Mr. Fixit has a friend who has a career as a dirt/rock dump truck hauler. This has proven to be a resource for Mr. Fixit's outdoor landscaping projects. Most recently, a delivery of about 35 loads of various sizes of rock and some clay-based soil have been delivered to the home front.
Mr. Fixit simply could not pass this good offer up! So, we now have mounds of rock and dirt lining our driveway and the north pond. Mr. Fixit plans to use the rocks to construct a rock wall, and the soil will come in handy to keep that pond from draining. The piles will simply take some time to sort through. Not to worry - new oil and a filter has been purchased for the tractor. I think it might possibly cry when it sees the hours of work ahead of it!!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Balancing Act
Sister #2 brought a new toy for Baby "K" to try out - a walker. We thought this would be the best toy because he can move on his own. Well, it was a novel idea. Baby "K" actually does not like sitting inside the walker. Instead, he prefers to stand along the outside to play with the toys. So, as you can see from this picture, he really likes to stand on the wheel base, balance and play with the toys. He has fallen off a few times, but he seems to be getting more confident with each day of "practice!"
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Painter
Winter is the perfect time for some indoor painting projects. Mr. Fixit has been busy trying to finish a number of them including trim, closets, Baby K's barn, door frames and some other touch-up odds and ends. As Mr. Fixit says, there is never an end to the projects that need to be done - especially when you are the house builder!
So, Mr. Fixit was working on the hall closet, right outside of Baby "K's" room. Baby "K" has gotten quite curious. When he here's activity in another room, he is quite quick to dart off to investigate. He discovered an unused paint brush, and when I discovered the two "workers" I couldn't resist snapping a photo of the energetic assistant!
So, Mr. Fixit was working on the hall closet, right outside of Baby "K's" room. Baby "K" has gotten quite curious. When he here's activity in another room, he is quite quick to dart off to investigate. He discovered an unused paint brush, and when I discovered the two "workers" I couldn't resist snapping a photo of the energetic assistant!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Hood Action
One final photo, and post about the sledding experience over the holiday break! See, back in the west part of Kansas, there are not hills. Now, some places have hills, but mostly the terrain is flat. So, when lots of snow falls, one has to be creative in sledding. That is how the pick-up and car hood sled was invented.
One adult rode on the sled with the kids, one drove the pick-up and one rode in the passenger seat to watch the action - and give direction to the driver. Plus, we watched from the house, and texted messages like, "Slow down," or "Take the turns slower." You know, helpful advice like that. All in all, I think they had fun - and injury free!
One adult rode on the sled with the kids, one drove the pick-up and one rode in the passenger seat to watch the action - and give direction to the driver. Plus, we watched from the house, and texted messages like, "Slow down," or "Take the turns slower." You know, helpful advice like that. All in all, I think they had fun - and injury free!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Hooding Crew
My brother-in-law is rather adventurous - and decided that all kids and any adult he could convince - needed to try out the car hood sled that he brought. Two of my sisters headed out the second round with him. Mr. Fixit and I headed to town for a little family visit, but the rest of the gang tried to hang on, and stay dry.
Sister #3 grabbed my camera - and I told her to take some photos of the action. This was a photo of the crew before they embarked on the ride. They are all dry, and eager for some fun. Actually, the weather wasn't too bad - mid 40's and the wind was rather still. I think some memories were definitely made!
Sister #3 grabbed my camera - and I told her to take some photos of the action. This was a photo of the crew before they embarked on the ride. They are all dry, and eager for some fun. Actually, the weather wasn't too bad - mid 40's and the wind was rather still. I think some memories were definitely made!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Who Me?
The best packaging item to play with was the ribbon that came on niece #2's new pajamas! The cloth ribbon was about 3 feet in length, and was fun to pull around as Baby "K" crawled. He is looking a little guilty in this photo - but I could not resist catching him in action! He continued to play with this ribbon the rest of the day, and it was still a popular choice the next morning too.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Ten Months
I can hardly believe that ten months have passed us by! Each month brings new discoveries, new adventures and new challenges. Sometimes it seems like we will be in this stage forever, but then I think back to ten months ago. My, how far we have come!
Some of this month's highlights include:
*Walking around the perimeter of a room - with the assistance of furniture.
*First ear infection - yuck!
