House on Hillsboro

A (Curious) Boy and His (Rather Tame) Turkey.

The End.

It. Snowed.

We are all most fortunate that in the days since I have found myself too busy to blog about it because my enthusiasm would have bordered on ridiculous and most likely have been unbearable for a few of my friends above the Mason-Dixon line.

Thursday night's weather report suggested a chance of light snow on Friday with possible accumulation of an inch which Ava HEARD causing her to lay awake in bed for hours, then dream of playing in snow the likes of which she had never seen or touched.  But the Friday morning report squashed our Snow Day dreams with an announcement that no schools were closed and while light flurries were probable, accumulation was not, being that the temperature (that was in the 70's the day before) would remain in the mid thirties.  Poo.

So I took Ava to school.  And I drove home.  And the snow began to fall.  Then the snow began to pile.  I grabbed Jack and ran outside and for the first time in his sweet little life the idea of snow began to make sense.  But I felt awful - positively sick at the thought of Ava watching her first snowfall through the windows of a classroom and me missing the look on her face.  WHAT IF THE SNOW STOPPED?  THEN MELTED!  ALL WHILE SHE SAT DUTIFULLY IN HER SEAT AT SCHOOL, MISERABLE.  WHILE JACK AND I WERE AT HOME MAKING SNOWBALLS - THE VERY THING SHE HAS WISHED FOR WITH EVERY PENNY SHE HAS EVER PLUNKED INTO THE FOUNTAIN AT THE RIVERWALK MALL!!?

So off we went to check her out and I couldn't get there fast enough.  But my fear that it all would melt before I could get Ava's little hands in it lessened with the fall of every snowflake.  It was snowing more heavily now and the radio announced school closings. 

Ava had never been more happy to see me.  We were all SO EXCITED and could barely wait to get home and by the time we did the "flurries" had turned into...A LOT OF SNOW FALLING and an "inch" was every bit of 3 or 4 and counting.

But there was one little problem.  JD was due to fly in that very evening and I began to realize there would be no way.  Sure enough, as I was digging through drawers trying to find gloves and thermals, the phone rang - JD in Dallas, flight canceled, he would not be home at 6:35pm to marvel with us at the snow.  Shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute.

But we did it.  We bundled up, went outside, and did everything we have ever seen anyone do in the snow.

One by one, Ava checked off the list (compiled since birth) of things she longed to do in snow - snowball fight, snow forte, snow man with carrot nose, infamous snow angel, all the while (and dead seriously) insisting that she was dreaming it all but that in this dream the snow felt more hard and wet and cold.  In her first dream (the night before), she explained, it felt soft like marshmallows and warmer.  I'll never forget those moments.  Long as I live.

I took pictures (bless my little camera, hung in there right through the blizzard, but it was scary!) and Jack wandered aimless, determined to leave his tracks on every smooth and perfect bit of rolling snow he could find, till we could go no more. 

We woke the next morning so happy to see snow still on the ground and eager to do it all again - but this time with DAD! (he had taken a rental car home from Dallas and sneaked in around midnight). 

Everything is more fun (and painful) with Dad! 

Yes, yes.  The snow was deep, the sun was shining, JD was home.  Oh the joy.

Ava & Jack are Very Successful.

A person is a success if they get up in the morning and get to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.

- Bob Dylan

Steve (the owner of the net and teacher of the technique) is now 100% superstar to Jack and Ava.

Most fun we've had all year.

Dear JD,

How are you?  All is well here at home.

We are all fever free (finally!) and only a slight cough remains of whatever dreadful virus plagued us these past few weeks.  All my company have come and gone (Hi Daddy!  Miss you.) and I used the last few quiet, unscheduled days to sew my little heart out - right to the point of causing the bobbin to cry Uncle and stop working completely.  Poo.

Gosh, you have been so patient with my unintended blog absence and it didn't go unnoticed.  As a token of thanks, I brought the camera and your babies with me to feed this afternoon to document the day, just as it occurred.

We stepped out to an overcast day but no rain and a comfortable 60 degrees.  Straight out of the door FRANK ran to you know where

(this thicket is Jane and Henny Penny's favorite hang out) to chase you know who. 

But Jane, being the world's smartest chicken and all, knew just what to do -tattle to Mama - and she did.  So I tended to business and the ladies went back about their's.

And Frank slinked out, ashamed as he well should be.  He KNOWS better.  Stinker.

And exactly 17 seconds later he had recovered from my severe lashing (you know how I am) enough to go about his business as usual. 

Then we were all off, down to the camp for the pre-feed parade the horses put on for us everyday.  So nice of them, that is.

And as usual, immediately following the parade was the stampede to the first feed bucket, like clockwork.

Little sweetie helped Mama and Jack,

well, you know.  The usual.

Have I mentioned I tidied up the camp.  Yup.  See pic below, but I'll warn you - this one pulls you in and makes you stay awhile.

See, told you.

The hay is holding out nicely.  I know how you worry about that.

But the feed buckets are driving me crazy.  We need a new system, for sure - project one when you get home, maybe?  Um, make that project two.  (Sewing machine, One.) 

