Busy Hands Homestead

Images included: boat wildflower insect music I hope it includes some of this summer's highlights.. Let me know what you think.

"Yesterday there was lightning. It started a tiny fire.  This big." Ivory pauses to squeeze her pointer finger and thumb together to show Adam the size of the fire. "On the other side of the mountain.  And then there was a helicopter that brings fire.  No.  Gets all the water from the pond and takes it to the fire.  ALL the water from the pond (big gesture).  And then the water fills up again." She pauses for a breath, stabbing at her leftover macaroni and cheese, looking critically across the table at her father. "But, we didn't see the helicopter land.  Mama really wanted to see it land". She turns to me: "You REALLY wanted to see it land, didn't you Mama?" Sometimes the things that don't happen are even more exciting than the things that do. There was no mention of the life jackets, the canoes, the water bugs with funny flippers, the fish we saw while paddling around the lake or the water snail she proudly carried around...

We were late.  REALLY late. I started out the day with best intentions.  I made banana pancakes while the children still slept, woke them and got them fed in plenty of time to leave the house by 9:30am.  We really were going to leave the house at 9:30, and then I got stuck.  Stuck on my want for Ivory to have her bug cage for the Bug Bash day at camp. For her birthday, Ivory received a bug cage, and Sylvan, in little brother fashion, promptly stepped on it and tore a giant hole into one side.  So, while the children were eating, I pulled it and a thread and needle out and attempted to patch it.  I wove my needle through the mesh while Sylvan desperately tried to wrench it from my hands. Photo credit:  Ivory West - I had no idea she was playing with the camera.. and yes, there is Sylvan's sneaky hand trying to grab the box away from me.  Sewing it was much slower and much more difficult than I imagined it would be.  When I got t...