn at the reality of never holding my own again, I didn't think 'NO!! NO MORE BABIES!!' as most new moms scream (at least on the inside) when presented with the high needs of those wee little ones. I simply held her, I smiled, kissed her sweet fuzzy head and went home. I'm still getting over never giving birth again, God will gently close up those feelings too, I just need to be patient.

We went to Mom's for Gab's graduation. I'm so proud of her. She's going to be a Children's Minister and has already been given oppertunities and responcablilties at the church. It's great to see her grow.It was so good to be gone-we extended our time and stayed 10 days! That's nothing though, Eliya stayed an extra week!!! That's right my big girl stayed a week with MeMaw and Aunt Gabby. Not only did she not get homesick, she asked if she could stay until Thanksgiving. She still talks about her trip every day-it's been a month!!

Bean is goofy as always. He had to sleep in our bed the nights leading up to the 4th of July. He was scared of the fireworks. He sleeps completely still on his back with his hands behind his head. Eliya is all over the place and talks. It's weird how different your own kids are.

Okay, so I've got to stay on top of this so I can just tell stories instead of touching on highlights. It's the details that separate just knowing us from being a part of our life.