Carter and Sterling

Carter and Sterling enjoying pears in the sunshine on the porch. They looked so cute sitting out there. Sterling has been staying home this week from school giving his arm time to recover from his recent surgery so Carter's been on the entertainment committee helping to keep him from getting too stir crazy.

Sterling came over with his mom Stacy yesterday afternoon to play with Carter (aka distract her so mom could get some other projects done). I managed to con Stacy into helping me finish up my last two batches of peach jam...Thanks so much Stacy! I had bought this box of peaches rather over ambitiously thinking I'd just whip up my Christmas jam, somehow overlooking the whole 36-37 weeks preggo and just exhausted from not getting much sleep at night anymore. The peaches just sat and sat giving me the guilt trip until I swindled Brianne into helping me make up the first three batches and Stacy helped me finish them up. Yay!

Robert didn't get home 'till really late since he was out helping Dad on the Dunn Mountain Fire that has burned right up to the Oarlock Ranch. He was so tired and even after a shower still just reeked of smoke. Robert and I briefly lived out there when we first moved back to Colorado and the area has burned twice in the last 2 years. I feel for all the folks living out there. These have been really big fires, but luckily no major structures have burned or houses. My sister got a couple pictures of the smoke from here that you can check out here.

Rescuing Birds

Robert found a small bird trying to drown in the water tank last night and managed to get it fished out. We've been trying to keep sticks or other floating things in the tank so the birds can get a drink without drowning, especially now since it's so dry right now, but between the dogs and Carter hauling them off, it's been tough (and tough on the birds). The poor bird was apparently too flustered from the experience and possibly too waterlogged to fly right away. So naturally Robert had to bring it in the house for Carter to check out. She was entranced. She loved just sitting on the couch holding the bird and trying to pet it. The bird just sat there too terrified to move.

After the bird had dried out some, we turned him lose much to Carter's dismay. She really wanted to put it in her bug jar, but we managed to convince her it would be best to let the bird go home. She went looking for him again this morning in the water tank, just in case he had decided to come back.

My Sweetheart

Yep, still love this man!

Pony Ride

Carter was pretty excited to go on a horse ride...all by herself with dad. Dad had a hold of the lead rope, but she loved that she was on her own pony. Excited is pretty relative though. Robert was in a big hurry so they could ride over to my Aunty Linda's, but it took Robert almost 2 hours to get Carter gathered up, dressed, horses caught and tacked, and ready to go. Carter doesn't do hurry in any way, shape or form. So, Robert just took Carter for a ride around the pasture here and she had a great time.

Robert said when he was leading Picky (the horse Carter was riding) around behind his horse, Slick, without Carter just to make sure it was safe, Picky was just obnoxious mostly, trying to lead and walk all over Slick. As soon as he put Carter on him, Robert couldn't hardly drag Picky out of a slow walk. Yep, really love this horse.

Pink Girly Dresses

My little girl likes dresses, especially pink ones. She doesn't wear them very often since we don't really have many occasions to dress up. She had come back from helping Robert mechanic...I'm not sure how much help she was, but she was just as black with grease as Dad...and saw this dress. She instantly HAD to wear it, so I convinced her to take a bath first and got her all dressed up. We didn't have anywhere special to go, but I figured, why not? She looked so dang cute!

The trouble with spaghetti

I think the pictures speak for themselves!

Fish...aka more damn critters in my house

Robert had promised Carter her very own fish if she behaved at her first haircut in town (yaa...the fixer-upper hair cut from her self inflicted hack job). Naturally Carter decided a fish was just the thing so she was unusually well behaved getting her hair trimmed up and fixed. So what could Dad do but get her a fish! You can't really see it in the picture but it's a small red beta. I think a bigger fish that ate grasshoppers would have really been the ticket!

Who needs expensive toys?

