6 New Babies And Breaking Carrot News

First breaking carrot news. We skipped school today and stayed home to work in the garden. Since my back is not doing well I was doing light things around the garden. When I spotted this. What is this you ask? Little baby carrots.

Ethan accidentally grow a carrot in his bed last year, and he never picked it, it grow to be really big. Then we read up on how to bring them to seed. Well needless the say the carrot finally seeded, and we have little babies everywhere.

So today became the day to pull the carrot.

After a bunch of pulling it was out.

And yes it's really tall.

Next up, I got 6 new babies. I ordered these from http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/ the only place on the web I could find that sells caraway thyme, but you have to order in sets of 6. So I ordered 6 different things.

Creeping Marjoram

Apple Mint

Pink Lemonade Thyme

Italian Oregano Thyme

Orange Blossom Thyme

Caraway Thyme

I also have some Kentucky Mint. I planted garlic today. We now have two beds of garlic. YEAH. We are really close to having all the new beds in. So it's getting exciting around here. The green house is full of green. Things sprouting everywhere. I picked baby raspberries today and started to fill the new raspberry bed out front.

So I Have This Child

So I have this child who really surprised me today. He discovered his brothers Ukulele and played that all day. It's a cheap ukulele that was bought in Hawaii, made in China but resides in WA state. But he plugged away on it all day. He even asked for paper so he could write ukulele music. After dinner he pulls me aside and quietly asked if he was old enough for ukulele lessons. He even said he know who he wanted to teach him. When I asked if he was serious, he said yes. I asked him he wanted to go and look tomorrow at the music store. YES! I told him if he was really serious and saved his allowance money, mommy and daddy would split half with him. Big ole smiles....

Here Cole is on mommy's guitar.

It's bigger then he is.

Playing the Uke.

We will see where this leads. 

3-23-12

Tell ya since I have boxed up any and all drama. Life has been so much better. Still getting hit with a lot of stuff. But there ain't no Drama in my life. Been working in the garden, expanding one 30 foot bed of Strawberry's into 3-30 foot beds. Setting up my beds out back getting ready for dirt. All of the fruit trees are planted. Ours and our neighbors. Raspberries are planted. If we get some donated great, if not we are still looking good.

My father in law is not well at all. The kids want to see him so we are heading up Sunday. The picture below was taken today, it's sitting at Costco for me to pick up and frame and take it up Sunday as well. Because it may be awhile before they see him again.

Truck fund is taken care of. And we have a few pennies in savings. It will never be enough, but I can sleep at night. Now working on the van where we can, and out back expanded garden area.

Our anniversary is coming up. I was able to get hubby a portable DVD player, he has one, but it dies on him, it won't play some DVDs. He uses it weekly. One came up on Amazon hot deals and I got it. What I like about it, is we will be able to use it in the van on our trip this summer. I am not one for running a DVD in a car. BUT when you are taking a trip that may last about 10 hours....

So when or if hubby remembers it's our anniversary, I will be asking for a fort...I want the backyard all snazzy for the kids. So they can go out and play, rather it be fall, winter, spring or summer. A fort is the first step. I'm simple right?

So I've been doing OK with my one a day photo challenge. I've only missed two days...OOPS...But my youngest is loving this. I've been printing them about every three days, I have dates on the back of the photos, and will start the book soon. I'm really excited about doing this project.

3-13-2012

I got up at 7am, opened my eyes to snow. I asked the kids if this was a joke? They said no. I went back to bed. I utter assumed school was late or cancelled. OOPS. Olympia barely got snow and school was on time. Well anywho I wasn't driving in this.

Kids had fun.

Drama

DRAMA: My life is so full of drama right now. And honestly it just sucks the life out of me. I do not understand drama. I have come to realize people are forgetting about the important things in life. These little critters we call kids. The critters we carry for a long nine (nearly ten) months and birth from our bodies. It's our job to raise them, and teach them. Teach them how to how to behave, how to grow, life. Show them LOVE. How to be HAPPY and to just enjoy life.

