Monday Evening News

AnnaBelle has a doctor's appointment this week. If I had to guess her weight, I would say she is about 27 pounds. Some days it feels like alot more than that when you're balancing her in one arm and a load of clothes in another while going upstairs!

She's really starting to understand the idea of independence and walking where she wants to go without me chasing her. That is one of the luxuries you have raising kids in the country, you can let them go pretty far around the farm, but they are always within sight. That is a luxury that we now have to put on hold. Animal control believes a pack of wild dogs killed an entire families livestock PETS a couple of weeks ago. The farm is not far from us. George talked to a guy from animal control and he feels like it was wild dogs and not coyotes. Whatever it is we now have to be vigilant outside and with the children at all times. Ellie is also nearby to alert us of any danger, but my best buddy is locked up in my gun cabinet and I have a pretty good aim.

This year's elephant ear plants have been the biggest ever since we planted them 5 years ago. I think they are so exotic looking, and Nathan wanted to know if it was a real elephant ear!

Still kicking that soccer ball around. And we have been enjoying afternoons on the basketball court with the sidewalk chalk.

AnnaBelle is still getting used to riding on the 4-wheeler. She is still a little leery of it.

We finger painted Sunday afternoon after playing outside. This was AnnaBelle's first time and I think she enjoyed wearing one of Nathan's shirts more!

Oh yes, Spiderman still lurks around Woodland. I can find him anywhere and at anytime. He is constantly battling his latest villain, Venom, and also the bees that sometimes fly by him when he is in the garden....pssst, let you in on a little secret, Spidey is terrified of bugs in the garden...and he's a spider? Hopefully it's just a phase.....

Little Miss Priss is all about playing outside. She tries to squirm out of my arms when its time to come in. We have 3 kittens who love to keep her at arms length and sometimes she is lucky and will pet one.

Yes Peter Parker a.k.a. Spiderman is very popular around here. (that mask looks a little freaky to me sometimes when he pops around a corner in the house! )

Little Miss Independent eating one of her favorite cookies, Keebler Fudge Stripes. Pretty soon all that garble she is talking will become words and then sentences and then nonstop chatter. Right now her favorite word is no. When she does something wrong and I tell her, no, she will repeat it 5 times and point her finger while slanting those eyebrows, look like a mini-George sometimes!