Sorely Missed...

Oh beloved books!
Beloved books!
How we missed you these last twelve months!

When we filled our van to max capacity and drove it to Colorado nearly a year ago, we took only the things we most needed.
This did include books, but the list was carefully whittled down to: only the most cherished; and the immediately necessary for school.
All the rest of the books went into plastic Rubbermaid bins, as we blotted our eyes with hankies and bid them farewell for who-knew-how-long.
Not really, but it was almost that traumatic! I bet Suzanne is with me here?

Anyway, our books sat in storage in California, then traveled to Idaho and sat even longer locked away in their dark untouched piles.

Last night though...
I had completed the painting of my living room, and planted our tired little bookcases in the corners where they will reside until a "real" wall-size bookcase is built. (So that could be some time from now!)
And then, with my faithful REI headlamp a'burning I made numerous trips up and down the stairs to unearth our hidden treasure.
What fun I had in making sure the books were placed carefully in the right order on the shelves.
Would the children's books best serve us on the bottom shelf?
At the farther corner of the room?
Or at the nearer corner which is also in the walk-way and in front of the wood stove. Hmmm...

Not to give you the false impression that I am an organized person by nature, but it seems that bookshelves are one of those places that look so nice when tidied up, and occasionally they stay that way for two days put together.
Hence I take delight in making order of the books:-)

This morning I was rewarded with exclamations of delight for at least four hours, as my children discovered last nights handiwork.
It was worth staying up late for, and worth being awake this morning for!!




















"Oh MOM! This is my favorite book!"

"Oh MOM! THANK YOU... I LOVE this book!"

"MOM, look! Look! I forgot about THIS one!"

And so the happy voices rang out holding up first this book, and then that, as they reacquainted themselves with dear old friends.

Makes me think I should take all their toys and put them up for a year! :-)

I Am Loved!

An Award!
For... um.... proximity?

This groovy award was bestowed upon me by my dear friend Mommy Reg who is the smartest-coolest-schooling-her-kids-at-home mom (really, you are J!)
And also the most beautiful, talented, witty, gracious, smart, beautiful, and fun... (how can you top fun?) Mother Hen.
Mother Hen is a blogging fool - I mean, just look at how many posts this lady manages to get out there each day - THREE so far today!
She says I remind her of her, which I take as an enormous complement, but I suspect she was also thinking of the "beautiful, witty, and fun" parts of me :-) *GRIN*
(WHAT Mother Hen?! You're not my young age? I didn't know your were so deceptively cunning (note: Add "cunning" to list)!

Anyway... I will give you all a description of this Proximity award, but be aware, I do not claim to be as smart as either Mommy Reg, or Mother Hen...
I am just plain confused reading this!

“This blog invests and believes, in ‘proximity’ [meaning, that blogging makes us 'close' - being close through proxy]. They are all charming blogs, and the majority of them aim to show the marvels of friendship; there are persons who are not interested when we give them a prize, and then they help to cut these bows; do we want that they are cut, or that they propagate? Then let’s try to give more attention to them! So with this prize we must deliver it to eight bloggers that in turn must make the same thing and put this text.”

(Twice and three times didn't help me either)
It just so happens that I like awards, and especially from my friends, so thank you friends!
I accept!

If you want to see what a super-smart Mommy blogger looks like, go meet my friend Mommy Reg,
and if you want to know what I might be like in another few years, go visit my friend Mother Hen. It gives me great pleasure to think I could improve so much with a little time and another child or two!!! ;-)

I bestow this lovely award (I assume it is good since I received it?!) upon my dearest Sister-of-my-sister-in-law, Faith who makes me laugh, and makes me think deep thoughts late in the evening when I should be sleeping instead:-)

And also sweet Ashley of Bowery Hollow, who is my new friend, and as I am a few steps behind Mother Hen, I am a few steps ahead of Ashley. She is dear, and charming, and everything ladylike (and I don't say these things for my praise!).
You'll love her blog!

New Stuff on the Blog

Who noticed my new collage at the bottom of my page?
I'd link to it, but you can just scroll to the bottom.
I think I'm addicted now. I might play with some of the other neat features that Picasa and Gimp have!
I love seeing all the photos out at once - only problem was how hard it is to choose just a few!

