Facing Myself

Is not something I want to do at the moment.




But I will.




Tonight I took a picture of myself when we got home from soccer, at 9pm, in the dark, with kids yelling and jumping around, and fighting over the tire swing, and Quin saying, “Why don’t you just let ME take it?” and Emma saying, “Take a picture of me!” and trying to jump into the picture, and the sky was grey,
(matched my mood) and even the dogs were fighting.







And I prayed, and begged for patience,

snapped a picture, and sent everyone in to bed, amidst cries of, “I’m STARVING!” and “Should we brush our teeth?” and “I’m DYING of hunger!” and, “Can I have a bath?”




And I said (yelled),





“GO GET READY FOR BED!”






They know the routine.




We just do this every night.






And yes, I gave my starving children a snack.



And then I sent them upstairs, again,
and went and put my chickens to bed.





And I cooled off a little.







And then came in and tucked everyone in,
and apologized for loosing my temper.

I can still here some movement up there,
but the good thing is that I have trained them,
that once I put them to bed,



That is IT!








Mommy is done.




Do not pass go, do not collect $100.

(Barring an emergency, of course.)

So, want to see the stressful picture?






Here it is.





Can you see the anger smoldering?

(Sorry for the boob.  That zipper always slides down.)

(It can’t handle the pressure.)






Anyway,

the good thing about all this?





I figured out my self timer.





Yes I did.





I’m very proud.





Now, if only I could figure out a more creative picture……







Oh, and I got new hair, right?







But this picture doesn’t show it very well,







so I took another one.

See?




Short.





I’ve only had short hair one other time in my life,
about ten years ago.




But I think this is shorter.

And colour and highlights,
to hide the grays.






Now, let’s see if I can keep up with the maintenance.
(Right, Rachel?)

It’s just about to storm here,
so I am going to shut my computer off.




It’s gonna be a big one!




Gotta go watch!




I'm linking this up with
Old Nichols Farm

Go see all the other self portraits!




Actually,
I guess I'm not.



The linky is closed:(






I'm am going to have to start paying more attention.......

Camping again

Yes, yes I was.






We left yesterday afternoon, and got back after lunch today.





I have to say again,



I am so thankful for my family.




For their support, and caring.






It was just a few of us this time,
and we solved the worlds problems sitting at the campfire.





Only, the world must have a lot of problems ‘cause it took us till 6:30. 


In the AM.



DOH!




So, I had a nice short nap, and then got up and had coffee, made bacon and eggs,
packed up and came home to my chickens.

I am very tired.






I am way too old to do this anymore.



We need to stop having such interesting conversations!











I am only up this late because I had to watch the World Cup final.



I didn’t watch it this afternoon, as I had to unpack, do chores, etc, etc.



I watched the replay tonight.

And it went into overtime.

Not a satisfactory game at all.


Very biased referee, it seemed to me.

And a lot of diving from Spain.





Grrrrr.


Not a good game.





That’s what I’ve been up to.












Random pics from last weeks camping trip:

 

The Three Amigos

I went to my lovely sisters house today to get my hair done.




I’ve posted about her doing my hair before, but I’m too tired, or lazy,
to link it up.

She is quite the hairdresser.


She has all kinds of credentials,
that I don’t understand.



And it’s awesome, because she’ll work for chicken products.
(From me, anyway.)




She was happy today, ‘cause I wanted a change,
and gave her almost free reign.



She’s always been artsy,
and she loves the creative aspect of doing hair.



Creating something beautiful,
through cut and colour.




When I told her to do what she wanted,
her eyes absolutely sparkled with glee.






And let me say,
my hair is different.








And I absolutely LOVE it!







I so needed a change.





There’s nothing like the pick-me-up from having your hair done.

I did it after each one of my babies was born.





Usually, I colour it myself.

And cut it myself.
(Or don't cut it at all...)


But, it’s really nice to have someone else do it.


Especially someone who knows what they are doing!



And will be paid in chicken.













On to the blog title.




This particular sister has twins, a boy and a girl, basically the same age as Ava.




And Ava LOVES them.



They are her bestest friends.




It’s cute, because she likes both the same.

She likes Matthew as much as she likes Heidi.



These three are so much fun!




I have to say though, they do get into trouble,
and Ava is usually the ringleader.






It will be fun to watch them interact with each other as they grow.

Here’s some pics of them last weekend.

(I love how Matthew is holding up his shorts… can’t get wet!)

Two girls in a swing.

I’ll post pictures of the new hair tomorrow….

a self portrait!

My second son

Had a rough start.




I went into labour at 37 weeks, on the dot.

I JUST made the cutoff to have my midwife deliver.



I know that 37 weeks is not all that early, but it’s early for ME.