Carter's baby showed up last week. She saw the UPS man show up with the box and was all excited to open it. However I managed to convince her that the two boxes inside were for Mommy, but all the rest was for her. She took one look at the foam and decided this was way better than the two plain boxes I had. I think she played in the foam for about an hour just having a ball and then played in it several times a day for the next week before she finally got all the foam scattered all over the house and mom had enough.

From Gramma Aunty...

This was in an email from my Aunty Linda that she sent out yesterday about Carter...


We were sitting at the table a bit ago, when she looked across at me and announced: “My dasshopper is outside unner a wock.”

As I sifted that combination of words for meaning, the proper meaning, she added firmly: “DON’T tep on it.”


Carter had caught the grasshoppers hiding out in my car and put them in a toy on the way to Gramma Aunty's this morning. She really wanted to take them all in the house (she told me these were very nice grasshoppers--mostly because they let her catch them), but I convinced her that Gramma REALLY didn't want them in her house right now and we needed to leave them outside for later. We carefully put a rock on top of the toy to keep the grasshoppers from escaping, and set it right by the petunia planter out front. I had a hard time convincing her to leave them right there because she was afraid someone would either take her grasshoppers (certainly no one around here has enough of those beasts that they wouldn't be sorely tempted to steal 3 more) or that they would step on them and kill them accidentally (most likely on purpose.)

So please watch out for a little yellow plastic teddy bear head with a rock on it holding three ''very nice" grasshoppers in it right next to the purple petunias out front! I'm sure that the 15 or 20 "very nice" grasshoppers that she's managed to turn lose in my house would be very sad to miss out on the additional company this afternoon--particularly the one she turned loose in my bed while I was trying to sleep.

Updates

First, yep, still pregnant. Big Sigh.



Things have been so busy for me the last couple of weeks trying to get everything finished up that I need to get done before this next baby arrives. I know that I'm not going to even come close, but the perfectionist side of me refuses to give in. I'm hoping I have at least two weeks left before this kid decides to make his grand entrance which according to Murphy's Law either means he's coming this weekend or in 4 which would make me utterly miserable. (I'm pretty sure if he doesn't show by his due date of Sept 13 I'm just going to camp in the doctors' waiting room bawling until they take pity on me!) The last couple of days have been really hot and just add the the joys of being this pregnant in August. Although I'm very nervous about just how I'm going to manage with two kids, I'm am so ready to just NOT BE PREGNANT! My last doctor visit exam said I was making some progress on this front, but still hard to tell when he will actually show.



Last Sunday, my family threw both Carter and I a really nice baby shower. (Thank you so much everyone!) You can see some nice pictures here, here and here. Carter is pretty sure she has a baby in her belly too that is getting ready to come out also, so my wonderful family also got her some gifts for her baby. Her baby just arrived last week via American Girl and is hiding in my closet until I go to the hospital so both babies will arrive together. Carter really loved the shower and has been playing dolls enthusiastically with all her new loot for the last week or so. She has this idea that the baby is going to come ripping out of the top of my belly and has quite an exciting story about just how he is going to do it. Makes me almost nauseous to hear it. Kid, don't listen to your sister! (The first of many times I'm going to be telling him that...)



