Field Trip to the Farm: The Rest of the Story

I know there's a lot of pictures here. But I'll try to keep the typing short so you can look at the pictures. Now, here, we have the group listening politely as Mr. Bryant of Red Bluff Farms talks about the milk cow and how she affects our lives.

After explaining the old fashioned way to milk a cow, Mr. Bryant introduces the children to the mechanical milking device. He explains that this does not hurt the cow but in fact, gives her some udder relief.

Look at how much milk she's given us in just a few minutes!

My little farmer!

The group marches to the back 40!

Mr. Bryant explains about hogs and how they affect our lives with the various products they provide.

Did you know? When a hog has babies, the piglet chooses a "nursing station" (that's what Mr. Bryant called it) for all of the entirety of their nursing days.

Little Bird absorbs all the educational information she's learning today.

Mr. Bryant talks about beef cattle and the products they provide. I knew about gelatin and glue, but I didn't know about toothpaste!!!

Marching to another learning station.

Lunchtime!

Lunchtime guests!

All lined up like little rows.

Seed corn!

Ready? Set?.....

Goooo!

Walking around the hay maze that is laid out in the shape of the state of Louisiana. Notice the Lake Charles sign? There were similar signs marking the location of the bigger cities of the state. There was also other state information at each hay bale, such as the State Fish, the State Insect, the State Crustacean, etc.

This butterfly garden was so intriguing! See the signs? They tell all about the life cycle of the butterfly.

Okay, that's it. I hope you enjoyed the field trip to the Farm with us. If you'd like to know about the beginning of our day, read it here.

Field Trip Day to the Farm: The Beginning

My Little Bird and I woke up this morning looking forward to our first Kindergarten field trip with the school. We've been on field trips before with the local homeschool group last year, but this one was special because it's the first one with the public school.

My day started with my going into Little Bird's room to wake her up. She responded, "I donwanna." Then I said, "But you HAVE to. We're going to the Faarrrrm!" She sat straight up, grinned from ear to ear, and said with a little shake of her head, "Oh, I'm AWAKE now. Thanks mommy!"

She hopped out of bed (literally!) and went straight to the breakfast table for a bowl of Frosted Flakes. I got her school uniform ready. I had bought her some new pants just because the weather was beginning to get cooler. Skirts, skorts, and shorts were soon not going to be enough to keep her legs warm. After she ate breakfast, I instructed her to get dressed. She put the pants on and I immediately noticed that they were too big in the waist. Soooo, out comes the sewing machine for a quick alteration.

Now that she's dressed, she asks me to fix her hair the way Jessie wears it in Toy Story. That little task takes a little longer than I thought it would and as a result, we're now behind schedule...but not too badly. We head out to the surburban to hit the road. We have to be at school by 8 a.m. We get loaded up and on our way.

About 6 miles down the road, for some strange reason my thoughts turn to whether or not I have everything I need. Lunch...Check...Camera...Check...Bottle of water...need to stop at the store...Purse? Arrghhh! Where's my purse!? Shoot! I left it at home. I look around for my cell phone to call hubs to bring my purse to me. guess what!? I left my phone too!!! A quick glance at the clock tells me that I do not have time to run back to the house. I'll have to get Little Bird to the school, come back home to retrieve the forgotten items, and then try to catch up with the Field Trip caravan in route to the Farm. Yeah, that sounds like a plan!

After dropping Little Bird off at school, I hit the ground running, driving no faster than 85 mph. Once I got home, I got my purse and cell phone, double checked the address on the computer for the Farm, and made a potty stop. Great! Aunt Flo has decided to drop in on me....TODAY of all days! Early!!! This day is just keeps getting better!

Finally, I'm out the door.....again....and again I drive no faster than 85 on my way back to the school. Now that I have my cell phone, I call ahead to see if the group has left the school yet. Nope, they haven't but they will shortly. I breathe a sigh of relief....and hear a "ding ding ding" sound coming from my dashboard. Well, hmmph, I seem to be low on fuel. It's a good thing the gas station is right THERE!! I stop, insert debit card, key in my zip code, and put the nozzle into the gas tank. I begin pumping the gas, and look up to see the school buses and following parents going past me. Okay, no biggie....I pump about $15 dollars worth, snatch the receipt from the pump, toss the nozzle back on the pump....oops! I need batteries for the camera. That task taken care of I exit the store, jump into the Surburban, and catch up to the caravan....just like I had planned!