All my other babies were at least a week overdue.





Anyway, when he came out he wasn’t breathing.

They worked on him, and he still wasn’t breathing.



I remember how scared the nurses were, and the look on my husbands, and my Mom’s face.


They kept telling me everything was fine,
but I knew they were lying.



Why didn’t he cry, if everything was fine?




Nurses went running out of the room,
because equipment they needed was not properly stocked…
in the labour and delivery room.




Apparently I was hemorrhaging too,
the placenta didn’t come out right, or something.

It all turned out all right.




Nathan started to breathe, and he cried.
and that was the most wonderful sound I will ever hear.



They got the bleeding stopped, and I got to meet my son.
And hold him, smell him, and kiss him.



The next day he was covered in deep purple bruises, all on his torso area.
One older nurse was a little rough in trying to get him to breathe.

Poor guy,
his first experience in the world was of pain.

And that is his birth story.




Oh, and there was a blizzard right after he was born, so I didn’t get to go home.
I was stuck in the hospital, where they didn’t feed me.
I kid you not.
I had allergies they didn’t know how to deal with,
so they just didn’t.




Oh well.





The poor kid also started wearing glasses when he was 12 months old.



He is extremely farsighted,
and the optometrist explained to me that the distance he needed to be able to see clearly, meant that he would see nothing in a regular sized house. 
To be able to see anything he’d have to be outside, where the distance was great enough.





This gave him some unique challenges.




Also, he has strabismus, or he’s crosseyed.



This also means that he only sees out of one eye at a time.
Which in turn means no depth perception.


He had surgery when he was two to correct the crossed eyes.


It was basically aesthetic.

He’ll never see out of both eyes at the same time,
but the social stigma of being cross eyed has been lessened, I hope.






The cool thing about Nathan is, he doesn’t let this bother him.

He has good self confidence, and actually doesn’t care what people think of him.




If some one does tease him, he gives it right back.






He loves to tease.




And joke.





And though he may look studious in his glasses, he hates reading.





He loves sports.





And playing with his siblings.





Sometimes his teasing get’s annoying, but he also has a very tenderheart.







Here’s some pictures of my boy.

He loves hunting rocks.

Nathan on the swings….
a Montage.

He noticed I was taking pictures of him,
and this is what I got.

Every time.

Checking to make sure I’m still taking pictures.

Another crazy face, behind the feet.

Oh, and I do feed the kid.





I promise I do.

I’m Meltiiiiiiing!

The Wizard of Oz freaked me out when I was a kid.



The witch.






She MELTED!




And screamed, “I’m meltiiing, I’m meltiiiing!”
while doing so.




Couldn’t she have melted quietly?




I mean, really.








The reason, I am melting,
is because it’s been 34 degrees here lately, with a humidex
that makes it feel like 43.




What’s that in Fahrenheit?
Like 105?




I don’t really know.


Correct me if I’m wrong.







Anyway.





It’s hot.






Today I couldn’t sit in my house, I had to keep moving, ‘cause then at least there was a bit of air flow.



I have no air conditioning.



And there is no breeze.



None what so ever.




So weird for where I live.





So, I’m outside cleaning my barn, and the sweat was just dripping off me.
I seriously had a river running between my boobs.




It was gross.




And I have been trying to weed my garden.





It’s in a very sad state.




I want to take pictures of all the little things growing, but I couldn’t post them. because of the weeds.



Why is it so bad?





’Cause I missed one week of working in it.



One week.




I went camping, and the beginning of that week I was busy with appointments and such,
and so a whole week went by without me out there.


And now I have a jungle.




Well.




It’s not as bad as I have had.




But it bugs me, ‘cause I was really doing a good job this year on my garden!



So, I went out there today to try and get some more done.



’Cause it’s driving me crazy.





I weeded two rows, and then my vision blurred, I got real dizzy and almost fell over.



And I said to my self,



”Self, I think we’re done.  Time to go in.”



So I did.




But, when I got home from soccer tonight at 8:30, I went out there again.

It was cooler, only 28, and I worked until it was dark.


I actually did last night as well.




I’m becoming the “Night Gardener.”



Sounds cool.





”Just call me, the Night Gardener!”





 

I did get a break from the heat when I went to my Mom’s this afternoon to watch FIFA World Cup.



She has Central Air,
and it is glorious.




But, I don’t know if I’d ever get it.




When I walked into her house I wanted to cry, it was so wonderful.


I had been hot for sooo long.




But here’s the thing.






Walking OUT was torture.






And then I had to go sit on the sideline in the sun and watch the boys play soccer.


With a sleeping three-year-old in my lap.



It was a sweaty mess.





I think if I had Central Air, I would never leave my house.




