Wanna Siesta

Oh, how behind I am! So many things I've meant to blog about, but the days fly by so busily.  I have intentions of doing posts about my chicken coop, garden fence, painting projects, cheese, food, animals...

Perhaps I'll get to them.  Perhaps not.

I've come up with an amazing new system for getting lots of work done AND possibly getting enough sleep.  Something I'm sure no one has ever tried before!  I can't seem to help staying up late, which makes it difficult to get up very early while it's still cool.  But the other day when a little early bird baby decided to get me up to stay at 5:45 after an already rough night, I got so much done before the other kids even got up!  I just kept going and going and going... I was amazed at how productive I was.  If only I could do that every day.  Of course I was dead tired by the afternoon.  So, how about I stay up late, get up early, work, work, work, and then sleep all afternoon while the little guys are napping and it's too hot to do anything anyway?  Sounds like a plan.  Now, of course, when I go to implement it, Murphy will make it impossible to get both littles napping at the same time, right?  Sigh.

I've been trying to get outside to do barn chores and any other outside work as soon as possible in the morning.  We've had some crazy hot days and the mornings and evenings are the only time I have any hope of being productive outside.  We're having quite a drought, as well, so there is a lot of watering to be done in hopes of keeping the garden alive.  I'm loosing hope on that front, however, as I watch the pests chow down on the greenest stuff around.  We don't have many mosquitoes, though, and that almost makes all the bucket-carrying worth it!

Then in the evening it's light until nearly 10:00, so we just stay outside and keep working and playing and it so nice not to be driven in my mosquitoes, and before I know it, it's waaaay past Evan's bedtime.  He and Jonah and I get lots of work done together in the garden.  Evan does everything I do and wants every tool I have in my hand so when I trade with him, he wants the one I have now and I can't actually use a single tool.

My Amish friend told me how they all go out in the evening and water together.  She said she has a collection of buckets and watering cans and soap bottles so that there's something for everyone to use, even the littlest.

 Of course, that was a light-bulb moment for me, and the other day I found some soap bottles I had stashed away and gave one to Evan so he can squirt the plants while Jonah wields his watering can (amazingly well, I might add!) and I carry buckets.

 It's often too hot to bake, but food must be made, so I do it as I can.  On the particular day in the photo below, Evan chose to decorate himself with one of my stretchy headbands, and then proceeded to get muffin batter E V E R Y W H E R E .

He's a mess-maker extraordinaire, and if I had a dollar for every spill.... well, you get the idea.  I'm constantly cleaning up after that kid.  Or, he's cleaning up after himself, but, well... same difference.

He shares his messes with his baby brother (in that photo, it's yogurt, and Andrew was sitting in it and sliding his butt around and swiping his hands through it after Evan had evidently scooped it into a cup and then to the floor), and oh, how they do get on.

 They sure do adore each other, though.  They wake up in the morning and from naps looking for each other and their eyes light up with delight when they greet.  "Ah-dees!  Uh Ad-dees!" Evan squeals while Andrew kicks and laughs back at him.  They're quite a pair.

(Aside:  you may or may not be aware that when Nathan chose Andrew's name, I stipulated that we won't call him "Andy".  Well.  And guess what Evan decided to call him?)

And Andrew is quite a delight, even if he is an astonishingly adept trouble-maker for an 8 month old.  He has one tooth, loves peek-a-boo, tickling, a limited amount of snuggles, and is generally happy and sunshiny, except when he's mad and then he's horrid.

And did I really just write another whole post about these little magnificent monsters?  I intended this post to be catch-up, but alas, cute-fest it is.  Variety to come, I promise.  I think...