We got to the farm and I put my lunch on the trailer with all the other parents' lunches. I got my camera and trotted over to where the children were sitting. I turned it on and got a little flashing message, "Low Battery". Since I had just bought some new batteries, I thought, "Hopefully, nothing cute will happen while I change the batteries."

Those brand new batteries I just bought? Dead. As a doornail. What else could go wrong today? This is soooooo very frustrating! Now I have a dilemma. Should I leave my angel with her class while I hunt down a store somewhere to purchase some more batteries? I don't want to miss anything. After dwelling on the problem for a fairly short amount of time, I decide to go search for a store. I ask one of the tour guides, er, farmers where the nearest store may be. As it turns out, there's a Dollar General only 5 miles up the road! Perfect!

So, having made up my mind, I leave the field trip to get the needed batteries. Upon my return, I learn that I had indeed missed the cutest photo op ever! My baby's Kindergarten teacher had kissed a pig!!!

Oh well, the day isn't over yet. More photo ops abound and now that I have fresh batteries, I intend to make the best of it!! See Field Trip: The Rest of the Story to see the photos.

Oh, and thanks for listening. I really needed to vent after the morning I've had!!!

Date Night: Copeland's

The hubby came home a little earlier than usual tonight and said, "Honey, do you have plans for tonight?" After thinking a second, it dawned on me that .... NO! I didn't have any plans! No choir practice, no piano lessons, no handbells, no Boy Scouts, nothing!!! Woo Hoo! and so I told him..."No, I don't have plans. Why?"

He says, "Wanna go out?" How romantic huh? "Wanna go out?" .... to which I delightedly answered, "Why Shore!!!"

So, we leave the little ones in charge of the older ones and we head out for a dinner without all the leg tugging and "can I have a bite?"s. Not sure of our destination, we just hit the interstate and pointed the surburban to the west. Hubby mentioned that he was in the mood for some decent seafood. In light of a previous date night experience, he opted to avoid our favorite restaurant, instead choosing a restaurant that we'd never been to.

We ended up at Copeland's of New Orleans over on Essen Lane in Baton Rouge where we were greeted and seated within seconds! Shortly after we were seated (and I do mean very shortly), our waiter, Bryan, joined us to take our drink orders. There were no little containers of sugar, Sweet N Low, or Equal packets on the table....only a drink menu, a candle, and salt & pepper shakers. Nothing else. Honey ordered a draft beer while I ordered a southern sweet tea. If I had spied the previously mentioned packets of artificial sweeteners, I would have ordered an unsweetened tea and used the pink stuff.

Bryan then asked us if we wanted an appetizer to start off with. I chose the Bayou Broccoli since it just looked like an interesting name. I don't have a photo of this appetizer but trust me when I tell you it was delish!!!! The Bayou Broccoli is a ball of broccoli, bacon, and cheese, all rolled up and then deep fried and served with a dipping sauce. They serve 7 of these little hush puppy sized balls. At a cost of $7.49 for this appetizer, that comes to just over $1 per ball. However, they are well worth it! Yum Yum!!!

Hubby chose the Copeland's Famous Fried Seafood Platter ($22.99) which comes with Golden fried oysters (seasonal), shrimp, crawfish tails, crabcake and thin crispy catfish also served with French Fries, thin sliced Onion Rings, and garlic bread. I could not believe the size of this plate when it was set down in front of my husband!! The following photos were taken with hubby's cell phone. Once I purchase my new camera, I will certainly take better quality pictures.

It was my turn next to order my dinner. Knowing that I could not possibly eat as much as my hubby, I chose to experience the Crabcakes and Shrimp Alredo plate which features two fried crabcakes and a handful of shrimp on a bed of angel hair pasta topped with a light shrimp alfredo sauce with a homemade biscuit on the side. May I just say, OH My God!!! this is GOOOOOOOODDD!!! Much more than I could possibly eat. In fact, I picked out the shrimp and ate one of the crabcakes, giving the other one to hubby. The pasta was just the right texture with just the right amount of sauce.

