Yes, I’m a tad bit on the crazy side. I admit it. As I stated in the title, you’d probably consider me just left of normal…well, actually right, depending on the day. But I love to have fun, I love to laugh and I love those around me.
And I’m very impressionable. As in, you can make a suggestion to me, and for some reason my mind believes that things MUST be that way. For example…tell me there’s a man outside my window at night. I become freaked, hear the strangest of sounds and am ready to call 9-1-1 at a moment’s notice. My friends in school used to get a real kick out of it. Scary movies were really entertaining, because I couldn’t sit still, would scream and then wouldn’t sleep for weeks. Fun stuff.
What difference does all this make? Well, it’s moved with me into adulthood. And this time, it’s kinda funny.
You see, on Halloween Scooter was responsible for apples for his school reading party. As I was cutting the apples up Monday morning (and dipping them in lemon juice, so they wouldn’t turn brown before the party that afternoon), a spider dropped out of the bag onto my hand. Needless to say, I wasn’t impressed. But since these weren’t local apples, I caught the spider so that my boys could study it. (I’m such a good mom, right?)
Well, I’m also active in social media, so I posted it on Facebook…where a good friend made this comment:
Of course, I immediately thought of my grandmother. She’s been gone more than a year, and I still miss her so much every day. Not only that, but she would have celebrated her 91st birthday just a few days before, so I was content that the spider was her, telling me she loves me, supports me and misses me too.
So I kept the spider in the jar, talked to it, watched it…even fed it a few flies. I figured a day or two, the spider would die and all would be well.
Here we are, more than a week later, and this spider is still alive. And now I can’t kill it. I’ve tried. I want to, really I do…but…well…I can’t. I even asked Mark to kill it last night, while I was sleeping. He said no.
Any thoughts on how long a spider will live? Any volunteers to spider-sit when we’re gone? (And I believe Christy should be the first to volunteer.)
Last night, our church hosted the Fifth Sunday Sing. (I bet you can’t guess how often these happen?)
It was amazing! From the country church singers, to the little girl with the amazing voice, to the wonderful woman with her puppet, to the children’s bell choir to the group from South Korea.
The children's bell choir...ready to go!
That’s right, I said a group from South Korea.
There was a group of students that attend Northern State University (in Aberdeen, SD, just a bit south of us), that go to church in Ellendale. They blessed us with music from their culture last night. Do you know what the best part was? Even though I did not know what they were saying (although, truthfully, the words were on the screen, I was just too mesmerized to read them), it was one of the most powerful performances I’ve ever heard.
Perhaps it was the jubilation in their voices, perhaps it was the talent of their pianist and guitarist, or perhaps it was just the love of God flowing through the whole church…whatever it was, it was a sight to behold. Of all the times to not have my flipcam! Argh! I was brought to tears by words from another country, I didn’t understand what they were saying, but I completely understood everything they meant.
And the evening just kept going on in much the same way…amazing talent, beautiful music, wonderful fellowship and a feeling of joy and happiness as you left the sanctuary. What a great way to end one week and start another!
My boys...ringing their bells!
I just had to share that with you…and a reminder, less than 2 hours until the KitchenAid drawing! 🙂
Last night I was planning on being involved in a great online connecting party with Rockin’ Rural Women…but fate stepped in. At about 8:20 p.m., our power went out. And it stayed out forever (according to my boys).
Things that I learned last night:
* Four-year-olds will turn on every light in the house, and then report back that, yes, the light in such-and-such a room is not working either.
* For some reason, my boys cannot fall asleep if the power is off. I don’t know why, but believe we should have a federal study regarding this phenomenon. Really, it makes more sense than some of the other things they study.
* LeapPads make great flashlights when surprised with a power outage.
* Throwing out all my candles when my boys went through a stage of playing with them, was (in hindsight) not the greatest idea I’ve ever come up with.
* During a power outage is not the best of time to find out that your children have taken all the batteries out of your flashlights. But, I mean, how else would they power their toys when you refuse to replace dead batteries? I may have to rethink my decisions here.
Yes, it was an interesting, exciting and quiet evening. But we got through it. And thankfully, I had put some potatoes in the oven before the power went out…and they were the only thing done enough to eat for supper! But the boys LOVED them! And I’ll make them again (along with the rest of supper), tonight.
Here is Gooseberry Patch Recipe #7…Buttery Parmesan Potatoes
Ingredients
All you need, and I had it all on hand!
3 T. butter, melted
1 1/2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
4 redskin potatoes, halved
Everything, ready to go. So simple!
Pour butter into a 9″X9″ baking pan; sprinkle cheese over butter. Arrange potatoes cut-side down over cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until tender. Serves 4.
*Notes: You can easily bump this recipe up to serve more. And it’s absolutely, wonderfully easy and delicious. My boys requested more…and were disappointed that the power was off and we couldn’t make more. But I promised more tonight, and that’s what we’ll have!
Just to prove the power was out. (Actually, I took this photo minus the flash...didn't work so well in the dark.)
After serving each child half a potato, I thought I might have some left to taste!
I was wrong.
Cost : Are you sitting? Nothing. Nada. Zip. I had the butter and Parmesan on hand, and the potatoes were from the garden. So, it truly, truly was a “Dinner on a Dime.” Love it!
