Down on the Farm

Last week we spent a beautiful, sunny, toasty warm afternoon at Lake Farmpark. Hard to believe that only one week later we are freeeeeeeezing, wishing we owned a pair of alpaca socks.

This was our first Homeschool Wednesday class at Lake Farmpark and we were not disappointed. The theme for this particular Wednesday was Harvesting. Our first stop was "Corn Binding" which I had never even heard of before. This horse-powered corn binder cuts the stalks and ties a string around 3 or 4 plants and then drops them to the ground.

These are the bundles of stalks that are left behind.

Bring your muscles to drag the bundles to the 'main teepee'. Oh, and you might want to wear long sleeves because I heard they can be itchy and maybe a little ouchy.
Voila! Thirty to forty bundles are made into these lovely corn shocks to allow them to dry out. Next, they will be shredded and stored in silos for animal food.
Next, off to harvest the potatoes. We are planning on saving these potatoes and using them to plant our own next spring. Stay tuned to see how that plays out!
Luckily, we found a hand operated water pump so that we could have sparkling clean potatoes, which Benjamin kept calling tomatoes. C'mon, city kid! Get your veggies straight! Actually, though, after a quick google search, I discovered potatoes are neither vegetable nor fruit. They are tubers. They are the root of a flowering plant related to Deadly Nightshade, as is the tomato. The tomato by the way is classified as a fruit.

Next stop: The 3 acre corn maze on the side of a hill. There were corn-related questions to answer at the forks in the path to help you find your way. It was all a scam. We finally ditched the maze and took the emergency exit out the side of the field. It appeared to be a well-traveled exit, so I think others had the same problems we encountered.

We worked up quite a thirst in that endless corn maze, so we were quite happy our next stop was cider making. It's quite simple. They use a magical combination of three different types of apples, put them in the cider press and squeeeeeeeeeze the juice out of the apples and there you have it! Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to taste that cider because it had not been pasteurized. They did have some cider from another farm for us to sample. YUM! See this turkey? Yeah, he looks innocent enough, but if you're holding an ear of corn..... WATCH OUT! Let's just say he gave us a good run for our money on our way to learn more about the many uses of corn.

Professional corn grinder.

Before leaving we got to take a peek at the many people preparing for the largest indoor display of balloons in the country! That is an oak tree made entirely out of balloons!

The kids used to think I was pretty cool because I could make a dog, sword and hat out of balloons. Someone always has to be 'one upping me'! It was pretty amazing though.

Wordless Western Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

The littles were NOT the least little bit excited to start preschool this week!

People do NOT look at me in a strange way when they find out I send my kids to preschool but then homeschool them after they graduate from preschool.

I did NOT allow my children to dig around in a display at the zoo trying to find a hidden letterbox.

I did NOT send the oldies on vacation to Kentucky this week with my parents and forget to pack their tennis shoes. I mean, you wouldn't really need good walking shoes to visit a zoo or an aquarium, would you? Flip flops and crocs should suffice!

Speaking of a trip to Kentucky, I do NOT consider it an internal vacation when 2/4 of my children are under someone else's care for the week. Nope! Not me!

Wordless Wednesday

Emily June Carter Cash College Carpenter

That's what we were going to name her. But then we decided that might cause problems for her down the road.

No more crib...

No more high chair...

No more bottles or sippy cups...

No more diapers...

No more itty bitty babies in my house. Whatever will I do? Maybe get a good night's sleep? Well, at least a semi-decent night's sleep. Children in this house still like to play musical beds at night. I never know who I might wake up next to. (Wow, that would sound bad out of context!) I do know that most mornings I awaken, clinging to the edge of my bed for dear life, thankful for any little spare corner of covers they have graciously shared. Honestly, though, I do love to snuggle in bed. They aren't allowed to start out in my bed, but I don't mind if they show up during the night. Steve, on the other hand, might have different thoughts on this. Ahem.

This little ball of energy turned 3 last Saturday.

She is the climber, in constant motion, always doing things her way. She does things the others never even dreamed of doing. Like what? I'm so glad you asked! Walking across the kitchen table and reaching up to the light and making it sway (aka swinging from the chandelier), climbing the entertainment center, walking on the wrong side of the foyer railing, to name a few. Oh, and we must not forget about her potty gymnastics! She is full of personality, to say the least!

This precious girl of mine is always so happy and she is one tough cookie! If she cries after a tumble, you know it's a bad one. She doesn't pout very often because she can't go that long without smiling or laughing. I absolutely LOVE the sweet, sweet smile she has just as she is about to fall asleep. And those curls! They're to die for! People ask me if I curl her hair. That makes me laugh because we all know Emily would NOT be able to hold still long enough for that!