After enjoying all that good southern food, I could not resist tasting one of Copeland's main attractions. A slice of their cheesecake. Hubby said he just didn't have room for dessert but I was determined to try this cheesecake. I ordered the Signature Cheesecake, Copeland's original cheesecake recipe with a buttery pecan crust. With several toppings to choose from, I chose the raspberry sauce. When Bryan served it, he informed me that they usually put whipped cream on top but the whipped cream machine had malfunctioned tonight. I guess that means that I'll have to do without it. After my first bite, I thought, "Who cares about whipped cream! This stuff reminds me of that scene with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in When Harry Met Sally." You know the scene, in the restaurant, where she fakes the .... well, you know! The bottom line is .... I have never in my life ever put anything on my tongue that tastes this good! I didn't even have to chew it. I just let it sit there and melt. Absolute heaven!
After dinner, hubby decided that he wasn't in the mood for our regular after dinner movie. Therefore, we ended up in the toy department at Target, playing with anything that would respond to a pressed button here or a pulled string there. The Toy Story toys are my favorite!!! I ended up pulling out a pen and paper to make a Christmas list for the girls. But ultimately, what fun we had in the toy department acting like little kids again without having the little kids along reminding us to behave like adults!

Then, we headed home. Hubby does still have to go to work tomorrow. I couldn't keep him out all night ya know.

So, there ya go, our date night. If you are ever in the Baton Rouge area, be sure to visit Copeland's for some fine Southern dining!

Mommy, I don't want you to die!

I went to pick up my 6 y.o. Little Bird from school on Monday. During the ride home, she was singing and talking in the backseat when she suddently said to me, "Mommy, I don't want you to die." I thought to myself, "What's THAT about!?"

So, I did what I thought was right and what my dad did when I asked such questions; I embarked on this little lecture about how everything has a season, and we all live and die, we're all appointed a time to die, yada yada yada.

She didn't respond and we rode in silence for a few minutes before I got curious and glanced back to see what she was doing. Thinking she was only looking out the window watching the scenery go by, I was astounded to see my angel quietly crying, the bottom lip stuck out, tears welling up in her eyes and spilling over.

I pulled the truck over to give her more of my attention. Taking her hand, I asked, "Baby, what's wrong!?" to which she really turned the waterworks on and declared, "But, Mommy, I don't want you to DIE!!!"

I then decided that maybe a Facts of Life talk wasn't appropriate at this time, so I attempted to reassure her that although my time would come some day, I didn't think it was going to happen before we got home and enjoyed some dinner. She seemed to calm down a little at that and we then proceeded to our destination. Since this incident on Monday, she seems to be much better now and has asked no more questions.

It just broke my heart! I have no idea what brought this on. I'm afraid to push her to find out for fear of traumatizing her.

As an afterthought, I'm hoping that this situation and my response to it won't hurt my chances of living a healthy, long life. LOL

Immensely Valuable

I was talking with an old friend today with whom I've recently reconnected. I'd always wondered about him and his family and whatever happened to them or where they went. Anyway, as it turns out, he's been nearby nearly the whole time! Well, not the WHOLE time because he's had other places to go too, but .... well, you KWIM. Anyway, he is now a Captain in the Louisiana Army National Guard, Alpha Co., 256th BSTB.

Today, we were chatting about some things from our past, the childhood we shared, dreams for our children, etc. At one point, our conversation turned quite serious, deep thoughts were exchanged, and it was mentioned that his unit will be deploying for Iraq shortly after this coming Christmas. It struck me that I needed to thank him. First for listening to me and then for serving his country and protecting me, the constitution, and my freedom.

His reply was:

"I listen because I believe ya'll are immensely valuable. I serve for the same reason."

This statement has stuck with me for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Eventually, I began to hear another voice telling me the same message. The voice of my Father in Heaven telling me that He is there to listen to me. Why? Because He believes that I am valuable! And that is the reason that he hung on the cross for me. Because I am valuable!

And ya know what? I just had to share.

I would love to be able to write a huge essay on the importance of this statement and the realization that came because of it, but I'm not much of a writer. I just sit here with my laptop on my lap and type my thoughts into a little white screen.