Today was a weird day. We are in the midst of a storm, lights were going off and on and we decided to stay home from school. The kids went wild. My odd kids cleaned the playroom (so they can walk around in the dark????) then they did Spanish for a few hours. Odd. Then Ethan got out his sewing machine and sewed all afternoon. He sewed himself a pillow, and a blanket. Whatever, but he is loving his new sewing machine, I love how easy it is for him to use. He can do the bobbin and thread it all himself. He didn't ask me for help once. Although nothing is straight. But do I care? NOPE.

Tomorrow is 3-13-2012 mommy gut is going off and it's telling me my life will be changing tomorrow. Something big is going to hit. What? I don't know, but I feel like it's one of those things that come out of nowhere and just smacks you one. I have so much on my plate, from school, to in laws, to goats, to kids, it could be anything. Or it could be nothing.

In thinking tonight and realizing that how utterly sick I am of drama. I am a BIG believer of what goes around comes around. And if you go looking for Drama or trouble you will find it (I'M NOT LOOKING LEAVE ME ALONE!). I also believe if you give, you will get back. So yesterday when Chip was stuck, I didn't think twice about asking the neighbor for help. She came racing and between the two of us we unstuck this 200 pound goat. There is give and take, I would in a second stop what I'm doing and go and help her. In fact just about a month ago I did. I saw her dog out running loose, my kids jumped out of the van (I did stop first) and chased the dog all the way home and got her into the house.

I know I'm off and rambling. I ramble I have a lot on my mind tonight. I also don't want to go and do the laundry!

But tonight I challenge myself. Kids grow too fast. You don't get this time back. Once today is gone it's gone and they are another year older. My babies are 8, 7 and 5. I have NO idea how that happened. How does 8 years just go by that fast? It's like I blink and he was 8 years old. I know Ethan and I have been through hell and back health wise, and as we still continue on that road as we have set backs with diet and such. But I will tell ya if chaos hits, like it hit yesterday, I can yell commands and he doesn't ask questions he just does it. My babies are hard workers, which I'm very proud of.

When I was young my parents would donate me, I remember one summer, a couple cousins and I and other family members were camping on a family members campsite. It was a bad winter, and many trees came down and we were going to clear the trees and burn. So we had about 4 good burn piles going. Two cousins were running the chain saws, and i was getting branches and tossing them onto the fire. What were the adults doing? Sitting and watching and drinking. See my parents like to donate me to do the hard work. Which don't tell them, I like working hard!

Yes, still rambling.

So here is the challenge to myself. My babies are growing so very fast. So Starting on 3-13-2012 I will take a photo of each of my kids every day for one year. I will capture them, I will watch them and see them grow and I will have the photos to prove they are growing. Even through I take a lot of photos, I don't take enough photos. So on 3-13-2012 that will change.

I'm putting Drama into a box, and I'm putting a lid on it. No more Drama. I'm going to focus on the joy of my kids. This time right now is all about them. If anyone has Drama in my space, then take a number and I will get back to you...Sometime in the year 2022. Until then...Smile and make people wonder what you are up to! Or do what Cole does, make brownies and then lick the bowl clean.

LIFE CHANGES SUCK!!!!

Seriously Life changes just SUCK, you know the BIG changes, the ones you and your hubby have to debate and debate and debate. And honestly you don't know the outcome until it has been debated to death.

Well we hit one of those decisions this week. I saw it coming but I didn't see it coming this fast or this hard. See our kids go to a small private school. One I adore. But by the time you pay for them to go to school and the gas to drive from there and back daily, sometimes twice a day, things add up and we are spending nearly 10k a year. 10k we really don't have. But yet I adore the school, I love the teachers, I like how the classes are small. I like all I do for the school. Seriously I get to make costumes, and help run the library.

But in the end 10k is a LOT of money and it uses up our tax return every year plus some and that is money we really could use for other things in life. On that note I have always wanted to home school. But with Ethan and I fighting, he wanted to learn how to read, and I apparently couldn't teach him. Plus pressure from the in laws, who are public school teachers and believe public school is the only way to go. We put the kids in school, just on my terms. They accepted it because after all at least I'm not homeschooling. They are those believers, who believe home school kids are not socialized. SERIOUSLY. If I hear that one more time, then watch out because I'm smacking someone! Home school kids are socialized Good Gravy. There are plenty of home school groups in the area, there is boy scouts, which I might have time for now, plus 4H.

