I'm Perpetually Soggy

This has got to be the worst start to summer that I've ever been alive to witness.

It's been raining steadily since February.

It became snow at the end of March and left us with 16 inches of joyous white crap to deal with for a week.

It quickly melted back into the earth because the rain returned.

"Oh, hey rain. Where have you been these past 48 hours?"

"Bowling? You don't say?"

"Maybe you should have joined a traveling league and hightailed it out if here for the next 8 months...jackass."

So, I'm sure you can tell that this rain has bothered me a bit.

I have been trying to stay busy, though.

My laundry is caught up and I've sharpened all of the pencils in the antique Mexican bowl in case anyone wants to poke out their eyes from looking at the dismal weather radar again.

I can't believe the suicide rate isn't up in this area because of it.

Unemployment has nothing on dreary, rainy weather.

I have a friend who's the local news anchor and I can't believe she hasn't done a story on this yet.

But, then again, she's lost her mind for a totally different reason.

She has a growing baby sucking her brain away in what many moms call "baby is sucking my brain away syndrome."

i.e. she's pregnant.

I feel bad for the farmers around here.

I feel bad about all of mankind really.

Without the crops that the farmers around me are trying to grow, y'all are gonna starve this fall.

These crops of soy and corn that block my views at rural stop signs in July and that the deer like to munch on are this country's (as well as the world's) bread and butter.

But this rain is preventing crops from being planted and then what does get planted can get washed directly back out of the soil.

There goes the bread and butter.

I may have to eat my goats soon.

When you are a parent and it is constantly raining you get two scenarios to deal with.

Scenario One:

The kids are inside too much and in your hair.

Like, really in your hair.

I have been "the lady who visits Zoe and Gigi's hair salon which is really the kitchen table" one too many times.

I can feel the hairs being pulled put of my scalp from super pointy bobby pins being plucked out by chubby 4 year old hands in my sleep.

Not to mention the makeup job I get from my makeup artist daughter who runs Tramps By Zoe.

Scenario Two:

If you keep sending kids out in the rain you get children with foot rot and it starts to smell like wet dog in every room.

Yes, wet kid and wet dog smell the same after awhile.

Especially if it's been raining since February.

I'm half expecting the Cullens to move in next door.

Check out my friend Dawn's blog as she chronicles being pregnant with her second kid.

Quiet Hello

Spring is in full force here. 

The flowers are up and the trees are leaved again.

The days are rainy and warm.

A breeze shoots around the barn to lift your hair.

And the butterflies are back.

It's been warm enough for them to hatch from their cocoons.

Warm enough to bask in the morning sun to wake themselves.

We can't be out in the yard without a swarm finding us.  

And of course, the butterfly has taken on special meaning for us.

Whenever Zoe sees a butterfly that will stay close to her, that will flutter around her face and follow her around the farm, she says it's Jake.

Jake is here watching her play, keeping on eye on her, stopping by to say hello.

Jake's Aunt Sue had an experience recently where a butterfly landed on her hand and she wondered if it were a sign.  

A sign that Jake were nearby.

A sign of his love for her and his family.

Of course it was.

Every butterfly has the ability to hold the spirit of the most wonderful boy that left the world too soon.

He is as precious as they are. 

They stay on earth for a short time just as he did. 

We have seen him here.

Zoe doesn't like to hear the stories...of Jake landing in Aunt Sue's hand.

She doesn't want me to suggest that the butterfly fluttering around her body is Jake saying hey.

It's her own love and hurt that she decides to show if she sees a butterfly.

It's her own supposed idea of what will happen to her if she doesn't get better and if she were to become a butterfly on the horizon.

I don't doubt that she has a special bond with butterflies.

She's always been tuned in to them.

She's a quiet girl who the butterfly can relate to. 

Jake was equally as quiet at Zoe, even more so actually.

They trusted each other as a butterfly trusts a special person on which to land near.

It makes sense that his spirit would live on in this magical and silent beauty.

So, if you happen upon his tranquil orange spirit this spring or next say hello.

Say hello and watch him give you an extra flutter of recognition.   

Say hello to the beautiful boy that is probably on his way to spy on his friend Zoe or his Aunt Sue or his brother Liam.

The possibilities are forever in the hearts of those that knew and loved Jake.

The possibilities of a new tomorrow start with a butterfly hug today.

                                     

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun

And find your shoulder to light on,

To bring you luck, happiness and riches

Today, tomorrow and beyond.

~Irish Blessing

Grass and Candy and Halos

Easter has come and gone.
Another holiday under our belts.
It was full of candy, cooperation and green grass. 

This was the most angelic shot of Gigi all day.
Later she proceeded to chuck raw eggs from the fridge over the fence, squash her sister's Cadbury Egg, and regurgitate her ham dinner into her napkin.  At least she used a napkin this time...  

I think this is Zoe contemplating life as an only child.

Dream on sister...

There was a bit of cooperation in getting a few of the eggs that were hidden.

You know it's good candy when you get it in your eye.

We dressed 'em up and they do look sweet. 
I'm sure right after this one of them tripped the other.
We take what we can get.

And the goats and the pony are enjoying a new pasture in front of the old one. 

A new fence has been erected and they seem to enjoy the fresh grass, the chives that I never moved, and being closer to the house.

Happy Spring everyone!

Spring Growth

It's interesting to see the growth of each Spring.

Not just in the earth, but in my children.

There's a renewal in both girls, one being much more significant.

Both have gotten taller and both have more hair.

But, one has seen things we once thought were unimaginable for a seven year old and she has grown up in more ways than we can count and see. 

Happy Easter!  

Wonderland

33 Days!!  33 Days!!


There are just 33 more calendar days until spring officially arrives.  I hope that marmot Phil in PA is correct and spring does indeed arrive early.  Here in Illinois, February always gets you down.  You are done with cold and wind and snow.  Absolutely done!  We have so much work to get started on outside here at our farm that we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring.  Spring means summer is right around the corner.  The snow is starting to melt this week.  The vanishing snow brings on the onslaught of mud and when I say onslaught, I mean it.  Mud will soon be on everything in my house.  On everyone and everything...aahh, life on a rural farm...


Chad and I have been thinking what we should call our farm.  When we moved here we decided that at some point, we would get animals...goats, chickens, ducks or geese, horses.  I seems that that idea will come to fruition this summer.  We will start out with a pony and a couple of goats.  We have some barn cats that are seen on occasion.  Hopefully they will stick around.  Chickens and duck or geese will follow in the future.  We do grow a garden every year, but this summer we are going to focus more on the animals than on food production.  I'll have to plant some tomato plants, though.  We always love having fresh tomato sauce.  So, back to what to name this place.  We could name it after the kids or just use our last name.  We could name it after a native flower or tree found in our yard.  But then we decided to go another route.  The name we have decided to call our farm is...Cheshire Farm.  Alice in Wonderland is very popular in our house.  I collect all things Alice in Wonderland.  We love to watch the Disney version of the movie with the kids.  But the biggest reason we decided to name our farm Cheshire Farm is because of the moon.  Whenever we see the moon and it's a mere sliver, when it looks like a smile in the sky, we always say "look, the Cheshire cat is smiling down at us tonight." 


So, please come join us this summer down at Cheshire Farm.  The snow will be gone and the flowers will be in full bloom.  The wind will be warm and the bats will delight you with their antics at dusk.  The goats and pony will enjoy a treat from your hand and look up into the night sky...the Cheshire cat may be smiling down at you.  Welcome to Cheshire Farm.