Charlotte.

While her older siblings got to ride horseback, one little girl never took her eyes off of them.

The most fun they’ve had all week. Or month. Possibly year.

A stable just down the road from us gave homeschoolers riding lessons today.

I have four very pleased children who are now desperately wishing for their very own pony. In Ruby’s words, “I want a horse and some cows for my birthday.”

I’ll get right on that.

Announcing…

My very first giveaway!

Two people commenting on this blog or on a big (little) family’s facebook page here will win a coupon for a free bottle of Purex Triple Action laundry detergent.

I’ll announce winners tomorrow night.

Use lots of soap.

I finished weed whacking last night and told Blaine I was getting into the shower. Four shocking words left my love’s lips and we both stared and sputtered.

“Use lots of soap.”

Completely aware of the reality that I hadn’t showered that morning, had spent two hours mowing and another half hour trimming, all in 90 degree weather, my normally loving and understanding husband had shocked me speechless. I had used deodorant. I couldn’t smell myself. Surely it wasn’t that bad. Then, he started backpedaling.

“That came out wrong. That’s not what I meant. I just meant…”

I knew what he meant. This great state we live in has nasty blood-sucking and flesh-eating insects that are kept at bay by a good scrubbing. Bearing the scars of more chiggers and ticks than I can count, my husband said this in love. But wow, did it sound insulting.

And we laughed. And laughed, and laughed and laughed.

I love my husband.

Define: Chastisement

I printed off an “If/Then” Chart from here this morning. Having heard of them many times but never pursued finding one, I decided to try it. It’s a lot like how I already parent, but perhaps we will find it helpful. I walked the kids through the list, stuck it in a page protector and hung it on the fridge.

This afternoon, coming in from having spent the last two hours on the lawn mower and finding Charlie still in her nap diaper instead of having been put back into panties, I asked why she was still in her diaper. Liberty said she’d forgotten, and I swatted her behind, completely in jest, as I walked past her.

“Hey! Why are you giving me chastisement? That’s not on the chart for forgetting to take a diaper off!”

Perhaps we need to look up the remedy for a smart aleck.

Outtake #1. Almost more fun than the good ones.

One nasty virus has hit our house. Five loads of laundry down, the laundry room no longer smells of vomit. Back to the humor of it all… just as soon as the bleach dries. In the meantime, one family photo outtake, taken just hours before the first stomach pain hit:

Blaine’s not even in it. Eden looks like those stomach pains were already present, Sterling has an itch in his ear, Pierce just wants to eat the grass, Liberty’s being a typical 8 year old girl, and Ruby is pulling a Ruby. But the dog is cooperating and even Charlotte isn’t doing too bad. Discussions of just how much photoshop will be required to cut and paste a good shot of each individual has been happening.

Happy Memorial Day. I’m hoping your day is puke-free and has at least one good story from or about a soldier in it.

The many grimaces of Charlie [Blonde].

Hey, Charlie! Smile!