My baby girl is growing up!

But she'll always be my baby.

"No, Mommy, I big girl!!!!"

Amen!

Sarah, my 4 year old, asked me today, "Mommy, is prayer when you talk to Jesus?"

Oh, how I would love to hear the thought process going on inside her head! I love it when they put things together and it starts making sense to them!

Adventure-ette Day

Late Sunday afternoon we decided to head to the shores of Lake Erie for a Mini Adventure Day outing to close out summer vacation. Not to say this ends the fun, for we ALWAYS have fun at the Carpenter house, right? We just wanted to squeeze a few more drops of fun out of summer before we start hittin' the books again. It was quite chilly though, so it certainly didn't feel like we were celebrating summer. Downtown Cleveland can be seen to the right of the family and if you pull out your magnifying glass you will see something sticking out of the water to the left of Steve. We think it might have been the Loch Ness Monster?!

Looking for Canada... maybe it's warmer over there.

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs some glimpses of the sun made for a beautiful sky. I could stare at the lake and those clouds forever, except I was too worried Miss Emily might be swimming before long. She's in constant motion, moving rather quickly. I need roller skates to keep up with her these days.

Next stop the playground at Lakewood Park!

"The Climber" in all her glory, making momma EXTREMELY nervous, daddy playing it cool all the while.

See, it was worth the climb!

Now that's what I call a tire swing!

Our Adventure Days always seem to end with ice cream...and there's NOTHING wrong with that! You feel like you're stepping into a story book when you sit in the Lakewood Malley's ice cream parlor.

What a little lady sitting so nicely and waiting patiently for her vanilla shake.

If messy = yummy, Mommy's Hot Fudge Sundae was the BEST!

Good to the last drop!

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me My Child! Monday!

Did you almost die of embarrassment when your child pulled their own pants down at the library? Want to scream bloody murder when your toddler took a pair of scissors to the dog's fur? Feel like a terrible mother when your kid said a four-letter-word at a back to school event? Well don't! Mothers aren't perfect and neither are children. Let's 'fess up today because it's Not my child! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else's children have not been doing this week.

Sound liberating? Then let's get going!

We did NOT have to leave the playground approximately 3 seconds after arriving because Sarah got stung by a yellow jacket.

After waiting in line for a roller coaster at Cedar Point, my husband did NOT have to get out of line (just mere feet away from getting on the ride) with one of our dear children to use the facilities. They had NOT just used the facilities prior to getting in line. Nope! Not my kids! They have much more bladder control than that!

Sarah and Emily were NOT concerned when their soccer coach told them they were going to play a game at practice in which the monster was going to try to take their ball away from them.

My 4 year old did NOT attempt to play soccer face down on the soccer field.


We did NOT have to abruptly leave the church picnic because Rachel fell off the speeding merry-go-round onto the not-so-soft gravel. Her knee does NOT have a gash so deep that we were considering taking her to the ER.

We did NOT need to look up the number for poison control while tending Rachel’s wound because Emily did NOT get a hold of something she shouldn’t have been playing with.

I’m so glad these things did NOT all happen in the last week, because I would be thoroughly exhausted if they had!

DISCLAIMER: No animals were harmed in the making of the information for this post. However, several children were, but thankfully they are all doing just fine now.

Piano Recital

My children are blessed with the absolute BEST piano teacher EVER…. Grandma! Yes, Steve’s mom comes over twice a week to teach the 3 older children. And if I’m not mistaken they are learning much more than just how to read music and play those ivory keys. They have special one on one Grandma-time and she is instilling a love of music in them along with many of her other admirable qualities: kindness, honesty, patience and perseverance, to name a few. Tonight we were entertained at their third piano recital. They have come so far in 2 ½ years. It has been rumored that some attendees traveled all the way from California to hear this recital!

This was Sarah's very first recital!

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this curly-haired princess sat quietly in her pretty pink chair to listen to her siblings play the piano. As soon as the first note was played she bounced out of her chair to dance her way through Benjamin’s first song. She then disappeared through the family room and somehow ended up on the stairs.

She was out of sight but I could still hear that little monkey. Daddy, however, could see her and it appears he did not approve.

The little left behind… don’t worry, Miss Em, it will be your turn soon.

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT drag my children to the zoo on a sunny, 97 degree day only to see fewer animals than we have in our own backyard, instead of our original plan to head to the beach on the shores of beautiful Lake Erie.