With Ethan's food allergies, and his sensory issues it's time to bring him home. He came to me last week and said "Mom, next year I want to be home schooled" we had a serious long talk to be sure he know what he was saying. I said we would talk to dad. Dad agreed. But Dad was stuck on the other two, and honestly so I'm I. Cole fought so hard to get into that school, and I know how much he adores it. But in the end to save that much money and to do some serious damage to our bills and such would be awesome!

So we have finally agreed to try it for one year. Hubby's biggest worry is we won't stay on track. Hum lets see you follow the schedule and once you are done you are done. Well except I will have bonus subjects for the boys. Like typing, cooking and such.

So I have been planning out next school year, and buying a few things now, because they are much cheaper now, then in July when others are planning for their new school year. I will also be signing up for a course about home schooling, I took it as a sign the day it landed in my in box and they are finally having a class in Olympia. All the classes are usually north. Not to mention I can get some sleep now. How I hate getting up so very early in the morning, having to open my eyes, and be on the road by a set time. I will now be getting up at 9am, making the kids a Hot breakfast and starting school. Hoping to finish up the main subjects by lunch. After lunch will be the fun stuff.

On top of this major decision, there is still so much on my plate. It's amazing it's not cracking yet. Father in Law has been living in a rehab place, and it's hard to say when he might be coming home, it has been one set back after another after another. In the midst of maybe adopting have a placement coming they had to move quick, but apparently quick to dshs is a couple of months? IDK. We have been trying to set up a first meeting for two weeks. I tell them to pick a day and time and I will clear my calendar. See this is a life decision, but it was an easy one as I have always wanted 4 kids, just a bonus we get 5th.

I tell ya, when you are a teenager, your parents don't tell ya being an adult is HARD. Being a parent is even HARDER! There are times I'm so tired, it's not from lack of sleep but making so many decisions and having so much tossed at you and you forgetting to duck!

We are in pay down mode for the van. I'm trying to send it everything I have weekly. We are hurting, especially with gas prices right now. But I hope the suffering is worth it? What I can't wait is until we are saving to expand out the house. We are all so excited about this major project. And saving the 10k a year will certainly be going towards this project. Van is sitting at 3,877. Really hoping to be under 3,500 by the end of the month.

Another major expense right now is the expanding of the garden area out back. We have bought 7 new trees. Which are now planted. 10 new blue berry bushes, with 2 pink lemonade's. So now I have a blueberry patch. We've been buying the brick which I will fill the holes with dirt and then grow my herbs here. I need to buy dirt next, we are hoping to get our first 10 yards next week. With another 10-15 to follow. We planted seeds this week and they are going in the green house. Ground seeds to follow soon. Neighbor has a total of 8 new trees, which we will plant for her the second we have a minute around here. See another thing we are NEVER home so everything gets put aside until we have time, well we never have the time. So now hubby will have the time in the mornings to do some projects well I'm home schooling.

So I will try and get through the next couple of months. Somehow? Working on the garden as much as possible. I have costumes to make for an upcoming play. Transition from having 3 kids to having 5. Transition from school to home schooling. The garden. Trying hard to hang on money wise.

So here is the new blue berry patch. Isn't it something??? OK well it will be one day.

One of the new trees, I can not tell you how excited I have been to get 7 new trees. 3 apple, 3 peach and 1 pear, to add to the 2 pear and 2 cherry we have. We have an apple tree out front, and after much debate we will add yet another apple tree soon.

Two of my new beds, the one on the right is well over 30 feet. We still need to tear up the grass and fill with dirt. But two new beds are good, hoping to add at least one more for growing season this year. On the other side I have room for 3-4 more beds, but not sure money wise if we will get to them this year? Might be a project for next year, plus there is an area around the cherry trees that I need to redesign this year so there will be no growing in those beds.

Life---Natural Green Food Coloring--COTM CANCELLED

Yes, so it's true I have made it through the month of February without doing cupcake of the month. And honestly I don't think I have failed, as life just got in the way this month. And since it's snowing outside and my cable went out I thought I would blog tonight, but then I realized I have not updated things in awhile.