*Fighting over a toy at daycare with the 7 month old boy.
*Mastered the technique of throwing - toys, food - yup, fun times I tell ya!
*Getting stuck underneath a chair at daycare.
*Two more teeth appeared, and two more are in progress.
I am not sure about the rest of the infant/toddler Moms out there - but I am ready for a break with the teeth department! As another Mom stated, "Getting teeth really jacks them around." That is no joke! Gone is sleeping through the night, and chewing on anything causes pain. We are fighting a constant runny nose, and I wonder if another ear infection is in the near future. So, we will keep you posted on new discoveries! Right now, I need to put all the toys and blanket back in the bed. You see, we have mastered the art of throwing everything on the floor, and then Mom and Dad get to pick it up!
Some of this month's highlights include:
*Walking around the perimeter of a room - with the assistance of furniture.
*First ear infection - yuck!
*Fighting over a toy at daycare with the 7 month old boy.
*Mastered the technique of throwing - toys, food - yup, fun times I tell ya!
*Getting stuck underneath a chair at daycare.
*Two more teeth appeared, and two more are in progress.
I am not sure about the rest of the infant/toddler Moms out there - but I am ready for a break with the teeth department! As another Mom stated, "Getting teeth really jacks them around." That is no joke! Gone is sleeping through the night, and chewing on anything causes pain. We are fighting a constant runny nose, and I wonder if another ear infection is in the near future. So, we will keep you posted on new discoveries! Right now, I need to put all the toys and blanket back in the bed. You see, we have mastered the art of throwing everything on the floor, and then Mom and Dad get to pick it up!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Christmas Gifts
Baby "K" decided to not take a nap on Christmas afternoon. The rest of the crew was embarking on the present opening adventures, and I am convinced, that he did not want to miss out! There were many eager helpers, ready to help the young, inexperienced present opener. So, we let them =) Baby "K" received a cloth ABC book, a puzzle spelling his name, a bib, ornament, and a super cute outfit. He was not really quite sure what to make of all the loot! So, he did what any inexperienced present opener would do, found the packaging and paper from the other kids' gifts, and tried that out for a bit! Thanks Grandma & Grandpa S!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Staying Warm
Post pasture sledding - the nieces and nephews were a little - well, wet! Believe me, wet is being put mildly. The kids were soaked, because as the car hood sled rode through the pasture, it plowed a path through the snow piles. The kids collected the flying snow, and honestly, looked like the Campbell's snowman - that really was a boy, by the time they were finished. So, clothes were in the dryer, and they were entertaining themselves with their DS toys. My brother-in-law was working on getting the pick-up unstuck, because - there was still daylight for another round or two!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Christmas Barn
Baby "K's" Christmas gift was a giant toy box barn! I had suggested to Mr. Fixit, that since we seemed to be acquiring more and more toys, that we needed a place to store them. I suggested that he construct a toy box for all the loot. Mr. Fixit brainstormed, designed and built a barn that is perfect for storing all types of toys.
The doors on the north and south end, as you can see from this photo, really open and close. Perfect for driving in large equipment, right? The silo, seen here constructed from a remnant 6 inch PVC pipe, is empty for toy storage too. Mr. Fixit still plans to purchase a cap that can be placed on top.
Now, the side not pictured, by the silo, is open. There is a shelf perfect for blocks, bales and the like. The bottom stalls are open, and are currently parking spots for trucks. However, Mr. Fixit plans to build corral fencing some day. Then this spot will be perfect for animals.
So, there you have it, a toy box original! This weighs about 100 pounds, so it will not be moved very frequently! I helped do a little of the detail painting, and Mr. Fixit created all the rest. I think it is very cool! The roof even opens for hayloft storage. Lots of toy storage potential. The roof is even covered in a rug, to keep it soft, as Baby "K" takes his first steps. The best thing: all of it, except for the roof rug and a small can of red paint - were items Mr. Fixit already had on hand. This is definitely going to be a memory maker!
The doors on the north and south end, as you can see from this photo, really open and close. Perfect for driving in large equipment, right? The silo, seen here constructed from a remnant 6 inch PVC pipe, is empty for toy storage too. Mr. Fixit still plans to purchase a cap that can be placed on top.