Ever.





Whereas, now, it’s better outside than in.

At least there is air movement, if not a breeze.







Anyway, that’s my news from today.




Oh, and that it boggles my mind that less than a week ago,
it was so cold after supper that I could see my breath.




And I slept in a coat.






Oh Canada, how I love thee!

But make up your Stinkin’ MIND!








Okay.







Some more pictures of camping.





”The Faces I Love.”





And who belongs to them.












So, it’s not technically his face.
But this is my very favourite cousin, and his daughter.




My very favourite cousins wife.
WE LOVE YOU KATE!
(Did I echo?!  Did I?!?")









My favourite sister-in-law, and my favourite brand new niece.
And Kate.  WE LOVE YOU!




 




Brand new niece.

Little sister, and her gorgeous son.

My dehydrated son

I made him drink water.
Like, a LOT.

The Mom.

She knew I had the camera pointed at her, so she pulled a face.

She always does.

The Dad.


He knew I was taking his picture too.

A little brother.

He’s the Dad of newest niece,
and three others.

Little Brother…

Little brother….

Little brother….

I have another brother, but he didn’t come camping.
Booooo Jay!

Little sister….
I watched this one being born.
I held her when she was three seconds old.
And in another two months she’ll be driving a car.
GAH!

Older sister,
giving me the, “Will you lay off the camera?” look.

And for that she get’s two pictures posted.

Tired camping baby.
He’s the older brother of newest niece.

And a tired Nana!

There were many more people there, but these happened to be the ones
sitting at the campfire when I brought out my camera.




Almost through posting camping pictures, YAY!




There is still some cute ones to share though.






Off I go to sweat my bed.








Goodnight.

Graphic

That blog title ought to get some interesting hits, eh?

I got a call this morning, from my Mom.
She says, “Adeena’s had a tragedy.”

She is raising meat birds, and two nights ago one got killed by an unknown animal, and last night the animal came back and killed ten of her ready to butcher birds, and ten of the few week old ones.

That’s twenty birds.

She called the butcher to try to get the rest of the ready to kill ones in, but they couldn’t do it till Sunday

.

And she figured, and I think rightly so,

that now that that animal knew where they were, it’d be back.

And the most annoying part of all this?

Unknown animal just ate their heads.

And chewed them up a bit.

But that’s it.

It wouldn’t be so bad if a wild animal killed and ate a chicken because it was hungry….

but this is just a random act of violence.

Seems tragic.

And wasteful.

Anyway,

the point of all this, is Mom has lots of experience killing chickens,

and she called me to see if I wanted to come help.

Interesting fact about me:

Ever since I got pregnant the first time, I can’t touch raw meat.

I’m serious.

If I cook a chicken,

I cut the packaging and dump the carcass into the pan.

I do NOT make my own hamburger patties.

If I can’t dump something right into the receptacle of cooking, then I use tongs.

Seriously.

It’s ridiculous.

So, she asked me, and I’m like, 

“Uuuuuhhhhhh…..”

The problem is, this particular sister ALWAYS helps.

Anyone.  Anytime.

And her husband.

They are like the ones you can always count on.

So I couldn’t say no.

I did say, however, that I wouldn’t gut.

It turns out I didn’t actually do to much.

Their kids were at Vacation Bible School, so I went and picked them up.

Then the kids were hungry, so I made lunch….

I did portion a few chickens

into thighs, breasts and wings.

And therefore touched raw meat.

And I did help with clean-up.

And you know what?

I think I’m finally over my aversion to raw meat.

The effects of pregnancy may finally be wearing off.

I am going to attempt butchering forty of my own meat birds,

but forty I am for sure sending to the butcher.

So I can sell them, if I so choose.

Anyway,

now comes the graphic part.

’Cause I took pictures.

Avert your eyes if squeamish.

Ready?

Here’s the scene of the crime.

Mom cut up the killed ones,

for the dog and cat to enjoy.

Just the legs and breasts.

We boiled them up.

Here’s a bite mark.

Any guesses as to species?

My guess is coon.

The Mom.
Trying to salvage some of these big, beautiful birds.
The dog and cats will be happy….

Interested onlookers.

Another bite mark.

A hopeful Flo

The boys were incredibly interested in the whole process.
They could probably butcher a chicken, if they had too.
They were watching pretty close.

Mmmmmmm.
Chicken!!
These are the fresh ones.

“Excuse me, but I seem to have misplaced my body.”

“ I have as well.  Silly me.”

Nathan the Body Inspector

Girls plucking…

Cool chicks

Pretty cool field trip.

It’s educational, right?




It amazed me how not squeamish my kids were.

Anyway,
that was my day today.









See ya tomorrow.