So life is just sucking right now! How I would love to go to sleep and wake up to 1-1-2013 and start the year all a-new again. But I can't, I have to wake up every morning and deal with what is on my plate.

On my plate is; my father in law not doing well at all. My mother is freaking out because she is in early renal failure and thinks she is dying. Planning a rummage sale for the school. Working on our garden. Hubby not doing so well health wise and will be going in for an iron transfusion soon. I have a son that has had so many food issues lately that it just seems like I can not get a grip on things with him.

Speaking of food issues. Now I have done my research on crappy foods. I have looked into food colors, I have researched until I was so very sick and just could not read anymore. It's just sickening. I often wonder how can a parent give a child this crap, because it's not food, and then expect this child to behave? They can't. Bodies can not absorb crap, they reject it and that is where you see the acting out. Seriously google FD&C red 40. Google the coloring they use in go-gurt it's not pretty. Why can't we follow Europe's lead and ban these food colors?

A parent can do this because they don't do the research. They "trust" companies that put out food they buy to pack their children's lunches with. HA! And then because this parent gives their child crappy foods the body can not accept and the body (child) acts out, people start to wonder what is wrong with this child? The parent gets tired of hearing bad school reports, can't get the child to behave at home, takes them to the doc to drug the child, because it's the child, it can't be the food I feed the child? Then a child is put onto a roller coaster of uppers and downers. And did the parent read the fine print to these drugs? It should be law that a parent MUST read the fine print. Did they read all the side effects? Including could cause death? So parents would rather chance death then remove all the crappy foods from the child's diet? I'm very confused over this?

Now back when every doctor wanted to drug my child with adhd drugs I kept saying no. One night was so very bad I was about to give in and call the doc in the morning. But that night I researched adhd drugs. I was sickened by what I read. I was in tears on how bad things have become in the drug world. After all these years and all of research I don't think there is something called adhd, I do think there is an underlying cause. You just have to dig, and often parents and especially doctors are too lazy to look for the underlying cause, because removing crappy foods from a child's diet doesn't pay the bills, giving the child drugs, drugs and more drugs pay the bills.

So I have been on a quest to find good natural food coloring. So in place of cupcake of the month, I give you a natural green food coloring. Now I'm not over joyed thrilled with this green no. BUT it's a green and it's natural and kids won't be bouncing off the walls when they eat my cupcakes. Plus my green comes with health benefits!

So here is my baby, I made these for Valentines day. I think they looked pretty cool?

So Friday is Dr. Seuss's birthday we celebrated early at school. The blue and red food colors came from natural candy store dot com. The recipe is from Cybele Pascal here, I will tell ya if the house was burning and the kids were safe I would grab this book before leaving the house. Every recipe has been amazing. This is her white cake.

Followed by Cybele's vanilla icing. I used the blue and red here, looks more like purple and peach?

And here we have it. Natural Green Food Coloring....Green Tea Powder. I went to our local tea store after researching last night and got me a container. I wanted to practice because we have St. Patty's day coming up. Plus we have a birthday tomorrow so this works. With every child's birthday in my son's class I always make a batch of cupcakes so my kids have something safe to eat. Plus many kids in the class really enjoy my chocolate gluten free cupcakes. (even better then gluten ones) So I'm more then happy to make them.

The New Fence

Pictures are not great...BUT...You get the picture...Get it you get the picture. We took a fence along the back of our property. Giving us about 20-25 feet more of growing space. We will put 5 more trees back there. One reason the rush was on, we will be getting the trees soon. Goats like to eat trees.

This is on the inside of the fence these beds are over 30 feet long. These are Cherry Trees. I should get Cherries this year.

This is a LOT of extra room.

These are pear trees I think I will be doing a blueberry patch here as well. Need to think on that. My Raspberry bed is here also.

My new double gate. Pretty.

So this was done in one day...Still have clean up to do. Need to go back and add is some missing screws and make sure everything is buckled down. We will work on that over the week. But latches are on and goats have not snuck through yet. 

Money Update

It's been a long couple of weeks in our lives. Family issues, snow, lights going out for weeks on end. Expanding the garden, getting ready for spring. And then there are the money issues.

