Jimmer, Albert, and Gianna

 We had a pleasant evening outside as a family last Wednesday night. We played with the puppy, played on the swing set, the kids rode their bikes, some went back yard exploring, and others just sat in the stroller soaking it all in for when they finally old enough to run with the "big kids".

 Meet Albert.

Do you remember on Looney Tunes when the Abominable Snowman says, "I will name him George, and I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him..." to Daffy Duck?  Well, that is the first thing I thought of when Stephen George says to me, "And I will name him Albert."  Seriously? Albert?  He proceeds to giggle as the look on my face must have been funny.  Stephen has this type of giggle that lets you know he did that or said that because he knew it would make you either question him or laugh with him.  He's got a gift for making things way funnier than they normally are. 

So, anyway - Here's Albert again.  Actually, this is a shot of Albert trying to jump out of the container and onto my camera.  It is somewhat freaky when you look through a camera to take a picture and this thing jumps up at you.  I really thought it was huge and coming right at me for second.  Stephen decided he wanted to keep Albert.  He pleaded his case quite well.

Stephen - "I'm going to keep him."

Mom - "No, you aren't."

Stephen - "Please.  Why not?"

Mom - "Because you can't."

Stephen - "Sure I can. I'll keep him in here."

Mom - "No, that won't work well."

Stephen - "How about I keep him in a bigger thing.  Where is Kitty's old fish tank? That would work."

Mom - "Stephen, you just can't keep toads.  They don't keep as well as frogs. (Yes, that was totally just a line I pulled out of you know where to make it sound like I knew what I was talking about.) AND, you aren't keeping it in the house.  Albert will probably die if you keep him."

Stephen - "But Mom, I really want to keep him."

Dad - "You can't keep him.  You need to let him go.  He eats bugs like mosquitoes."

Mom - "You can keep him long enough to figure out what kind of toad he is, but you better do that quick because it is almost time to go inside.  Go get the frog and toad ID book and figure it out."

Stephen - "Are you sure I can't keep him?"

Mom - "Yes."

Stephen - sighs and runs into the house.

Now you are thinking what is the harm in letting him keep one little toad.  There is no harm unless the kid is Stephen.  This amazing kid would keep every creature he came across.  He's just about as bad as I am.  Remember that time I found a huge spider while I was raking the yard?  A normal person would just kill the ugly thing, but not me.  I ran to the house and got a plastic container and proceeded to catch this huge spider so I could show the kids.  I think Stephen gets this from his mother, don't you agree?  If we had more room or maybe A ROOM for such things I would be all for keeping live animals.  I would love to have a frog or mouse or even - GASP - a snake....but we have eight kids, two pack-rat parents, and one overly energetic puppy.  That is WAY more bodies to keep track of than I am in the right mind for right now.  It is on the agenda for the way, way future.  Maybe we can do something like that when the twins are old enough to not put every moving or non-moving thing in their mouths.  Yes, that is definitely going to be the first hurdle we must cross before I will consider this idea.  Sorry Stephen, keep working on those sisters of yours and then we will talk about it with real intent to act.

 Speaking of the energetic puppy...anyone want to buy a German short hair?  Ok, I know we just got him.  Yes, I know he's just a puppy.  Yes, he will get better.  Yes, you are correct I haven't given him a fair chance.  Ok, maybe the fact that Darren has been gone a couple of days makes a difference and is warping my perception of this puppy.  Yes, isn't he the cutest??  Yes, I'm sure he will be a great bird dog and this will all be worth it.  Are you crazy??  Of course we don't need another dog.  Female you say?  Now you are sounding like Darren.  Then we can have cute newborn puppies someday...whose side are you on anyway??!!!

 Jimmer and Darren spent some quality time chasing pheasant wings.

 Jimmer was determined to get that wing one way or another.

 Maybe he if was quiet and tiptoed it might not move.

Maybe if he just gave it his all he could catch it.

Jimmer, sweet Jimmer.  I like you.  You are cute.  You have some of the best puppy dog eyes ever.  Let's get one thing straight.  I do not like cleaning up your messes.  That's it.

 Gianna says to me, "Mom, take me picture on the swings."

She was being Superman or woman.  It is her favorite way to swing because it is the only way she can get on the swing without help.