Now that summer has finally arrived, I did NOT allow the littles to play in the sprinkler sans clothes at grandma's house.



Since seeing Mary Poppins last week, I certainly do NOT exit and enter rooms or go up and down the stairs with any type of new-found dramatic flair. [That would be practically perfect if I did, though!]



My dear husband and dear son are NOT currently sporting mohawks. I am in NO way shape or form responsible for these fabulous haircuts.



My sweet daughter and I did NOT wake up 1 1/2 hours earlier than usual for VBS in order to give her hair an extra special touch last Thursday. That would be silly. We are all business here at the Carpenter house!

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie...

If you take your kids to grandma's house for a birthday celebration they are going to want to eat.

If they eat a good dinner they will want to sing Happy 20th Birthday to cousin Christina and have cake and ice cream.

After scarfing down eating cake and ice cream they will want to venture outside (in the 90 degree heat) to play kickball.

While rounding 1st base on the way to 2nd they will spot a pile of mulch/dirt and feel the need to dig in it like a squirrel hiding acorns. Because they are sticky with sweat the mulch/dirt will cling to their bodies and become a second layer of skin.

Next, they will decide to have a grand old time with the "Crazy Daisy" which wildly squirts water every which way.

If you let them run through the Crazy Daisy sprinkler eventually all of their clothes are going to come off and sit in a sopping wet pile while they continue to run through the sprinkler, now naked.

If you let your children get sticky with sweat, grimy with mulch and dirt and then soaked in a sprinkler the next stop is going to be the bathtub. Three chicas in a tub... how sweet.

After the little ones are bathed and have clean clothes on they will smell so delicious you will smother them in kisses.

Occasionally, you will check on the older children (who are also sweaty, dirty and soaking wet - have no extra clothes to change into at grandma's house and thus are not allowed inside) and tell them to keep having fun on the glider on grandma's front porch. Uncle Pat will take pity on them and come to the rescue with drinks!

Someone will spot the birthday presents and remember that this is Nixtina's Christina's party.

After she opens her fabulous presents and cards we will want birthday cake and ice cream (again).

If we eat cake and ice cream we will realize that we should have had leftover chicken and rice for supper. And you know what happens after our tummies are full. Yep, those clean kids want to head back outside to play.

But the mean mommy snatches them up, puts them in the van and they are asleep before you reach the end of the street!

(Don't you just hate it when you have a perfectly fabulous day and you FORGET your camera!!!!! Hopefully, I will be able to get a hold of some pictures to add to this post soon.)

Friday Fill-Ins

1. When will my house ever be clean and the laundry caught up?

2. Fireproof was the last good book I read or movie I saw or tv show I watched.

3. Everything has its beauty but sometimes you have to look for a long time before you see it.

4. Turkey hot dogs and baked beans are what I had for dinner.

5. I'd like your maid to come clean my house when she's finished with yours.

6. Sleeping in Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom is where I want to be right now. Then we would wake to the smell of breakfast and eat the most delicious scrambled eggs in the world at her Royal Table and all the princesses would come to say hello and take pictures with us. Next stop would be Buzz Lightyear, where I am known as a Galactic Hero!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to blogging and reclaiming the kitchen table, tomorrow my plans include the last swim of the summer at Ledge Pool and Nixtina's Bday party and Sunday, I want to go to church, out to lunch and then to Steve's Championship softball game(s).

Camp E.D.G.E.

Last week the kids and I attended VBS at Good Shepherd. I led the science center, which is always a good time. It's an even better time when the experiments work, as they did this year. To Benjamin's dismay, there were no explosions as in the past... maybe next year. The kids had the awesome opportunity to sing one of the songs they learned with the SonRise Praise Band at the Contemporary Service on Sunday. Yes, that's LIVE music, not memorex, or whatever that commercial used to say. The kids AND the band were rockin! God moves in me and speaks to me through music and this song was no exception! Just look at those little ones singing their hearts out and praising God! Only 3/4 of the Carpenter children are present in this video. Benjamin, age 10, aka mohawk man in the back row, Rachel, age 9, green shirt on the left and Emily, age 2, yellow shirt on the left in the front row. Sarah decided to sing from the pews in the safety of momma's arms.

The theme this year was Camp E.D.G.E. It was an extreme adventure where we Experienced and Discovered God Everywhere! The 4th, 5th and 6th grade group decided to have a crazy hair day and yep, they took it to the EXTREME!

Crazy kids!