their own space and cash to burn

Finally! The shed has been erected. We bought one of those small metal backyard sheds last year but never got it put together. The guy doing the work for me finished it today. Now the girls have their own storage space. The bikes, helmets, big wheel, balls, bats, Frisbees, jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, archery set... everything is coming out of the barn! It seems the bikes and stuff were always in the way, or they were buried where I was afraid the grandkids would get hurt trying to get their stuff out to use. (I take a huge risk just looking for a wrench!) Anyway, now I have yet another project on the list... painting the shed. I plan on painting it to match the barn, but I also want to jazz it up. With the girls help, I'll add faux windows, flowers, whatever to dress up the outside. When I get around to it, I'll post pics, but for now it's off to the next project.

While the two oldest grands were here, I took advantage of the help. I paid them to help me pick up the big #2 rocks from where they had been dumped beside part of the driveway. They've been there a while and have been driven over with the tractor. They were mashed well into the clay. We sat on the ground and picked them out one-by-one and tossed them in the wheel-barrow. Then we took turns pushing the heavy load up the driveway toward the road. We filled in all the potholes with the big rock while I sent Hubby to the gravel pit to bring back a truck load of 57s. The girls helped shovel the smaller stones from the truck to cover the larger stones we had put in place. When Mommy came to pick them up, she was delighted at the smooth drive in from the road!

After we finished the driveway, we took a couple more heavy loads to the goat shed. Right inside the door where we stand to feed them their grain was a low spot the was extremely muddy in wet weather. We again place a layer of the big rock on the bottom and then covered it with the smaller stone, bringing it up almost level with the door sill. Now Papaw Ray has a smooth, dry place to stand at feeding time.

It was a long day, but to have three jobs crossed off my list in one day is a rare treat! And the kids took home a pocket full of cash...

buying free stuff

I was just reflecting on the ways Americans find to spend money on things that, once upon a time, were taken for granted because they are FREE! Of course, even I have shelled out my hard-earned cash on rocks and dirt. But the rocks were prettier and the dirt was richer than what I could scavenge.

And yes, long ago and only for a special deal and a friend, even I paid to get a suntan. However, I thought then, and still do, that it was just plain silly to pay for concentrated sunlight. I remember how I laughed when bottled water started popping up... How on earth would they ever get people to pay that kind of money for water! But I've been in situations where my only choice was to pay for water or pay for a carbonated beverage... What can a girl do?

Now there is a growing trend - oxygen bars. OMG! It's true! People go to these establishments and pay to breathe! They claim it makes them feel better. You wanna know how I'd feel if I paid real money for air? Stupid! What's next... rain?

see for yourself...

You be the judge... The chicks were shipped to us last Wednesday at one-day-old, making them eight days old now. One photo was taken last Thursday, the day the chicks arrived. They looked about the same on Monday. Then yesterday morning, their legs just seemed to have popped out! I snapped the other photo five minutes ago. Can you tell a difference?

growth spurts...

I almost wish I had taken measurements of the chicks when they were just a day or two old. It was hard to tell how much they had grown from the day they arrived until yesterday. But I swear they have doubled in size over night. Yesterday they were still tiny little things... Today they tower over their feeders! In the beginning, Hubby thought he had made his 'pen' far too large. Now we're hoping it's big enough to keep them in until they're ready for the outside weather! Tomorrow marks one full week from when they arrived. I will post side-by-side comparison pics and let you be the judge. I will also try to get some good shots showing the different markings the various breeds have. They're just so doggone cute! Dirty, nasty birds...

me too...

A popular theme I found in blogs today, was parents contemplating the way their children were growing too fast, leaving the nest, flying past milestones...

I can really relate. It's been on my mind a lot lately. My daughter has four girls, spread out in age from fourteen to two. The fourteen-year-old used to think I was neater than sliced bread. I was the world's greatest Nana, and I have the letter to prove it! Now, I sometimes embarrass her. The two-year-old just thinks I'm fun to play peek-a-boo with. The four-year-old has become very possessive over my attention as the baby vies for it. (And I love it.) But it's the eleven-year-old that my thoughts have been dwelling on lately...

I usually refer to her in my blogs as #2. #2 can be difficult at times. She is one of those children that you don't always know what she's feeling. As outgoing as she is, she can be quite introverted. Sometimes she's hard to get close to. Though she can be distant, there are times when we are extremely close. She loves to sit on my lap and have me scratch her back. (Truthfully, I think she'd sit on anyone's lap for a good scratch.) But the very best times we share are in the bathroom. (Nothing weird here folks, so don't get crazy on me.)

#2 is the one who is always particular about how her hair looks and if her clothes fit right. She puts great thought into her accessory choices. She loves to have me help her with her hairstyle. I guess almost everyone enjoys having their hair brushed by someone else. We take great care in selecting just the right perfume for her to wear. When she stays with us and takes a bath or shower, she likes me to pamper her like a princess. At home, there is too much going on with four kids for her to get that special attention. Mommy's goals are to get the kids to the point where they don't require assistance in the bathing and grooming department. So, starting when she was young, she loved the special 'salon' treatment she got from Nana. When she would shower, I would scrub her back for her. I would wait outside the shower door, and when it opened, quickly wrap her in a bath sheet before she got a chill. I gently combed out the tangles in her long wet hair and then dried her hair for her. I sometimes even referred to her as 'Your Highness' as though I was her hand maiden.

Now she is eleven. #1 was starting to develop at that age, but #2 is quite a bit slower in that area. I'm glad. When she spent the weekend not long ago, she wanted to take a bath in my whirlpool tub. I added foaming bath salts. She wanted me to shampoo her hair as she leaned her head back under the faucet. I happily obliged.

I know it won't be long before she is repulsed by the idea of her Nana running her bath, washing her hair for her, or waiting with the towel. That will be a major milestone for me... it will mean she has grown from being my little princess. No matter how many times I tell her she will never outgrow my lap, I know in my heart that time is very near. I hope that I can find another way for us to have that close one-on-one time. At least there are two more waiting in the wings...

Easter chicks

There's something special about baby chicks on Easter. Easter is about new beginnings. And spring is in the air; a good time for baby chicks. Ironically, twenty-five of the pullets (future hens) are nick-named Easter-egg chickens. The eggs they lay are a bluish-green - very rich and tasty! Wish I had some now. Next year I'll let you know how they look in the grandkids baskets.

My daughter and her four daughters saw the chicks for the first time today. Jen doesn't like the idea of eating chickens that she knows. I try to reason with her... Our chicks are probably treated much better than the ones she normally eats! And I guarantee they don't suffer when it comes their 'time'.

I'm not particularly fond of the slaughter idea, but there's something about being self-sufficient, providing our own food source, that is quite satisfying. I could end up liking this farm life!