I've also been busy trying to get everything finished up at work. I talked to them this week about not returning after my maternity leave unless they had some projects for me to work on around the baby since I simply don't have any good child care options I'm willing to consider or that really work between costs and drive time (i.e. taking the kids to Billings or even Huntley for day care with someone I don't know). Landa, who has been so wonderful to watch Carter for the last two years, doesn't want to watch another baby (and I really can't blame her at all...she's taken care of three extra along with her own two) and next fall is planning to either go back to school or return to work when her youngest daughter Riley Jo goes to kindergarten. We are really going to miss her. I'm still tying not to have panic attacks when I think about being unemployed especially with all the gas price and grocery price crazyness. My dad laughed at me when I told him that and said if I didn't think staying home and raising kids was work I was really in for a shock. No, I get that being a stay at home mom is really a lot more work than going to an outside job everyday. Kids seem to be born knowing how to push everyone of your buttons and seeing what happens when you get to your last sane straw. They aren't big on rational conversations when they really want something NOW, they don't care if you spent all day cleaning when they decide to streak through the house covered in mud and worse things, not real interested in you trying to take a nap when they want to show you the latest and greatest grasshopper they just caught--and just lost in your bed. (That was entertaining....) I just hope I'm strong enough to survive this! I have several friends who are stay at home moms and they give me hope. At any rate, Robert and I figure that we are in a pretty fair situation to make this work for awhile right now so it feels like the right thing to do, especially while they are little. But this feels a lot like the first time I was pregnant, and while I had all these kinds of ideas of just how it was going to be, the reality was nothing like I'd imagined or even could have prepared for. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it. Anyway, work is mulling over some options and I'll probably know in a few weeks if I am completely done or if I will be going back after the baby for a short period to finish some training projects for them. They have been a really great company to work for, particularly in allowing me to work from home, part time so that I could also be a mommy. They also seemed interested in the idea of me re-applying in a few years if things change or when I'm ready to go back to work. No point in burning any bridges!



Also last Sunday night we had a bit of another fire scare. Robert was driving home and saw lightning strike and start a fire that looked like it was right above our house. He came roaring home, grabbed the fire truck, told us to get ready in case we needed to leave and tore off again. Scared the daylights out of Carter who velcroed herself to me and kept telling me not to let the fire get her. Not a chance baby girl. Luckily the fire was actually further away then it looked and with the fast help of our local volunteer fire dept (basically all the family and neighbors in this area), it was quickly put out. Robert didn't get home until late and was pretty tired.



The following Monday, Robert gamely volunteered to take Carter to the fair, along with 3 teenage girls--all cousins. Two of the girls managed to get separated from the group and lost for most of the night. They were having a ball riding rides while everyone else was out looking for them and worried. Sigh. I ended up going in to pick up Carter at midnight and Robert didn't get home until after 1 when they finally found the girls (happily standing in line to ride another ride) around 12:30. In all fairness, it wasn't all the girls fault, it was just one big mix up from the get go, but made for a long night for everyone. I'm just so glad the girls were found safe!



So that's basically what we've been up to. I have a little cousin, I think he's about 8 years old, who is in the hospital hoping to get out soon--hopefully last night. He got admitted last Friday with a really sore arm and a fever which they finally determined to be an abscess in his arm. Poor kid. He had to have surgery on Monday (which as it turned out, my sister got to be one of the nurses in helping, yah Christy!) and they are hoping he can go home in a few more days. Sounds like he's getting pretty stir crazy--can't say as I blame him. Carter is still catching grasshoppers and has added catching bees to her list. Even getting stung didn't slow her down for long. She likes to use big ziplock bags and sweep them over the flowers when the hapless bee lands. Those do NOT get to come in the house. I have a few more fun pictures to post when I get a chance... School is starting so I'm losing all my summer babysitters. Carter is going to miss all the big girls being around to play with. Plus Gramma Aunty Linda is starting back up at her old job at Agri-News so she also won't be watching Carter during the week. The timing is really pretty good, since I'm just about ready to be home full time. So no pictures just yet...maybe later today.

Hair Cut...or maybe Hair Slaughter

I knew it was coming, it seems like all kids try it once, but I wasn't quite prepared for a whole head self inflicted trim job. I know that Christy and I both chopped up our bangs a time or two, but never quite this much. The picture above does not do justice to her massacre. Robert and I got caught once again by not investigating quiet kid soon enough. The porch outside was covered in her hair.



My mom had warned me that she seemed really interested in trimming her own hair after she had trimmed up Carter's bangs last week. I had given her several lectures about scissors only cutting paper, but apparently busy parents and pair of scissors found outside was tempting fate too much.

