The microwave is still beeping......

It seems like my mornings begin like a marathon---everyone needing something.

7:15 a.m.- I brew a pot of coffee
8:00 a.m.-still haven't had a any
9:00 a.m.- put a cup in the microwave to warm it up
10:00 a.m.- the microwave it still beeping telling me my cup of coffee is "ready".

Anyone else with this problem????

Don't get me wrong- I love every minute of it....I love these boys so much. It's just a reality that little people are high-maintenance.

Summer

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Here's my first experiment using Hallmark Smilebox-pretty fun. There may be more to follow!

ahhhhhh the blackberries....

I love blackberries. Anyone who know me well knows that blackberry cobbler is my absolute favorite dessert. How blessed am I to have married into the best blackberry bushes in the Mid-west-ha! Every year we head down to IL. to pick them at the Dillards. They always take such good care of them for us- putting nets over so the birds can't eat them. So this weekend we began our picking. Ethan was all for it for the first 10 minutes until it got to be actual "work" and he was done.

I realize that I may have an addiction-I can't stop picking....there is always just one more berry that is hiding under a leaf that will be lost if I don't find it. I told Kev today that I love doing it every year -that it's one of my only "organic -one with nature moments" of the year to which I got a good laugh. My farmboy husband replied: "Honey, this is not one with nature". I disagree. It is the only time of the year I get totally covered in sweat, bugs and berry juice and don't care one bit.

So anyway, here is my current favorite cobbler recipe-it really is so good and very easy. I'm sure I will have enough frozen for the next year when you come over for a dessert. We picked 6 gallons just this morning and didn't make a dent.

This picture didn't turn out well due to the humidity on my camera lens, but I am pretending it's just an artsy effect-- like you are dreaming of blackberries........

Feeling much better--laughing sideways

So Andrew is doing much better---pretty much back to himself. He loves to play this game where he pulls up his shirt and finds his "Bee-Bo" a.k.a-bellybutton -push on it and laugh and then proceeds to find everyone else in the house and pull up their shirt to find their "bee-bo". So I took this quick video on my digital camera when he was doing this and was apparently holding it sideways--it plays fine on the camera, but when I put it on the computer it's sideways. Anyone know how to fix that??? I gave up. Still funny enough to post-his laugh is the best. Sorry about the neck strain.

no fun in the sun

So yesterday Andrew woke up from his nap a little grumpy- I wasn't alarmed at first. Wouldn't eat...then began looking really pale and started vomiting. After Kev got home he got even worse and was completely lethargic....almost unresponsive. We took him to urgent care and they were a bit concerned due to his behavior and thought it might be a concussion (The backstory being that we had gone to the pool yesterday and Andrew did fall once backwards but didn't even cry and I wasn't even sure that he hit his head). So they wanted us to go to the emergency room and get a catscan just to be sure. He continued vomiting and then after about an hour seemed to be doing much better and perked up a bit. After a long night of thorough exams, they finally concluded that he may have had a sun stroke. I guess going to the pool, even though we were only there about 45 min., ( a little on the side of dehydration) could have done it. I was afraid maybe he swallowed too much water....who knows? After they gave him the all clear to drink again gulped about 4 cups of fluid--he did OK last night and seems to be fine this morning.

It was a scare for us and we thank God that it wasn't more serious. It is a wake up call when you are going about your day and something like that happens. It makes you realize how vulnerable we are and how much we have for which to be thankful.

I always try to make sure that the boy s drink a lot -especially in the summer- but yesterday I guess Andrew didn't have as much as he needed. I will have the be the hydration nazi for the rest of the summer.

Can you believe that after 5 years of parenting last night was the first time we had a child vomit and the first trip to the emergency room??? Pretty good record.

Meanwhile, I am getting over a sinus infection and round of pink eye---lovely.

the 4th on the farm...

This July 4th we headed down to Illinois to visit the Dillards- we had a great weekend (complete with the fireworks show of the year created and executed by Kevin). The boys had a blast swimming, eating homemade ice cream and watching the fireworks. It is so peaceful there- thanks Grandma and Grandpa for all the fun!

Andrew even ate an entire corn on the cob himself!

smile?

For those of you who have read our blog, you know that Andrew has always been one to react to the camera....so here is the current expression I get when I say "smile"--bless his heart.