a million and a half

That is how many things I have to do in the next 24 hrs.  School, homework, housework, a piece for the community paper, house work, garden, pack and shop for camping, extra ninja pick ups and drop offs, ninja sleep-over, work twice, gym twice, and an eye appoint for Beach. It however does not include putting up 40 pounds of grapes for juice and yet somehow it does now.  BC the walking disaster that he has been lately has some issues in the kitchen during what we call my 'busy phase' this week.  Left to handle dinner a few nights in a row he has managed to fumble every single one. Hence the fb post:


“And it came to pass that for 4 nights and 4 days he did fuck-up dinner. Wearily I say unto him let the children lead you, for it is they who knowith how to put out fires and order pizza. Amen.”

Okay 'get it yourself' might have been too vague for 3 nearly adult males to find the left over tray of enchiladas in the fridge or the left over chicken and rice so let’s try ‘put is and this in a pan and cook it‘- no, too complex.  How about ‘throw this in the over to bake‘- too time dependent.  Let’s try turn on the crockpot- seriously asshole? one button I mean really the dogs could have done it! (meant in the most loving way of course)


In the end I have come home every night from school or work to cook dinner at at least 8 PM plus while grownish men look as frantic as chickens caught eating in my garden.

Today the million and a half things to do day started with leaf shaped pancake, coffee (lots of coffee), farm chores, making grape juice, a little home education, some trouble with the boy children, a phone call from mother-in-law, and a reminder to BC about Beach’s eye appointment tonight while I (the stay at home parent) is off at work.  Not kidding end of paragraph reminder of appointment. I say, “I guess since I will be gone you need me to cook dinner too?”    
“No, I got it I don’t have anything I have to do tonight.” hysterical laughter inside my head laughter! It is easier to laugh than cry :)

Suppose I have a million and a one and a half things to do in the next 24 hours…...
     
On the upside: BC sure does know how to make a girl feel needed   The events of this week follows a discussion triggered by another couple’s fight about the value of a stay at home parent verses the value of a double income.  Point one scored in my stay at home favor.  BC gracious conceding the point: staying home is hard, valuable, and should be regarded with high respects and occasion gifts of cheap beer.

Now a last piece of parting wisdom for the good of mankind: if you happen to see a woman dressed in the exact same outfit as she was wearing the day before you should make a point to tell her how fabulous she looks because she just might be trying to juggle too many things all on her own and could use the complement.

small scale farming (don't expect much)

 The other day I told Beach if she was hungry we could go out in the field and dig up potatoes.  And despite being raised here on this crazy little farm most of her life she told me that was over the top strange. 

"Mom, most people say go the store and buy potatoes."  

"Okay, then you can go out back dig up potatoes and I will charge you for them."

"Do we have Top Ramen?"

Okay then I will do it.  I have to work tonight so how about some slow cooker chicken-potato-carrot chowder? Nice potatoes, right?

 But while I was out there toiling in the fields (hahahaha)

Anyone remember the time I encountered an angry charging stray-ish pitbull? 

Would you look at that, hello old friend.  Like our new fence? I sure do.

 Okay so I came away with the perfect basket full of produce for soup and something else that cracked me up.  A hand full of miniature produce.

 Carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes.

 Don't forget this guy- a very personal watermelon.

 Late summer basket of goodies and

some honest to goodness small scale farming :) 

too much of a good thing

In her final act of desperation, run out of ways to put up peaches she did the only thing left to do: bake pie.

Death by peaches, so possible. Honestly we have been dealing with them by the bag full partly thanks to my mom and dad who keep dropping them off when I'm not home. That BC isn't a crust guy, he wouldn't even eat the bottom crust.  He just scrapes it off the same way he does breading on fried chicken so I left it mostly topless for him ;) and some of the peels on for my mother-in-law who would happen to stop by and comment about all the waste if I didn't. I am a people pleaser. 

PS I think I like using that big ass star cookie cutter. And even though I am actually not half bad at it I don't love making pie. 