First we were all set to re-fi the house, rolling the van loan into the Mortgage in turn saving us over 300 a month. BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT apparently the housing market has tanked and our appraisal came in so very low. And I mean low. So in turn we are doing a streamline, basically a loan without an appraisal it's a loan for those, who have made all their house payments, who will continue to make them, but want to capture the low rates on the market now.

In turn we can not roll the van loan into the Mortgage. So doing this will save only about 100 a month, giving us a little breathing room every month paying that Mortgage payment. We still have a van payment every month. So now we have a new goal of paying off the van this year.

Taxes are done and it's just enough to pay the school what we owe for the year and calling it good. I am Thankful for that, but things have changed from last year and we are not seeing what we got the year before. Which sucks because we could use that money, but yet Grateful we can pay the school, so I'm not complaining.

So I now need to sit down and re-work everything about our budget. Come Friday we start to use our new pre-paid debit cards. Should be interesting since I have never used one, let alone a credit card. I think I will like not having to go to the bank 2-4 times a week. Saving me from dealing with a bank I really don't like, and gas money driving there. It's a trial, nothing set in stone. So we will see what happens there.

So our current money goals are...

Paying off the van currently at 4169.42

Increase money going into mutual fund

Open a Roth IRA for retirement

Fund the garden expansion

Get a few dollars saved. 

Well the power was out for a week, and I was stuck here in the freezing cold I dove into my new book, (well new to me)(Thanks Goodwill) Dave Ramsey The Total Money Makeover. I have to say we have been through hell and back with money and medical bills and doing everything we can some months to pay the Mortgage. There were times we had no TV or lights (during the summer)(camping at home) to pay the Mortgage. But I worked 60 plus hours a week to get those medical bills paid off. I really didn't learn too much reading this book. But I do highly recommend everyone reading this book. I do understand his steps. I also highly believe his course needs to be taught in schools. I think high school kids can get a LOT out of Dave Ramsey. We were pretty much on a good track. We do a weekly budget, I keep track of every penny. But I believe in teaching kids early. How many kids are not taught about money before leaving High School and then you get into College, and then a job and marriage and you know NOTHING about money. That is what sinks you. I know NOTHING. I was taught NOTHING.

Kids need to be taught the value of a dollar. They need to be taught about not going into debt and paying cash and saving. They need to be taught this and that before going into the world. And sadly I don't think anyone is teaching kids anything about money and so in turn failing in this department. I know my parents failed, and I am refusing to fail my kids.

 So we will pay off the van, and work on Mortgage and work on retirement. I'm not trying to worry about College. That will come another day. I think it's more important to pay down the house. What a dream that would be to pay that off. It would be nice to retire one day so we need to work on that as well. Hitting small goals, but keeping an eye on the big picture.

On that note, I showed Ethan a math problem in the Dave Ramsey book. Basically you take x amount of money over a working career so every month for 40 years and 12 % interest you would have x amount to retire on. That number was freaking big. He saw that number and was like OMG. So we had a chat about saving allowance and how we will match his savings and add it to his account every month. He has a mutual fund opened. Of course Tucker heard everything and must of course beat Ethan at this. Ethan has a goal to be at 500 by the end of the year, he has like 200 and something. Tucker has a goal of 600 he is currently at 300 and something. Trying hard to out do his brother. We will see what happens here. Nothing like Brotherly Love right?

Later....

And Then The Storm Hit!

Heard a storm was coming, well OK then, we were able to get out Monday and get a few things. Came home to watch the news and an OMG moment we have a Serious Storm coming in, it will be dumping 12 plus inches. Seriously? Can that happen. Well Yeah it can happen. In seven hours we got one hell of a dumping.

Luckily hubby made it home as the storm was starting to hit last night and luckily he has today and tomorrow off there is no way of getting out of here anytime soon.

Sitka, sent her out to potty. We also brought in the outside dog. So we have three dogs in the house. About 9am we were like OH NO the outside bunnies! We decided to go and dig them out and bring them in. This I will say involved ME tracking out there into the back field, climbing over a fence, climbing over a bunny cage and jumping down into knee deep snow. I got one bunny out and handed her over to hubby. Dug out number two and handed him over to hubby. Waited for hubby to come back to hand me the step stool, so I could climb onto the bunny cage and back over the fence. Joy!