The bottom line is, and forgive me for sounding like a broken record, I am Valuable .... to a friend ... to a soldier .... but mostly to Jesus in Heaven who hung on a cross, died, and rose again to save my miserable little soul. Wow.

My Current Bicycle

This is my Westport bicycle. I bought it at a yard sale last year for only $20. It does very well for the short 1/2 hour rides I do around here. However, it simply will not do for a longer ride or a road tour. I went looking in Hammond today for a bike shop that I had heard was over there. After making 2 or 3 circles around, I learned that said bike shop had closed up shop a couple of years ago.

Soooo, I went to Walmart to look around for what they had up on the rack. I had to get some other things anyway. I'll try to hit some other shops in the other direction by this weekend and see if I can price something else. I'm not set to purchase anything yet. Just looking. In the meantime, this is what I'm riding.

I'm the WHAT?

My husband had to go work out of town for one evening two weeks ago. While there, he called me up and we chatted a bit about things. Since I was feeling a little down and unattractive, I voiced that to him. I've been feeling this way for a while due to being overweight, something I'm trying (again) to do something about. Anyway, we had the following lighthearted conversation.

I said something to the effect of, "I love you!"

He said, "No you don't, you just like spending my money."

I replied, "Okay, I'll agree with that."

Then he said, "I love YOU."

I replied, "No you don't, you just like going away to make that money I like to spend."

Then he said, "You know I love you. I think you're beautiful in every way."

To which I replied, "Hmmph".

Then he said, "Honey, you are the jaaaam in my jellyroll!" to which I was struck speechless for a second or two and then I said, "What? I'm the jam in your jellyroll? What kind of movies have you been watching?"

It was really funny to me at the time! LOL Even funnier is that this occurred 2 weeks ago and that is still stickin' with me!

He doesn't bring me flowers or candy very often or romance me in ways the fellas in the movies do, but every now and then he'll say something like that.

He'll take the girls out for a spin on the fourwheeler and return with bouquets of black eyed susans from the roadside ditch. This past Sunday morning, I was even woken up to a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and a cup of V8 juice (my first South Beach diet breakfast) in BED!!!

It's the little things he does for me that make me realize just how much he loves me and this family. He really rocks!!!

She Lost Another One!

This is just a little post for documentation purposes. My Little Bird has lost her seventh tooth! The tooth fairy visited and Little Bird rec'd a $1 bill for her loss. The tooth is currently in my jeans pocket and it will be added to the other 6 teeth that I have collected and put in a ziploc baggie.....somewhere. When I find that baggie, I'll add this tooth to it. Hopefully, I won't lose it between now and then! LOL

Natchez Trace: Tricycle

Some time ago, I made a post about my bucket list. The number one item on that list is to bicycle the Natchez Trace. Lately, I have been revisiting that idea. I have spent the last few evenings researching road cycling for beginners. I've learned a few things but haven't been able to put any of it to practice yet. I will need to purchase somet things before I hit the road. First up is a bicycle and then riding clothes.

My main concern about the bicycle is comfort. If I'm gonna be on that thing for up to 6 hours at a time, I want my butt to be comfy. I prefer wide cushy seats to ride on. I also prefer riding upright in order to see the country side. So handle bars to support me in that position would be great!

Then I thought, well, heck, I'll have to haul camping gear too. How am I gonna do that AND be comfy! I can't sleep on the ground the way I used to when I was a youngster. Air mattresses are comfy but a pain to get up off of. I prefer sleeping on a camp cot. How am I gonna carry a camp cot on a bicycle?

AHA! I've GOT IT! Forego the Bi-cycle and take a Tri-cycle! Thus, my research turns towards a tricycle. I found one today while searching. It's an iZip 2008, Tricruiser Adult Electric Tricycle! I have decided that this is the vehicle for me to putt putt along on the Natchez Trace while enjoying the scenery AND there's a basket on the back for all my stuff!!

