Category Archives: Boys

Thankful Thursday – Gratitude

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Today I was reminded about the little things in life. I spend so much time rushing and worrying about all these “big” things that are going on, but I don’t spend nearly enough time being grateful for the little things. I truly need to work on my “Attitude of Gratitude” and stop looking for the rainbow in every situation and sometimes just appreciate the rain.

I get so wrapped up in the end result, that I sometimes forget to enjoy the trip.

For example:

I was so upset over my son for doing this

For Halloween, we'll be going as Smurfs.

 

 

for the third time this month. But really, did he hurt anything? Shouldn’t I be grateful that he’s interested in colors? That he understands the point of a marker?

OK, maybe that’s stretching it a bit, but it really wasn’t worth getting upset over.

Let’s take harvest for instance. I’m so wrapped up in getting done, that I forget to watch the combines and there amazing movement. I forget to tell my husband how lucky I feel that he is involved in such an amazing industry. I forget to watch the grain fall off the auger, into the bin, in an amazing dance, with the coolest sound. (Have you ever really listened? It’s amazing.)

I get worked up over what to make for supper, when I should just be grateful for having choices to make! My sons will eat it, whether I serve my Grandma’s Dumplings, or simple hamburgers and Mac and Cheese.

So today, on this Thankful Thursday, I will spend more time being thankful, and less time worrying about the other stuff. A lesson we all can stand to be reminded of now and again.

 

A Trick for Treats

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Our 4-year-old, EJ, is in preschool this year, four days a week. Last year I didn’t have the chance to really get involved with snacks and things like that. (George was having problems and EJ only went to school two days a week.) Well, I’m going to do a better job this year!

Now, I didn’t say it was going to take a lot more time…I’m just going to take a few minutes here and there and try to be a more involved parent. Which is why EJ and I sat down and made these last night:

Witches’ Hats

Witches' hats...all ready for school.

Cute little things, aren’t they?

I got the idea from Pinterest, and it’s easy as could be!

Step 1: Buy fudge striped cookies, a bag of Hershey Kisses and orange frosting.

Cookie, check. Kiss, check.

Step 2: Place cookie striped-side down, circle hole with orange frosting.

Circle of orange frosting, used for "glue."

Step 3: Place Hershey Kiss on top of frosting.

EJ spent more time on placing the kiss than anything!

Step 4: Sit back, relax and enjoy the praises rained upon you by your 4-year-old that you’re the best cook ever. Because you are. Really.

Aren't they just adorable?

Yeah, not every one made it on a cookie...but that's to be expected.

What is your go-to school snack for the masses? Do you go season-themed? Or just general snacks?

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Halloween from the Past

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Photobucket(Baxter, the Bat)I’m trying to come up with a great Halloween idea for my kids this year. Last year, we didn’t do anything special, because George was once again not feeling well…but this year, we hope to really do a bang-up job!

The year before that we had a Star Wars theme…and I have to say, the boys were cute as buttons (in a totally Star-Warsish-tough-guy way).

Here were my three big boys:

Scooter, EJ and Big Bro, all decked out.

And then came our little George…I made his costume:

My lovely little Yoda!

Yep, those are Shrek ears, folded down. Simple. The shirt is just a brown onesie (does yours have words on it? turn it inside out, or better yet, backwards!). Then brown pants. The “jacket” is a simple tan sheet, cut in the shape of a hoodie, then sew the sleeves together and put the hood together. Had I been blogging at that time, I totally would have shown a step-by-step way to make your own. Dang it!

Oh well, if you have specific questions on how to make one, I can make another and show it to you…it was a rough finish, but from a distance no one could tell. And I don’t think it turned out too bad!

But now for ideas for this year. Anyone?

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Wordless Wednesday – Butter

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It’s been a few days since I posted last…life has been on a roll again! When I say there’s never a dull moment here, I truly mean it! I’ll explain later, but for now, enjoy this photo:

The other day I opened the fridge, and was greeted with this:

Hmmm...wonder if this is a hint?

 

 

Call me crazy, but I believe someone may have been playing in the fridge! And for my dairy friends, half the sticks are real butter, half are the “other” kind. I don’t use real butter for George’s stuff, but Boss Man insists on it! 🙂 We’re a mixed house like that.

Today, I’m linking up with Katie over at Pinke Post for Wordless Wednesday. Go check her out and give her a follow, she’s amazing! (And a fellow Prairie Mama!)

Wind of Change

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Today has been a windy day on the prairie. And not just a little windy, but Wizard of Oz, there’s-no-place-like-home windy.

It’s been a rough 24 hours for the Wagner boys. First of all, yesterday a gentleman came in the yard to buy hay…and he had a pickup load of dogs (four to be exact). Just before they left, the dogs attacked and killed EJ’s kitty. He handled it pretty well, but the older boys took it pretty hard. *sigh* One of the dangers of farm life, I guess.

Then this morning, we woke up to this:

Uh oh, something doesn't look right here.

 

 

This time, it's not going to be a set-it-up-and-go kinda fix.

 

 

Yep, that's a doozy.

 

 

This horse may have to be put down.

 

 

I’m a little concerned about our garage (you know, the one without doors, thanks to this summers wind storm?), but I guess time will tell. May these winds settle down fast!

Don’t Fold Laundry

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So, I was in the living room, folding laundry, when a surprise walked in…

Look! See! Pretty!

I tried not to lose my cool…but what the *#@!

Don't you like my surprise?

At this point, I just had to laugh. Or else the tears wouldn’t quit, you know?

Are the legs a bit much?