We also decided to feed the goats twice today, as chewing keeps them warm. So we did round one of feeding since we were out and freezing anyway.

Trixie running in the snow.

Ethan and Cole

Tucker (who I blame for this, someone asked for snow for his birthday!)

My Van. I'm being serious.

Walking down the road.

Falling

And then a kid ya not moment. Here is an outside bunny we brought in, she is in a box in the living room. Our cat Kirby climbed in and they are both sleeping. So our cat who hates all animals is sleeping with a bunny she has never meet.

See ya in the Spring....

Weekly Update

And Boy it has been a long week. Many issues with fil, snow, stress, money issues, decisions need to be made.

First Ellie got a new pair of pj's...She looks great doesn't she?

Last weekend we got out back a bit and worked. Too much to do and not enough time. Trying to pay all cash for our garden expansion so we can only get so many things weekly. This week we got t-posts. Fencing next week. But this is where our garden will be going.

This is the other half of the back field.

Hi, Chip!

Guess what I'm making? Up vanilla. YEAH! Found some potato based vodka. I had some organic vanilla beans on hand.

And then the snow hit. It just keeps coming.

And coming...

OK so I was joking on the last photo, that is a fort they built.

I had four boys and a neighbor girl out front for a few hours this morning.

Well everyone was outside, I was making chocolate syrup. We have been out. I will blog the recipe in a wee bit.

Only takes a few minutes from start to finish.

Money, lots going on, we are in the midst of a re-fi, the interest rate was too good to pass up this time. I passed it up months ago, but now it's silly low. This move will kill the van loan. Off the bat saving 200 a month. The mortgage move will save at least 100 a month, I will get final numbers this week. I had to hit certain numbers before we sign away.

Saving the mortgage payment in Feb will pay for our camping trip in July. We have a family reunion and was unsure how to pay for it. The site is now paid for and we will have gas for the way down and back up.

In thinking on how to try and get away from the bank. I found out Suze Orman came out with a pre-load debit card. Basically you load it and you use it and it only cost 3.00 a month, no over draft charges. They are up front with the fees. Although I will say Suze missed the mark on one thing. You need to enroll and pay for the card up front a total of 3.00, but they make you pay by credit card. HELLO, there are actually some people in this world that live on cash only. I emailed them, but no answer back. So shocking right? So I put some money on our pre-paid credit card and ordered a card. I'm still thinking, but might be worth a try? I have never had a debit card so it's a whole new thing for us. You can open an attached savings account and move money over, and that money can not be touched if you don't have enough money on your card to pay for something. You actually have to call them to move the savings over. I actually like that. I honestly just want to get away from my bank. I like that thought of not racing to a bank or the store to pick up the check every week. Like today if there is snow and you can't leave, there is no worries. It's on the card.

OH and every time you make a purchase you get a text message, so if you don't make a purchase and get a text message you can call asap and put a stop to things asap and find out what happened.

We have not made the jump we are just thinking. But if I get hit with another bank fee someones head will be rolling.

What I'm liking is there is no over draft fee, the purchase just will not go through. I like the thought that hubby and I both have the money at the same time. I can not tell you how many times I have the cash at home, but hubby will spot like TP on super clearance and he has no money.

So I will see if this might be our answer? 

I've also been watching Suze's money serious on OWN, what I want is a show for people like me. Those who have been through debt hell and back, lived to tell about, still have the house, never missed a payment, BUT who barely make that payment who is living pay check to pay check, well trying to save for retirement, and just trying to save, but it's so very hard to save. I'm thinking believe it or not some people don't have debt, well except the van and house. Who don't have credit cards. Who pay with cash only.

I'm working on a seed order. I will list later what we plan on growing. Lot's to grow. Lot's to do.

Until later!

OH and someone will be saving for a Blendtec. After comparing the Vitamix and Blendtec, I have decided I want the Blendtec with the 4 inch blade. It will replace many machines in my kitchen and for that I"m excited. And to finally have a blender will be awesome.