My title comes not from a description of a tranquil place but more a temporary state. As I trimmed back the tomato plants and weeded yesterday the boys were waging war. For one reason or another. Finally I had heard enough and both boys were sent screaming from the backyard to their rooms for time outs…landing me 10 minutes of quiet time in the yard to take a few pictures to share with you. The garden has been such a pleasure this year and very much a learning experience. It’s great that even though we aren’t experts that our plants still grow and change, despite us!
We’re crossing our fingers that the peak of harvest isn’t while we are in Texas in a few weeks! I guess worst case scenario our neighbors will enjoy it for us!
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We decided to start out small…as in, a tent in the back yard. Seth has been talking to the boys about camping for a while. And once you mentioned something to a 3 year old you can expect to talk about it often! This past weekend Seth had planned to take the boys on Friday night but some major winds kept them inside that night. Saturday we had a busy, fun day ending with a dinner with my brother Ryan and his family and my cousin Rosanna and her husband Evan. Seth decided since the boys would be up late anyways to surprise them that night with a rain check camp out. We were not sure who, if either of them, would make it through the whole night out there. I was invited for reading time but then I got the boot and the rest was boy time! They went to bed nicely but were up before the birds at 5:15!!
first s’mores of the summer!
first water balloon fight….silly Easter bunny brought some water balloons and we have talked about them EVERY DAY SINCE EASTER! So, last week we pulled them out and filled up a bowl. They lasted all of 5 minutes. But the boys loved them!
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well, in actuality the fish is (was) named Stormy…but he was bought out of pity. A couple of days after Jackson broke his arm he was home and cooped up and miserable about missing so much at school. We had our fish bowl out in the garage waiting for a good day to give in and get the boys one and I gave Seth that “we need a darn goldfish look” or a puppy, but the second option wasn’t an option so goldfish it was.
Ages ago I wrote a post about the song Hush little baby, a vent of sorts. As parents it is so tough to not want your kids to be happy. I want my kids to be heard and comforted and affirmed, but I also want life to feel better. Sometimes that is in the form of extra time together, a spur of the moment treat and others it’s in the form of a 29 cent fish. It is completely appropriate to want to give our kids things but often it isn’t whats needed. I could fill his room with balloons, play the cheeriest of music, tie a pony outside his front window for him to ride, and still his arm would be broken.
We woke up Sunday morning to 2 floating goldfish. Yep, that’s right, the fish didn’t last as long as the cast, and neither did pity. We are over this cast thing. Thankful for great doctors (who speak English), great medical care, and healing bones, but not so much for the big red, threat to self and others cast. I will say the cast as been a catalyst of sorts for Jackson to have to work through disappointment and tempering his energy. So maybe we will all come out with a bit more knowledge and understanding….and one of us with a scronny arm. 
As the boys brainstorm their next pet and argue about who will pick the color of the dog or the size of the hamster, I am smiling thinking of the fish named Pity. He taught me a little lesson on my efforts to try to ignore the real needs. Will we end up with another fish, likely, but it won’t be named Pity.
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Hope you all had a lovely weekend. We had a nice warm weekend and spent lots of time outside. This afternoon we took a hike through the forest with the boys. It was actually a really good activity for Jackson because we all had to walk slowly to avoid branches and roots under the leaves on the path. He didn’t feel left behind, not being able to run. The boys were in their all boy element.
“shhh. listen it’s a bird”…little nature observers
Our Sunday afternoon cooking project of the week was cinnamon sugar donuts. Easy, peasy, cheap and the kids loved them! I remember seeing them on a blog a few years ago but I don’t have a clue where I saw them. So I am by no means taking credit but thought I would share.
Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
1 roll of pillsbury (or any brand) biscuits. Look for the buttermilk or something other than flaky…the flaky ones taste like butter and flaky donuts are a bit strange. Store brand worked just fine.
1 cup of granulated sugar
1-2 T Cinnamon to taste
Unroll dough and poke a hole in the middle or cut out a small circle of dough for mini’s. If they are super thick cut them into two so that you have two thinner rounds. Drop into a shallow layer of hot vegetable oil a couple at a time, turn over when golden brown. When both sides are puffed up and golden take out of oil and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Enjoy!
and look at this little blast from the past…this pic was taken when we made the donuts in Bern. Jackson has grown up so much!
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