Features include a 450 watt Earth magnet motor (whatever THAT means) and a rechargable battery giving this trike at range of 30 - 35 miles per charge. It can also reach a maximum speed of 15 mph. That's good for me when I want to get a little distance on the road. It had an EXTRA WIDE seat and the basket I previously mentioned. It also has some other techno stuff that I'm glad it has but I really don't give a hoot about at this point. AND if the charge runs out, well, there's always the old fashioned foot power that'll keep it going.

One thing that bothers me is that if I get it stuck or something, this thing weighs 128 pounds. So, it won't be too easy to unstick it. The other thing that bothers me is the price. Do I REALLY want to spend $1100 on this? Just because it's got a little motor to help me along? It would certainly be more cost efficient to purchase a trike without a motor. A new Schwinn trike would only be about $300! But it will be totally human powered.

So anyway, whatdaya think? Should I try this thing on the Natchez Trace? Should I go with a trike or a bike? I'm totally out of shape but feel that I can get where I need to be physically within a few months of training.

What's He REALLY Thinking?

I just received the latest book to review. I haven't even read it yet but I just wanted to let you know that it was in my mailbox this morning. It's called "What's he REALLY Thinking?" by Paula Rinehart (also the author of Strong Women, Soft Hearts).

As a member of the Book Review Bloggers at Thomas Nelson Publishers, I receive free books to read and review. This is an awesome opportunity for those who love to read and have thoughts they'd like to share about what they've read. The really cool thing for me is that the books come in the mail directly to my house. I don't have to go to the library or bookstore to get them! woo hoo!! Less driving around!!

If you're interested in reading a book or two (FOR FREE!) just go to the Thomas Nelson site and sign up to be a BRB (Book Review Blogger). The only requirements are that you agree to read the book and then post a 200 word (or more) review on your blog AND on any retail website. That's it!

Sounds simple enough huh? Check it out!

Fall 2009 TV lineup

I'm looking forward to some new shows this fall as well as catching up with my favorite characters from NCIS and CSI. The following line up is what I'm looking forward to.

Tonight, Monday, Sept 21:

7 PM: Dancing with the Stars AND House. One of them will need to be recorded.
9 PM: CSI Miami

Tuesday, Sept 22:

7 PM: Dancing with the Stars (night 2) is 2 hours long
At the same time the new NCIS is coming on with the 8 PM showing of NCIS: Los Angeles right behind it. Again, I'll have to do a recording.

AND The Biggest Loser is also coming on!!! I don't know which one to watch!!! I suppose that I COULD keep up with DWTS on Youtube. Hmmmm. Decisions Decisions.

Wednesday, Sept 23:

This will be a difficult night for me because we have church activities that require our absence from the television. Anything I want to watch will have to be recorded for later viewing.

7 PM: Dancing with the Stars (the 3rd night) is only 1 hour long this time AND the premiere of Mercy also comes on at the same time!

8 PM: L&O: SVU AND Glee at the same time. I haven't seen Glee yet so I'm not sure if it'll be worth watching. I've enjoyed watching L&O but can take it or leave it.

9 PM: CSI: NY

Thursday, Sept 24:

7 PM: I don't see ANYTHING on the schedule that I'm remotely interested in. I suppose I could spend my time doing some laundry or watching one of my previously recorded episodes.

8 PM: CSI: Crime Scene Investigator

9 PM: The Mentalist

Friday, Sept 25:

7 PM: ???

8 PM: Monk

9 PM: Psych

And so there it is. Gotta go grocery shopping and get some snack foods to much on while watching!!!

Birthday Week

Six years ago on September 11, my Little Bird joined our family. She's had a really big year this year with losing her first tooth (followed by 5 more), starting Kindergarten AND turning 6 years old!!! I wanted to let her know how special she is to me so I baked some cupcakes and took them to her classroom at school. Here she is smiling cheesily while the class serenades her with the "Happy Birthday!" song. The hat that she is wearing is from the Teddy Bear picnic the class had just enjoyed before I arrived with the cupcakes.

Here she is enjoying a cupcake!!!

Just a few days later, on Sept 15, Kangaroo turned 4 years old! Since she had accompanied me taking cupcakes to school on Little Bird's birthday, I also wanted to do something special for her. She does not attend preschool or anything so there was no class to share with. So, I called my mom to join us for lunch at a Ryan's restaurant. I figured that the waitresses would do the Happy Happy birthday chant and that would be Kangaroo's special time. It worked too!!! She wanted to wear a crown she had made about a month ago and then she requested to wear her Tinkerbell dress so she could be a birthday princess. Who am I do deny her request on her birthday? Doesn't she just look beautiful!!!?