Robert loaded up her and took her to town for her first hair cut to see what they could do to fix the damage. The lady did a pretty nice job considering what she had to work with, but it still looks pretty awful--although the picture below with it all fixed up looks cute. Dang it and I was just starting to get her convinced to let me fix her hair and put in pony tails. Oh well, it will grow. I imagine some day when she comes home with it dyed some crazy color and has some wild new hairdo, I'll feel about the same.

Carter didn't seem too traumatized by the event so I'm thinking scissors are going to be a bit scarce around my house for awhile. Robert suggested shaving her bald might leave a bigger impression, but I'm not quite ready to go that far...maybe if she does it again. But seriously, it's just hair. I'm really missing the pony tails already though.

Swimming Party

Last night my cousin and Aunty had arranged a swimming party in Huntley for all the cousins. I grabbed Carter, picked up Vashti and Blake on the way and off we went. Carter wasn't as thrilled about getting in the water as she has been in the past. I think getting a mouth and nose full of water when one of her cousins dropped her in the water a few weeks back kinda put a damper on her enthusiasm. At any rate, Vashti and Brandy kept working on her until they got her in the water to play.

Aunty Linda had all the kids line up for a picture, and I was about one second too late...they scattered as soon as she snapped her pictures.

Carter's favorite part of the whole party was trying to throw everything in the water, that and sitting in the hot tub...my kind of girl!

Playing in the Sandbox

Having been an only child for so long, Carter is not used to having to share her stuff. She loves to go over to other peoples houses and happily plays with all the other kids toys, but come to our house and WWIII starts. Her favorite trick is to try to shove all her favorite toys (read anything that Cade or any other kid looks at twice) into her room and shut the door. We're working on it...baby brother is going to be a big shock to her system! We made her go back to her room and find toys for Cade and Avery to play with, which she wasn't thrilled about, but we did make some progress. Anyway, Carter and Cade did find one thing that they were able to play together quite happily: the new sandbox. The two little towheads looked so cute out there, just playing away together. Cade really loved the sandbox and was quite mad when his mom decided that it was time to go home. I don't know why, but it always makes me feel better when I see other kids throwing fits...mostly because it helps me realize that my little girl is normal (more or less) and not the monster she seems to be some days.

Getting Clean!

Carter had a busy day yesterday between Aunty Linda taking her exploring down in the Lower Vermandel (See Aunty's post: Vermandel Adventures here) and my sister coming over for a bit to play with Cade and Avery. By the end of the day, Carter and Hadley both were covered in dirt, ice cream, and heavens knows what else. My plan was to give Hadley a bath first, then clean up the mess and pop Carter in the tub. My little girl decided it would just be so much better to just take her bath with the dog. Worked for me. While she was distracted by 'helping' clean Hadley, I was able to get her washed up without any of the normal fuss. Carter seems to think washing hair ranks right next to being tortured. Which evened things out, I suppose. Hadley is sure that being forced to take a bath is torture.

Ready to Go

Here's a couple pictures of Carter all ready to go to town with her dad. She is showing off the lucky grasshopper who gets to go with them. (I some how doubt he is as thrilled about the opportunity as my little girl) She was also excited that she got to take a few coins to town with her to spend, carefully stored in the purple Crown bag. It's scary how much like her dad she is some days, the shopping and spending money part anyway. I'm not sure he's as crazy about insects as she is...or if he ever was. That must come from me, although I've never heard any stories where I needed to take them to bed or town with me!

Hunting Grasshoppers

I caught the mighty grasshopper hunter hard at work, trying to fill up her little red purse with grasshoppers before going to town with Robert. Naturally every girl needs a purse full of grasshoppers, right? We had carefully gotten her all dressed up, she even wanted mom to put in a nice pony tail, insisted on wearing some of her makeup (oh yeah, she has makeup...so that she would leave mom's alone), carefully got her fancy red shoes to match with her shirt, and then had to have grasshoppers.