Now, the side not pictured, by the silo, is open. There is a shelf perfect for blocks, bales and the like. The bottom stalls are open, and are currently parking spots for trucks. However, Mr. Fixit plans to build corral fencing some day. Then this spot will be perfect for animals.
So, there you have it, a toy box original! This weighs about 100 pounds, so it will not be moved very frequently! I helped do a little of the detail painting, and Mr. Fixit created all the rest. I think it is very cool! The roof even opens for hayloft storage. Lots of toy storage potential. The roof is even covered in a rug, to keep it soft, as Baby "K" takes his first steps. The best thing: all of it, except for the roof rug and a small can of red paint - were items Mr. Fixit already had on hand. This is definitely going to be a memory maker!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Snowball
We headed west for Christmas festivities with my family. And -- west definitely had more snow than we had here in the east. As a matter of fact, 10 inches of snow fell on the home place. My adventurous brother-in-law found a car hood at a salvage yard, and decided to indoctrinate the 6 older nieces and nephews with a little sledding fun. The kiddos had a blast, but ended up walking a bit back to the house, after the pick-up became stuck in about 2 feet of snow! Upon return, all the kids' clothes hit the dryer, and they wrapped up in towels to dry. Niece #4, held by Mr. Fixit, even had her hair covered in a layer of snow!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Ready to Play
The first official Christmas gift was from Grandma F, and it was a little musical piano. The piano counts, plays notes, songs and even speaks in three languages! As you can see from the picture, Baby "K" is ready to play! It was actually tough to get the piano out of the box, because he was so excited to try it out! His favorite way to play the piano is to tap the keys with our DVD remote control. Thank you Grandma!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
First Christmas
Baby "K" had his first opportunity at the present opening experience, at Grandma F's house. One week prior to the actual calendar Christmas Day, we celebrated with delicious soups and snacks that Saturday evening. Grandkids opened their gift from Grandma, in age order - beginning with the youngest. So, Baby "K" was near the beginning!
He looks at Grandma, as if to ask, "Is it okay?" I started tearing the paper on the package to give him and idea about what this was all about. After a bit more help, we made it to the present. He started trying to play with it in the box! Meanwhile, other grandkids and great-grandkids opened their gifts. The paper pile became to inviting. So, Baby "K" checked that out for a while!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Gingerbread Cottage
One of my favorite work - workshops - is my Gingerbread Cottage sessions! I teach two a year, always in December, to 2nd-4th graders. We reinforce counting by 5's and 10's, learn a little about budgeting their $1.00 to spend in the candy store, and give the kids an opportunity to use their imaginations in creating a project.
This house was created by the KSU student working in our office. She is quite crafty, and definitely made a work of art. The kid creations were a little more, can we say, frosting covered? Some definitely loaded up their homes and yards with frosting and decor. Others were quite frugal with their money. Both workshops were a success, and about 40 houses were created. Now, I can not say, at this point in time, how many are actually still standing!
This house was created by the KSU student working in our office. She is quite crafty, and definitely made a work of art. The kid creations were a little more, can we say, frosting covered? Some definitely loaded up their homes and yards with frosting and decor. Others were quite frugal with their money. Both workshops were a success, and about 40 houses were created. Now, I can not say, at this point in time, how many are actually still standing!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Cookie Time
Three double batches of sugar cookies were created for this year's holiday season! The first batch was mostly for Cookie Carousel at church - although - Mr. Fixit still was able to sample a good number for quality control purposes ;) One double batch was for Mr. Fixit's family Christmas and the other was for mine.
The photos are all we have left of this year's cookies - Mr. Fixit even ate all the lost candy decor! I think my favorite part of making this recipe is the decorating part. It is so fun to mix up the frosting, design the cookies and choose what type of candy to place on top. I love it! My 11 year old niece and I chatted about this very thing over Christmas. She has decided that she might like to have some friends over for a cookie decorating party for her 12th birthday. Bring on the fun!
The photos are all we have left of this year's cookies - Mr. Fixit even ate all the lost candy decor! I think my favorite part of making this recipe is the decorating part. It is so fun to mix up the frosting, design the cookies and choose what type of candy to place on top. I love it! My 11 year old niece and I chatted about this very thing over Christmas. She has decided that she might like to have some friends over for a cookie decorating party for her 12th birthday. Bring on the fun!
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