With DQ at the table.
Showing us how royal she is.

Checking out the sweet stuff.

Mmm Mmm Good!!!

Gotta wash it all down!!

THEN, we had the OFFICIAL birthday shingdig at the local Chuck E. Cheese's to celebrate with family and friends. The girls had a grand old time!!!

They were especially excited to meet Chuck E. himself in person!!!

Happy Birthday to my sweetie pies!!! Don't grow up too fast!!!

Have you bought your Boy Scout popcorn?

Did you know you can help The Teen (Kyle M.) earn his own way in Scouting? Just click http://www.trails-end.com/estore/home_alt.jsp?_requestid=96825 and place an order on his behalf. There are new products offered online, like flavored almonds and a limited edition BSA tote.

70% of your purchase will be returned to him, his unit and his council. Online purchases help us fund fun, educational activities and help more kids experience all the things that make Scouting great.

It also pays for registration fees, charter fees, badges, awards, field trips, leader training, and much more. It's the primary source of funding to keep Scouting going and it's been going for 100 years this February!!!

This year, we have some healthier 'no-trans-fat' versions of popcorn available as well as some new Trail Mix!!! You can also make a Special Military product donation by Trail's End. That means that you purchase the popcorn, but it gets sent to the boys overseas instead of to your house.

You can also support his troop by order magazine subscription vouchers at discounted prices. Just order the number of $10 or $20 voucher you want. There is no need to choose magazine titles now! You'll see a full list of choices to make your pick later.

Within the next few weeks, The Teen (Kyle M.) will deliver (or mail) your voucher. It will have all the magazine choices listed so you can choose exactly what you want - or give a magazine as a gift. 4 - 6 weeks later, your new subscription (or renewal) will begin!!

Thanks for your support!!

Kangaroo's Big Adventure

Once upon a time, a daddy decided to take a refreshing shower while enduring the heat of a Southern summer day. While he was enjoying his respite behind frosted shower doors, his 3 y.o. daughter wandered into the unlocked bathroom.

Mommy was embarking on a laundry adventure in the utility room when she heard a surprised shout filled the house...."WHATRYOUDOIN'INERE???!" which was immediately
followed by the pitter patter sound of happy little feet as the 3 y.o. daughter re-entered the part of the house that had previously been abandoned.

She intercepts Mommy who was on her way to investigate the distressing sound.

Standing in the living room with a grin from ear to ear and her hands behind her back, she proudly states, "Mommy, I saw daddy's butt and he had pink poop hanging from it!!!".

This is a true story. The End.

Newly Found Proverbs?

The title of this post refers to the book of Proverbs in the Bible. As I understand it, Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings from the biblical period.

I found some books in my house. A set of "Rare Recipes & Budget Savers", first printed in 1961. At the bottom of each page of these books is a sentence or two of wise words titled "Last Blast" (thus the Proverbs reference). As I was reading through them, I laughed out loud. Others are quite profound and thought provoking. Then I thought, "I would love to share these with my bloggy friends". Thus, the following.

1. Don't be offended if someone tells you to "go fly a kite". Ben Franklin made it pay off.

2. Everyday is Judgement Day - use a lot of it!

3. If you can't sleep, don't count sheep. Talk to the Shepherd.

4. The hen is the only thing we know of that can lay around and make money.

5. People who live in a one-bathroom house should never drink their prune juice at the same time.

6. It's better to tighten your belt than to lose your pants.

7. The only people you should try to get even with are those who have helped you.

8. For some women, marriage can be a sweeping experience. It also can include cooking, baking, ironing, and serving as family chauffers.

9. Poise isthe art of raising the eyebrows instead of the roof.

And I'll leave you with a thought provoking LAST BLAST for today.....

10. The greatest danger for most of us is not that we aim too high and miss, but that our aim is too low -- and we reach it!

Ya'll be sure and stay tuned. There are many more where these came from!!