It should be fairly obvious why my flowers look a little trashed this year. Between the weather, dogs and the grasshoppers, it seems a bit late to get on Carter's case for finishing the job. Although from this angle, the flowers don't look too bad. Standing in front of them makes me want to cry. I really love my cosmos, they are one tough hardy flower, but no match for the grasshopper hunter.

Fires and Sprinklers

Our weekend started out a little crazy. About 2 in the afternoon on Friday I got a call from my Gramma Pat that there was a fire in the area, she didn't know how big or close for sure but wanted me to pack up Carter and get out. Well, Carter was with my mom in town, so just in case I packed my computer up (yep, pretty much the only thing I'd pack if I had to abandon ship...depending on how much time I was given and how much help), turned the sprinklers on the house and drove up to the top of the hill to see what was going on. Sure enough, there was a lot of scary black smoke, right behind one of my neighbors' house--about 2 miles down the road. The wind was blowing the smoke in the opposite direction as my house, so I wasn't real worried (although this meant it was blowing directly at my Aunty Linda's house which was just up the road a short ways from the fire...not good.) I meant to go back down to my house to get my camera so I could take a few pictures, but my brother had just went tearing down to our house to get the fire truck we have stored next to the shop and I figured I didn't want to get flattened when he came roaring back up. So I met up with Corinne and little Everett we just figured we go down to my mom's house and wait it out, along with my sister Christy and her kids. You just never know with fires when the wind is blowing and we figured at any rate, we'd be out of the way. I called my office down in Colorado to let them know what was going on, I'm sure they really wonder about my life up here sometimes. On the way down to my mom's house we passed what looked like enough vehicles and fire trucks to completely circle the fire several times over. Gotta love rural fire fighters...everyone just shows up whenever they see smoke. It almost felt like we were going the wrong direction. We all had a nice afternoon at mom's though and then went home when we got the all clear a couple hours later. They think it was an electrical short that started the fire, and most of the smoke was caused by the tire pile behind Equal's house that burned up. Other than the tires and a small shed, not much else burned, so whew! Later that night, Robert got called out for another fire on the Interstate. The sparks from a flat tire on a boat trailer started this one. He didn't get home till early the next morning and was pretty tired. I'll be glad when the fire season is over. So far, knock on wood, there haven't been too many fires this year, although really even one is too many. Everything is so dry here!

Yesterday, I made a quick trip to town, then worked on cleaning up the house. Carter simply can make messes way faster than I can clean them up. I found a couple piles of dirt hidden behind some chairs in the living room, (what the heck?) lotion smeared on the carpet from when I went to bed early and Robert was supposed to be watching her, paper clippings from her 'cutting coupons', what appeared like ashes all over the dinning room, grasshoppers everywhere, along with the normal toys, books, clothing scattered helter skelter. Sigh. Definitely need to work more on the 'cleaning up when done playing with stuff' with Carter. That and what you play with in the house versus outside!

It was pretty hot yesterday so we figured we better run through the sprinklers while Robert was trying to take a nap. (We needed Dad in a good mood so he would finally have some time to fix my poor car...it needed some serious love: the tires all needed to be replaced, the driver window won't roll up (grrr!) and the air conditioning fan is making nasty squeaky noises.) Carter had found her frog eye goggles and wanted to test them out on the sprinklers to see if they really would keep her eyes from getting water in them. We also had the sprinkler turned down so low that she really would have had to work pretty hard to get water above her waist, but she loved it. It was hot enough, mom even joined her! The cold water felt so good!

Last night, just before bed, Carter came roaring in the house with her 'favorite' grasshopper (basically the latest one she had caught that was still alive) and it really needed to go to bed with her. (Yep, a grasshopper) So we put it in a plasic sandwich bag and sent her happily off to bed. Surprisingly enough, the poor thing (as if there is such a thing with grasshoppers) was still alive this morning. Sigh.