And then I wondered…where did he all color?

I'm so proud!

Thankfully, the only “artwork” I found was George. So, it quickly became bath time!

Oh no! I'm melting!

He kind of freaked out over the marker melting off…and I had to keep draining the tub and adding clean water.

Someone wasn't happy about losing his tats...perhaps he thought he was losing his street cred?

My lesson learned for the day? Don’t fold laundry. Now,  just to let my husband know that. 😉

Thankful Thursday – Zoo Days

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Yesterday was a crazy day…really, really crazy. So today, I was looking back through some photos and remembered a trip I took with my boys to the zoo.

It wasn’t that long ago, and we took some of my nephews with. It was so much fun…and on days like today (when I feel lousy and exhausted), it’s a great chance to relive those moments.

So here we go:

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Monday at Mayo

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Today was our first day here in Rochester for our fall checkup. We have met with the dietitian and got some really great new ideas for George’s diet.

For example, she gave me the idea of grilling a portabello mushroom (the great big cap) and topping it with a bit of salsa and a little bit of shredded cheese, to make it resemble a burger. What a GREAT idea! (I just hope George goes for it!)

We’re also going to be in contact with a chef that has a daughter that follows a low-protein diet…can’t wait to get some more ideas and recipes!

But I would like to give a big shout out to those people that have been so amazing and have made me feel like I was at Scooter’s coronation activity today. Scooter was named Little Mr. Ellendale last fall, and that meant that him and Little Miss Ellendale would be part of the high school Homecoming ceremony.

Unfortunately, this is Homecoming week…and I couldn’t reschedule this appointment again. So I missed it, but not really. Not one, not two, but at least THREE different people took photos for me. And truthfully, it probably went better than if I would have been there.

Scooter, escorting some beautiful women!

 

Little Miss and Little Mr. Ellendale - future Homecoming royalty???

 
 

The beautiful thing about living in a small town is that you can ask someone for help, and know that all is taken care of…and I can’t believe how lucky I am.

Eating Dinosaur Eggs

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Just thought I would throw out a quick blog update, so that you didn’t think that I had fallen off the face of the planet. Actually, harvest is upon us and things are getting busy around here. This week we:

  • need to clear an area for our new hay shed
  • need to freeze more corn
  • need to can more salsa and tomatoes
  • finishing my Dad’s siding project
  • county Farm Bureau annual meeting
  • attended a funeral
  • school functions/homework/etc.
  • prepare for corn chopping
  • get ready to wean cattle
  • prepare for my trip with Katie to the Small Town 140 Conference in Hutchinson, KS!!! (I’ll be a presenter there!)
  • prepare for a return trip to Rochester
  • get ready for a super-huge, ginormous rummage sale next weekend
  • get ready for Applefest
  • get some freezer meals ready for the rest of harvest

Sounds simple, right?

But this little story had me giggling this morning, so let me share with you…

EJ (4), asked if he could eat some oatmeal for lunch. I didn’t have a problem with that at all, I mean, a simple, fast meal that dirties one dish and can be made in a minute? Sure, count me in! I had picked up some special instant oatmeal packages the last time we were in Aberdeen, so he grabbed one of those and away we went.

EJ’s job was to open the package and put it in a bowl. I add the water, we push the buttons on the microwave together and voila! A meal is served. But he had a bit of a problem when he opened the package.

Dinosaur eggs in your oatmeal? Why not?

“Mom, what are those?”

“Hmmm….well, it says that those are dinosaur eggs.”

“Mom, I don’t think I’m hungry any more.”

“Don’t you want dinosaur eggs in your belly?”

“No, they might eat me.”

Well, being the nice mom that I am, I only tormented him for a little bit, then explained that they were actually just like little jelly beans. I would’ve kept the ruse going longer, but I didn’t want to have to make something else for lunch! 😉

Just another Manic Monday

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School starts here tomorrow. And as bad as I feel for saying it…I can’t wait. I need some routine, some down time, some “regular” stuff. You know?

Just when I thought a week of plane crashes, hospital stays and sick little boys was looking up, fate stepped in. Big Bro was bit by a dog at the local park. Said dog had no vaccinations. It all adds up to Big Bro having to be on a round of antibiotics for the sore, and the dog being quarantined for 10 days to watch for signs of rabies. Even indoor pets need vaccinations. (Let’s not even get to why an “indoor” pet was at the park.)

For those that don’t know…let me explain to you what rabies all entails.

  • Rabies attacks the brain and spinal cord. If it is not prevented, it WILL cause death.
  • This year, more than 55,000 people will die from rabies. That’s one person every 10 minutes.
  • Rabies is 100% preventable. There are vaccinations for animals and treatment for humans that are in contact with infected animals.
  • It can only be passed through saliva, not blood.
  • More than 40% of the people bitten and affected are children under the age of 15.
  • Dogs are the source of 99% of human rabies death.
  • There are no tests available to diagnose rabies infection in human prior to the onset of clinical disease.

Well, enough of that, I think you get the point. Rabies is serious, rabies is deadly, and it’s simple to prevent. This is all a situation that didn’t need to occur. So please, have your pets properly vaccinated and cared for by veterinarians. If you can’t afford to do that, then do your animal a favor, and find them a new home.

I will know within 10 days if we have to go through the rabies series with Big Bro. Sooner if the animal dies between now and then. Is it likely that the dog has rabies? No, but even “indoor” pets can have contact with disease-carrying animals. Is it likely that the animal will get sick? No, but with a 100% fatality record, it’s not worth the risk.

What a way to start the week…and the school year!