"Look at me, Mom. I'm a big girl just like Blase and Steben."

To clarify - big like Blase and Stephen, not the girl part. Her goal in life - be like her brothers.  She loves them so much and her world crashes down if they don't include her.  God blessed her with little sisters knowing she'd need someone to play with.  Now they just need to grow up and it isn't fast enough in Gianna's eyes. 

Kiara's New Tricks

Kiara had a great day the other day.

 First I found her like this in the morning. 

 Then a little while later she was sitting.  At first I though Gianna had helped her, but I found her like that two more times.  Gianna was no where around her the other two times.  Since then she has sat up on her own in front of me so I know she can do it.

A day like this is not complete unless you stand up along something for the first time as well.  I am beginning to wonder if she might walk before she crawls.  She has yet to actually crawl, but does a great belly scoot. She was on a roll that day.  Her next lesson to learn is to make sure whatever you stand up along side of does not move out from under you.  She found out that Little People buses are NOT the best things to use to help you stand up.

I know this is a post about Kiara, but I had to share some pictures of Brigid too.  She hasn't managed to sit herself up yet, but she can sit for quite awhile if someone helps her.  I'll always remember this all happened on a Friday because Brigid insisted on eating fish most of the day.  Ha ha! 

Bonding Time

Sometimes being a brother 

is even better than being a superhero.

Rex and Brigid having a big brother/little sister moment.  He wanted to read and spend time with Brigid.  She just wanted to eat the book.

Archery

The four oldest boys took an archery class.  They did pretty well considering this was their second exposure to archery.  I hear rumors circulating that we are going to have to get two bows - one for right handers and one for left handers.  

 Stephen was pretty good.  I think Darren was pretty tickled at all the boys.

Stephen always had something exciting to say about the class when he came home.

 Cormac did very well.  He enjoyed it a LOT!

He said it was pretty hard, but he had fun.

 Rex did good for his strength and age.  

He needs to put on a little more muscle so the arrow makes it to the target.

Blase is really, really good at archery.  He is super excited that Grandpa Bestgen is going to give him his bow.  I am almost certain that, if we invest in a few targets and give Blase time to practice, he will be as good or better than Darren some day.  He had great groupings most every time he tried.  

Too cool...too cool.

My Mother's Day

 I had a wonderful Mother's Day.  Darren and some of the kids were down in South Dakota for part of the weekend.  They hurried home to be with me in the afternoon.  I was quite spoiled (as always)!

 I received three Doctor Who shirts, a gift certificate for an hour long massage, 

some flip flops, and a gun safe for my handgun. 

Here are all three Doctor Who shirts.  Love them!

 One of the reasons Darren headed down to SD was to pick up my other Mother's Day present.

A handsome German short hair puppy.

 His name is Jimmer.

Ain't he adorable!?

A Memory for My Mom

This is a modified version of a picture taken in 2008.  It was the last picture of our family with Mark before he died.  It is a special picture in so many ways.  This goofy version is just as special to me.  Some of my siblings and I had a great time creating this and the story to go with it.  Enjoy.

Back row - Mark, Mauri, John, Luke, Paul, Dirk, Karen

Middle row - Kaylene, Andrew, Juliana, Adam

Seated - Dad holding Loman, Mom

Mom and Dad's family is the talk of the county.  The family consists of the oldest girl (Karen) who is trying out for the local McDonald's Hamburgler character.  The oldest son (Dirk) is attempting a career in show business as a clown in the circus.  His backup plan is to pull Santa's sleigh during the off season. The third child (Paul) is the lead singer in The Color Freaks band.  They specialize in polka.

The family continues with the quiet son (Luke) who is making his place in the world as an Amish model for the local furniture store.  He makes good money when the tourists come to town.  They pay him $15 to pose for pictures with them.  The next son (John) has a split personality and thinks he is the Emperor of China.  He really loves his mother and wears it with pride.

The most beautiful sister (Mauri) has a great gig as the model for a local beer company.  They brew beer with a special twist of llama drool. It's all the rage.  The next son (Mark) is famous for his stove top hat and his purple flower that was given to him by a secret admirer.  He wears it in hopes of finding her and refuses to shave his sideburns until she shows herself.

