Our New Adventure into Homesteading

Pure raw land with ONE major important modern feature: Fiber Optic Trunk! yes, this rural area recently got a FO trunk line installed along the dirt/gravel road. THIS is a total game changer! Country living doesn’t have to be pure isolation and behind in information.

Being cleared to make a gravel road. Thanks to Platinum Land Development’s mad machining skills!

A lesson in sharing…

I gave Franki some mini M&Ms, then asked her to share some with Vince (yes, i’m instigating a sharing lesson).

 

  Mommee: Franki, will you please share some M&Ms with Vince?

  Franki: Sure

  Mommee waited for a bit, seeing no signs of sharing: Franki honey, don’t forget to share with Vince, ok?

  Franki: Ok Mommee

  Vince decided to take it upon himself to go and get some

  Franki: No no Vince, no M&Ms for you, too much M&Ms will make you sick.

Franki’ism & Stuff 04

We ran into a friend of mine and her two sons at the mall’s play zone. The boys (Brandon & Tyler) were dressed in matching outfits (no, not twins). Franki ran over to me and said: Mommeee, i See Two Brandons.

Parenting: in retrospect 01

So as I sit in the peace and quiet of my home, doing some leisure reading online and SOME catching up with friends and long distance family members on FB, it dawned on me that only 40 months ago I had thought this solitary moment would never come again (unless it’s stolen in the middle of the night at the expense of sleep, or during the day at the expense of neglecting my first born or domestic responsibilities :o) – harsh…yah…I’m a mom, what didja expect…we’re pretty harsh on ourselves)

Moments like this that my thoughts wander to what life was like before kids and what life is now with kids. Let’s see…before my first kid, solitary and peaceful moments like these were many and occur at my own choosing, again, I will emphasize: unlike now. However, they were not appreciated and enjoyed half as much as now. Seriously, before kids, my peaceful moments were squandered away on less than productive activities like online games (that don’t pay out), or chatting the day away with friends that ultimately led to hand cramps and achy back. Granted, keeping in touch with my friends then helps with making up with the minimal contacts we have now after kids :o(, but I guess life is about changes and stages. Oh, and the million and one projects I started and didn’t finish (landscaping, carpentry, sewing, knitting, and on and on…).

Since kids, I find myself appreciating the little things (literally), such as the kids (LOVE’EM), the stolen moments with my husband, the almost extinct solitary moments, and of course, how life seems so cool through a child’s eyes. Until I became a parent, other people’s anecdotes of their kids seem more like a question of sanity/insanity to me (i.e. huh, interesting, but don’t see the humor; or ok…and you find that funny/endearing/adorable, how/why?, etc.).

Now, I find myself sincerely saying "that’s awesome!" or "that’s funny/hilarious/smart, etc." at these things. It’s as though I took the red pill and walked through the mirror in the matrix, except the world I see isn’t at all gloomy or down right tragic like the movie. :o) I seriously wonder why I didn’t take this red pill sooner :o) Each day I also find myself thanking my lucky star for the trouble my kids give me.

I mean, yeah, it’s frustrating, annoying, simply hairy pulling aggravation. But at the end of the day, I can’t help but feel blessed to know that my kids are healthy and got enough wits to drive me insane and of course, I’m grateful that Dave and I have our health to go through and endure all the torture :o), and still ask for more the next day :o)

Franki’ism & Stuff 03

We were watching Toy Story 2, at the scene where Buzz walked down the All Buzz aisle, Frank says: Mommee, all those Buzzes are made in China.

Again…she makes her own decisions…

My mother would probably shed many tears of joy to learn the following: Franki voluntarily selected a dress while shopping for toys in target. Yup! i couldn’t even recount the number of times my mother nagged me about how UNfeminine i am, or that i should wear dresses, earrings, a purse (you know…stuff that are dangerously snaggable or has no function…jewelries basically) so that at least people would know i’m a girl…physically any ways. LOL :o) LOL Well, the photos below are visual proof that my mother doesn’t need to have any heartaches over the above issue with franki. while sitting on my shoulders as we (I) walked through target, she practically almost fell off trying to reach for this dress and adamantly requested its purchase…

 

Mommee: whoooooaaaaaa!! little girl…don’t lean over like that or you’ll fall off. besides, if you want to crack your head open, do it when you’re 18 and/or out of the house, but not right now. NOT on my watch.

Franki: ok mommee, i won’t doo it again. i will crack my head when i’m bigguh.

short pause…

Franki: mommee, i want that dress. pweease can i have that dress?

Mommee: you want a dress? really? why so sudden?

Franki sighed: mommee. can we pwease buy my dress? i waant to pay for it so i can take it home and weaew (wear) it.

 

 

Franki’ism & Stuff 02

Couch potato, and couch tater tots on the couch…of course

   Mommee: hey, why don’t we go outside and play?
   Franki: ok
No one moved
   Mommee: Franki, how about you take daddee outside to play?
   Franki: I can’t. daddee’s too heavy

Franki’ism & Stuff 01

A fly flew in the house today, so I took out the fly squatter (yes…i know it’s swatter…but i kinda squat/crouch to hunt, so it’s squatter for me…and it’s true, i do butcher dave’s language :o) LOL) and started hunting.
   Franki: Mommee. whaaat are yooo doooingg?
   Mommee: I’m fly hunting
   Franki: Oh
Silence…then…
   Franki: heew fly. Come heew. I got sometheeng for yooo
   Franki: heew fly. Come on fly. I got a backyurd for yooo

 

Mommee’s motto…got debunked…

Last Tuesday night, Franki and Vince had a slumber party (they get to sleep in the same room for the night). Around 630am the next morning, Franki climbed into bed with me. 730 came around and Vince came along and climbed in too. Needless to say, it was time to get up. While we were still baking in bed (sitting/laying around):

  

   Franki: Mommee. I put bebe (her bear) over my eew(ear) so I don’t hear you sssnoarling.
   Mommee laughing out loud: uh uh, no way…I shnore? i do not snore. I purrrrr.
   Franki: No Mommee. You sssnoar loudly, I put bebe on my eew so I can sleep.

Equal Opportunity Punishment…?

We have a few rules in our household that if they get broken, capital punishment ensues. We see it as our commandments. Basically, any activity/action that leads to severe or life threatening injury are prohibited and if violated then 1-3 spankings goes on the violator(s)’s tooshies (i.e. playing with electrical outlets-even with a protective cover in place- equals 3 shpankings)

So a few days ago, franki broke one of these rules:

   Daddee: ok Franki, you know you just broke the rule right?
   Franki looking rather guilty: uh huh
   Daddee: so what’s the punishment for breaking this rule?
   Franki: spaaankeeng
   Daddee: that’s right, and how many do you think you deserve?
   Franki raising up 2 fingers: Fiiie spanaankeengs
   Daddee: hmmm…that’s too many
   Franki: ok, waan
   Daddee: that’s too little. I think you deserve 2 spankings since you’re honest about your violation
   Franki started sobbing now and approached daddee, preparing for her punishment, then whimpered: ok daddee, but jentleee daddee, jentlee only daddee

The next day, vince also broke one of these commandments. I asked a rhetorical question to vince if he’d wanted a spanking or something? Without missing a beat:

   Franki: uh huh. Veenncent waants a spaaankeeng. A HARRDDD spaaankeeng momma a HARRDDD spaaankeeng