Let me know what you think:-)

Meet and Greet (Part 2)

This here is Buster.














Or Crowie.

...Or Mellie.

There are three Steller's Jays that visit our bird feeder, and all of them have been named.

We just don't know which one's which!

They all come to visit daily. The first to show up was Buster (I suggested we call him this, and Olivia approved, so that's how Buster got his name)

Shortly after Buster, came Crowie (named so by Susanna; and this moniker cracks me up since I can't help imagining he's trying to be something he's not!).

And last of all Mellie (because once Susanna get's started, she's hard to stop!).

These guys show up and perch in the tree directly in front of the cabin. Then, when no one appears to be watching, one will swoop down to the porch rail, determine whether there's more food in the feeder, or whether there is a better supply on the ground (having been carelessly spilled by the last one to dine)















As I said, we can't tell them apart, but they ALL look this cocky and act as though WE are invading THEIR domain!










The food won't last forever Buster!
One day when it's gone, you'll think I'm pretty special!
HA!

The Sweet Language... So Fleeting!

Olivia is at the stage which can't (or won't) pronounce certain sounds. When we attempt to help her, this is how it goes:

Olivia: "tan I hab a cha-ko" (translate: can I have a cracker)

Zachary: "Olivia, say "Cra - Cra - Cra-cker"

Olivia: "Cra - Cra... CHA-KO!"

It has been this way with each of my children at the age of two-years plus, and so the saga continues.
We all enjoy a hearty laugh, and it's another good year or three before the word is pronounced correctly, since it is now a perfect way to commandeer the comfortable position of center stage.
(which can be tricky when you fall fourth in the birth order!)

Still we chip away at teaching correct pronunciation.
Daddy Bug feels it's important to help the little guys get it right when they are such sponges for learning. Cuteness isn't a reason to let these things slide;-)
Stillll.....
Just the other day Zachary turned to me after one of these frequent scenarios, and says to me
"It's SO CUTE when she talks like that! I like it!"

I agree to the tenth power.
The good news for us, is that human nature combined with vanity has a strong pull towards making it last... as long as a it can!
Olivia's smart that way:-)
Besides, EVERYONE would rather eat "Oat-molies" for breakfast than plain old oatmeal, so maybe she is teaching US a thing or two!

Language is a constant source of laughter in our home.
We have a first-born who catalogues away words for future use, and then uses them in astonishingly accurate context, and has done that ever since he outgrew the "Cra - Cra - CHA-ko" stage. Just tonight he asks me "Mom? What is a 'heart's desire'?"

Then there's my number two who is as famous as his mom and grampa for mixing metaphors,
and butchering words in the most hilarious way.
Just take the "Holy mammoths" for example, or today he asked his dad for "a sip of your Doctor Pepsi".
He really keeps us rolling!

So the spoken word is really neat. And it apparently it has other uses than merely communicating an idea or thought - in fact, the way words get used around here, an idea is likely to be slain unintentionally (at least by me or Clay).
Laughter has great value.
Proverbs says that it can even bring healing to the bones...
I believe it, and on any day, I'd rather have good healthy bones, and a stitch in my side from laughing, than hear a word pronounced correctly and in proper context!

It's great fun!

It's the Sweet Language.

...and it really is fleeting.

The Lamp Maid

Sparkly glass
cotton wick
Stately globe reflecting sunlight

waiting in the kitchen window
poised for use
prepared for night.

Sunshine boasting brilliant radiance
mocking the unlit maid

Little he knows the comfortable warmth
of a dancing flame on parade.

She's not the only lamp, you see,
to spill her light at Evening's Ball

When she arrives the gentlemen harken
three or more in all.

Modestly blushing she curtsies low
then raises her eyes to see

The moon nod his head,
and darkness cower
she watches every shadow flee.

Her dance card fills with willing partners
the lovely lamp for a while is queen.

Then music fades
and guests depart
her luster dims in morning's gleam.

Sparkly glass
cotton wick
stately globe reflecting sunlight

waiting in the kitchen window
poised for use

prepared for night.