That son (Adam) that keeps the family laughing trains monkeys for the circus that his brother is part of.  He has unique talent of being able to imitate the monkeys with the best of them.  His motto is "I'm a Big Boy Now."  The next sister (Juliana) is probably the most talked about of all the family members.  She had a terrible accident that involved a trampoline and a dirt bike.  Don't ask - 'cause we ain't sharing how it happened.  After 27 surgeries and many medication changes her neck is beginning to take shape, but her arms aren't long enough to shave the hair in her ears and nose.

The calm and collected child (Andrew) spends his free time sailing with a raft and a robin.  It is said that the robin got mad one day and pulled out this son's eye after he wouldn't share his lunch of saltine crackers.  It's strictly rumor as we have it on good authority that he wears it just to get the girls.  The next daughter (Kaylene) was on the back of the dirt bike when it hit the trampoline.  She lost her right leg just below the knee as a result.  Don't underestimate her though, she is the best dancer in the family.  You should see her do the chicken dance!!

The last son (Loman) is the mascot of the local polo team.  He also doubles as their water boy and half time entertainment.  He spends his free time cleaning up the manure left by the horses.  He sells it to the little old ladies in town for a hefty profit.

Mom and Dad are proud of each and every one of their children.  They maintain that family is the most important part of life.

The end.

I hope you enjoyed this memory, Mom.  I laughed when I read it.  Then I cried.  Happy Mother's Day from all of us characters!

Mother's Day Greetings

Happy Mother's Day

to our mothers and fathers. 

Without fathers we would have no mothers, without mothers we would have no fathers.

This day is for all of you in my opinion.

(Boy, we were really, really young when we got married!)

Thanks Mom for everything.

Happy Mother's Day to the grandparents.  Happy Mother's Day to our aunts, sisters, friends, and Godmothers.  We have prayed for all of you today.  God's most wonderful blessings to all of you this special day.

When the Camera Goes Missing Again

I found these cute pictures on my camera today.  I think someone loves his sisters.

 Blase and Kiara

Blase was suppose to be babysitting for me while I cleaned the garage. 

 His version of babysitting must involve a fight for the wet wipes.

 Brigid in dots and Kiara in diamonds.

 I sure love those bald heads!!

And the winner is.........KIARA!! 

 May I just spend all day kissing those cheeks?

Or these cheeks??

When Supper Goes Bad

When supper goes bad what do you do?  Throw it out?  Sigh and start all over?

I was in the middle of cutting buns for supper when I noticed two somethings growing on one of the buns.  Yes, that nasty supper ruining mold was present on almost all of the buns.  Did I throw them out? Yes, but first I pinched off a chunk of the bread and got out the microscope.  Yah, I'm that kind of homeschooling mom.  Not only did I get out the microscope while I was making supper, but I also took pictures of what I was looking at.  I have to say it was well worth the effort as I had never looked at mold closely before.  It was amazing!  I can't wait to inspect other things!

This is the close picture of the white mold.

 This is the black mold. 

And this is the close up of it.

Carnivorous and Desert Plants

Last year Stephen received a carnivorous plants kit.  I was in no mood to deal with it.  I finally brought it out and we got it set up.

 Some of his seeds had to sit in the refrigerator for 6 weeks.  This has been a good lesson on seeds and what conditions it takes for some of them to grow.

He had a great time preparing the soil.  They looked like brown marshmallows after they had absorbed the water.

 He designed his garden with certain seeds here and others there with blue rock dividing the sections.

 

 All done.  Now the waiting game begins.  It said it would take anywhere from 1 to 3 months for the seeds to sprout.  I guess we could have started these in winter and not worried about the lack of sunshine.

 Rex received a desert biodome last year as well.

 He's super excited about this project because he really, really likes Grandma Gebes' cactus plants from Uncle George.  He is hoping some of his grow to be as big as her cactus plants.

His plants will start to grow a lot sooner.  His also requires direct sunlight so we found a cozy spot by the front window.  Both Rex and Stephen's plants are suppose to last for years.  Let's hope we don't mess it up or a helpful little sister decides she knows what to do.

I have started some herbs in the house.  I'm hoping for some basil and thyme for sure!  Here's to a successful growing season for all of us!