Now, be sure to enter my KitchenAid giveaway. I will be drawing a lucky winner at NOON on Monday! What a way to celebrate the end of a great Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Halloween…all in one! 🙂
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.
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?
(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!
Normally on Monday, I would post a “Hunk of Meat Monday” recipe, to share with those that enjoy having protein in their diet and I would link up with Beyer Beware’s linky party…but not today.
Our household is a very unique situation. We farm. We ranch. And our son is a vegan. Actually, that doesn’t quite cover it, but it’s close. He is limited in the amount of protein that he can have. Right now his limit is 11-12 grams of protein. To put that into perspective, an 8 oz. glass of milk has about 8 grams of protein in it. So, in theory he could have a glass of milk, but then he could only have one slice of bread for the rest of the day.
What it means is that he doesn’t eat meat. And according to his dietician, he will probably never eat meat. And I’m perfectly fine with that.
George’s body can’t break down protein. When he consumes protein, it can cause a reaction in his body that can elevate his ammonia levels, cause his brain to swell, cause seizures, make him hyperactive, etc. In a nutshell, it can be life threatening.
Last week Monday, I had a package of beef jerky in the fridge. Now, normally I don’t keep those kind of snacks in the house. Many times I just leave them in the shop fridge, because my husband likes to snack on them during harvest. But for some reason, I brought some in the house.
Now, mind you, George has never really had meat before. Due to his medical issues and not knowing what was all going wrong, but knowing that he didn’t tolerate table food very well, George was on a special formula for much longer than you normally would have a child on a liquid-only diet. In fact, George had just started eating some table food just about a year ago. He was 18 months old. It was January when we learned that we would probably need to cut protein out of his diet, and finally had a plan.
Well, apparently George is curious. And he ate two sticks of beef jerky. I was working on folding clothes, and noticed that he was chewing on something. He showed me the tiny bite that was left in his mouth, promptly spit it out for me, and then I checked the fridge, realizing that not one, but two sticks were out of the package.
We’d never had this problem, so I wasn’t sure what to do. I called his neurologist, who was on vacation. Her back-up was paged…she was on vacation. So a third person was contacted, who told me that she was going to be no help. So another neurologist was paged. And while waiting for her to call back, I called our pediatrician, who was out of the office. His nurse was very supportive, and told me that when I heard back, to let them know what they needed to do.
Under normal circumstances, were George to have issues relating to his OTC, I know what to do. I take him to the ER and hand them my letters from the doctors that give step-by-step instructions on how to care for him. But that’s what I do AFTER he’s having an “episode.” I had never had to deal with a situation in which he MIGHT have an episode.
Well, I finally heard back, and the doctor gave me some wonderful words of wisdom…like, “Don’t give him any more protein today.” Thank you, Captain Obvious. I figured that one out on my own. And, “Watch for signs of distress.” Whew. So glad I called. That really put me at ease. (By the way, that’s dripping heavily with sarcasm.)
Needless to say, I quickly learned one of George’s reactions to too much protein. He becomes off-the-wall, crazy hyper. Similar to what I would imagine a 2-year-old would act like if they were given 3-4 Mountain Dews. Seriously. He had snuck the beef jerky at about 2 that afternoon. He finally went to sleep around 1…Tuesday morning. It was crazy. But he survived, and so did I.
The point of all this?
I get the need for some people to be vegetarians, vegans, not eat meat, however you want to word it. I completely understand. I know, because I’m living it.
Here’s what I don’t like:
Don’t tell me that not eating meat is healthier for you. I know what the body needs. I know what children need. I’ve been researching it for months. I work with dieticians at Mayo Clinic. Trust me. I know. I also know what it takes to replace the nutrients and protein that you automatically get from meat. I know how dangerous it can be to try to live without those proteins. I know what the formula that my son will be using for the rest of his life smells like, tastes like…I’d rather eat a steak. (There are more than 25 different cuts of meat that are lean and healthier options, if that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for.)
Don’t tell me that livestock aren’t cared for properly. I know how they’re cared for, because I live it. We take care of our cattle, day-in, day-out, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Through blizzards, through hot streaks, in the spring, in the fall, you name it. If we need to be gone, we arrange for someone else to take care of them. It’s our responsibility and something we take very, very seriously.
This is our herd today.
Talk to me about your concerns. If you have heard something about animal care that concerns you, ask. Don’t just assume that whatever you see, hear is the truth. If you need to, come to my farm and look. (In fact, I’m connecting a video that our state Farm Bureau put together, showing you our farm, and telling others about why we do what we do…check it out. And remember, this was three years and one child ago!)
Don’t watch a movie and assume that what you see and hear is the truth. Movies are made to make money. Happy stories don’t sell as many copies as scary ones do…and don’t cause as much media hype. If you watch a movie, and it makes you think and have questions, then take those questions and ask a farmer. Don’t assume that the movie is going to give you the answers.
Sorry this became a little long-winded, but it’s a subject that hits close to my heart. As I said in the beginning, I completely understand the need for some people to limit their meat intake, or choose not to eat meat at all. I’m fine with that. Just please, please don’t tell me that I’m less of a person for enjoying my meat-eating lifestyle…and for being just a little sad that George can’t enjoy the same.
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!)
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!
Wag'n Tales 