By: Lil' Ol' Me.
(Though I am not a poet, and I know it
- I couldn't help it... inspration struck!)

Can you help me come up with a better title?
I'm not too fond of this one.
C'mon Ashley and Emily,
I'm depending on you here! :-)

Meet and Greet

We met one of our neighbors today.

We've seen him around but never actually introduced ourselves.

He's a nice enough fellow, but not very talkative.

He didn't tell us where he lives exactly, but made it clear he'd be back to see US again!

I think it's the food he likes so much.

Though...

It could be the over-all hospitality.

What do YOU think?

Another Thing Worth Bragging About

I know it's lopsided.

I know it's browner on one end.

I realize that the frosting is full of lumps.















But Friends! I am AMAZING!
I baked this cake in a Barbecue!!!

And then made the frosting without my electric mixer.
(I doubt that the pioneer women would be impressed, but then they probably don't read my blog).
To date, I've made:
*biscuits,
*cornbread,
*and brownies.
I'm thinking of writing a cookbook:

Backwoods BBQ Baking
By Momma Bug

Copyright 2028

(2028 because I probably won't get around to writing it for another 20 years)

It will be a best seller though, because you all might decide to join the ranks of the backwoods hillbilly type like myself, and you will have to know how to utilize your resources.
By the time I publish that book, here are some other titles I might consider:

*What You Can Wear for a Week
(without smelling stinky)

*When Darkness Falls
A "How To" book on the finer points of
cooking dinner in a dimly lit kitchen,
finding your flashlight once you can't see,
and keeping wild animals at bay when your trip to the outhouse can't be postponed til daylight.

*Becoming a Mountain Momma
How one Momma learned that enjoying life, doesn't depend on circumstances

And I think this is just the beginning of my list. I have a feeling that creativity is boundless here!
I might even get better blog stats if I start posting some of the content that might be found in these future books:-)
Anyhow...
The cake was really good!
(In case you wondered)

200th post!!!

Yahoo!
Look how well I've kept up, and what fun it's been!

I started this blog just for my beloved parents and grandparents, and friends that I have removed my Little Bugs far from.
It seemed like keeping pictures and snippets from our day-to-day doings posted here was the best way to keep everyone in step with our life and the growth of the little ones.
I have had a ball!
As it turns out, almost 100% of the people I so diligently keep up this blog for, I never know if they look at it!
I believe they do, so I keep up what is mostly journal-like writing.

However, there has been an outcome to blogging which I never anticipated;
I have had the privilege of making some new friends out in the blogosphere which have been a wonderful encouragement to me, and have renewed some friendships with some gals that are a part of my ancient history:-)
These are the dear ladies who comment on my posts, letting me know that someone "out there" reads my blog! (and apparently enjoy it since they keep coming back) :-D

Thanks Ladies!
And thanks dear Grama's and Aunts and Sisters... for reading my blog faithfully - if in silence :-)

I would very much love to hear from any and all who peek in to my life here...
YOU are a huge encouragement to me:-)

Onward to the next 200!

The Littlest One... is now THE BIG ONE!

CAROLINA TRUTH:
*Born at home October 23, 2007
*Arrived at 6:thirty-something in the evening
*Delivered by Dad, and confirmed his status as a "good guesser" when weighing in at 8 lbs. 2 oz. just as he predicted!
*Carolina was born with lungs full of air - she was a squawker!
*Beautiful and bright eyed! Never had I seen one so alert!

We knew right from the start that we had been blessed:-)

First things first:

The gifts were set before her majesty...














What is this? A Bear?

First lets read the card.













Anything else in this thing?














Huh.
What do you think these are, Bear?














Oooo... This is neat - how pretty!


















Wha...?
What's this Daddy?


















Well all I had to do was watch YOU - I know just what to do with this stuff!














Mmmmm.....


















Okay - this is worth getting old for!














It's a good thing for brother's and sisters, because another year would be too long to wait for THIS again!

Did someone say I'm getting OLD?














How rude.














HA! You should see my MOM!














(Just kidding Momma!)


















Over all it was a pretty nice day...


















Lets do it again sometime!

Happy Birthday Dearest Carolina Truth!
You make my heart sing!
I love you:-)