Monday with stars

 So I have this big old cookie cutter hanging above my stove, actually I don't know if that is really what it is because that would be one big cookie!!!!  Every once in awhile I get the urge to use the silly thing or throw it out.  So today I made a pizza star and while I was trying to get a good pic of the damn thing (food is not easy to photograph!) those little fingers came creeping in... oh-well, the pizza star was for her anyway. 

 Some days need more magic than others. 

Where are your glasses?

TODAY"S SCHOOL LUNCH: PIZZA STARS

jalapeno pizza night on the farm

 Loaded with fresh Coop and R&B Farm produce: pineapple, jalapenos, mushrooms, bell peppers, yellow onion, cilantro, tomatoes, AND bacon.  I conned a few of my closest friends to hit the local water park with a gaggle of kids followed by a spicy dinner on the farm!

 OH YEAH, PIZZA!!!! 

 OH-YEAH friends!!!

 And cuteness-es

 The peanut gallery egging heckling the Twister Crew

 Ninjas on the twister mat.

Good night on the farm.

Thanks for stopping by :) 

cake

 It started with a late night phone call, the kind of call that drives a divorced mom nuts; angry kid fighting with Other Parent. 

In another house. 

Up the dark interstate. 

Across town.

A distance bigger than slippers are meant to travel. 

I talked to angry kid, who hung up on me.  

I fumbled through my dresser for a little scrap of paper with the X’s number scribbled on it.  I talked to Other Parent, equally as angry as the kid but he & I were at least mostly in agreement. 

After hanging up I sat in the big chair in dark holding my phone reluctantly saving the X’s number, knowing I would need it again. 

I went back to bed but couldn’t sleep or settle so I lay awake for a very long time.

I was awoken by BC touching my shoulder gently shaking me, “Misty, wake up you are screaming.”

  

4 am (formerly known as 3 am).

March 11.

Happy Birthday BC. 

Sorry about the screaming in the night.

Sorry I have not managed yet today to find the ground beneath me solid.  Every time I move the earth pitches like a boat in rough seas.  Sitting does nothing to improve it.  The pressure in my head forces my eyes shut every ten minutes or so and turning my head brings on Armageddon.

Beach and I harvested carrots from the greenhouse and baked you a from scratch carrot cake.  

The cream cheese frosting is to die for.  

I know we both feel the tension lately and we have both been a bit choppy with each other but thank you for your tenderness, for your steady hands, and for being there for me when no one else had the balls to be.   

        And thanks for that too ;)

           

bread, amen

I have wanted a bread maker for over 20 years.  On my birthday my mother-in-law brought me 2!!! She handed me recipes and bags of stuff like wheat germ and gluten. Today I pulled one out to give it a try.  Never in my life has something so simple taken me so long to accomplish.  

Why would it be this hard to read the list dump the shit in and walk away?!?!  And there it is I don't trust it will work.  I don't believe. 

I finally manage to dump a glop of stuff inside the machine. I hit start and peered through the little window as it began to hum and turn.  Knowing, just absolutely knowing in a few hours I would be cleaning out the same glop in some sort of a degenerated condition.  

I am a doubter and disbeliever and someone who must see and feel to believe and this bread maker thing is way beyond my comfort zone.  The worse part is for the first time I feel bad for not being able to believe.

     

chocolate dipped pretzels, factory farming

don't feed the animals

This post is rated J for juvenile.  It contains strong images of raw cookie dough eating, misuse of furniture, self dentistry, and extreme silliness.

Yes, they look sweet- at first but last night was possibly the most wild night the farm has ever seen!

They disguise themselves as little girls wanting to make cookies... 

late late at night

Okay, it was only about 8:30 but that was late for me

They crave access to unlimited amounts of sugar and things get crazy fast

Play Dough Dentist crazy!!!! 

I think you are doing it wrong

Tween music crazy!!!! 

And talk about herding cats "hey ladies, let's get a photo"

And just when we couldn't take it anymore I fed them MORE cookies and sent them home to their own families.

You may wish to consider what you have seen next time you leave your kids with me.

This is your child free ranging on the R&B Farm.

Or in the case of this young lady: This is your child right after I let her use the beaters.