The new horse is rounding out nicely, don't you think.  I've been calling her GG.

We spent the rest of the evening doing the usual.  Like this.

And that.

And the inevitable.

When we are picking up the new feed troughs remind me to get the kids taller boots.

She misses you.  So much.

And yes, Maggie was there with her usual look that I'll call

PET.  ME.

and yes, I was wearing my red "outside shoes" but THIS time I didn't bother to take off my stripy socks because we live miles and miles from another soul and statistically speaking I could frolic outside in that long, sweatshirt kitty cat nightgown most any day and not get caught.  But Steve dropped by.  And I was a bit embarrassed.

Steve's arrival ignited a new death match between Slick & Slim (two Whippet looking dogs that made themselves at home here while we were away on our exotic diamond expedition).  Embarrassing, AGAIN.  Especially when his dog, Lacy, was so well behaved AND well dressed - every single one of our dogs was nekked as jay birds.  Heathens. 

Anyhoo, about his time, Jack fell down in the pond and screamed that he was coooooooooold while sister risked life and limb to save him.  (Make those tall boots hip waders.)

And that was it.  Typical day.  But no you.

So we laughed a lot less and the kids didn't reach death defying heights on the swings and no one kissed me on the fishing deck.  But you can imagine, these pictures will help. 

Forever Yours,

The Lady of Hillsboro

Have You Ever?

Can you guess what Jack is holding?

Baby Walrus?  No.

Bear Cub?  No.

Elusive German Giant Rabbit?  Nope.

A log?

Beaver?

Manatee?

Nope.  Nope.  Nope.

On our way to feed this morning, Jack and I noticed Pearl had taken an uncustomary morning break from her Mama duties which meant we could have Mini Pearl all to ourselves.  We quietly scooched into the pen and I knelt down by the kennel, leaned to peer in, and heard a tiny, muffled grrrrrr (hee hee) then I saw her and WHAT ON EARTH? - she is the fattest puppy ever.  Her NOSE is fat.  Her eyes are mere slivers because she can't hoist up her 2 ton brows.  And she is the softest, warmest thing I have ever touched and Jack and I do believe we may have held her forever but all that being awake made her hungry and she was sure Jack had something for her somewhere.

Then Pearl, who was still far away heard/sensed her baby's hunger grunts because Mamas are cool like that and came running.  Lord, let me tell you she wasn't one bit pleased that we had Mini out all willy-nilly like that and took her straight in the kennel for some emergency nursing before that poor baby starved right to death.

Geez.

Anyway, Mini just didn't seem to suit her anymore.  So now she's Ruby.  Ruby with the eyes that won't open.

Opportunity Knocked.

I wish I could sleep through it when Jack does this to me.

Sweet New Tats & a 'Stache.

Or it's alternate title:  "JD & Jack, Unsupervised."

Or the other alternate:  "Mama, Mama, Put Me Up To the Mirror!"

No shaving required.

Christmas Morning.

The chaos, 7:49 am. 

The festivities started at 5:21am (the time stamped on the first picture of the morning) and those pictures are the real great ones with looks of amazement and sleepy, sleepy eyes and first of the morning hair (my favorite).  But the sun hadn't risen, so I had to use the flash and the pictures have that artificial cold whitey brightness that didn't feel at all like the morning really was, lamp lit and warm and cozy. 

The favorites of the loot, and you just never really know what that will end up being, was a tiny Playmobil Pirate Set.

That FLOATS, and anything that might extend bath time is a toy we want.  This was our first bit of Playmobil and now I, I mean THEY, want more.  Like maybe the Grande Mansion (Becca - check out the kitchen!) or the Country Life Super Set.  Is that a girl feeding a calf with a bottle, a draw well, and carrots you can pluck from the ground?!  Or a Horse Drawn Cart loaded down with pumpkins?!  And the Bird Feeder I can not live without.  Or the Chicken Coop or the Forest Animals with Cave OR the Forest Lodge COMPLETE WITH FURNITURE AND A CARE CENTER FOR DEER. 

Ooookaaay.  A little Playmobil freak show there.  Sorry about that.  I had never visited their website before, perhaps I should have went alone.

Anyhoo, You will NEVER guess what made #1 on the list of most played with Christmas toy to date.

WOODEN BLOCKS!?!  It had occurred to Santa that Jack had never had a set of building blocks (Ava's had long since disappeared) and I believe these came just in the nick of time before poor Jack was scarred for life.

And for Ava, they brought a bit of nostalgia for the good ole days when she was little. 

Mama's favorites?  See the wooden table?  Their bottoms have barely left it's seats since.  Eating, playing, building, coloring, play dough, tv.  It replaced the little purple Dora table you see in the first photo and is absolutely fabulous.  100% hardwood, a spill catching lip (we've already tested it), and both the table and chairs fold up for easy storage.  It's tabletop is spacious without being to large and the chairs are super comfy and rated for up to 150 pounds.  My grandchildren will play at this table, no doubt.

And on the TV there - Discovery's channel Planet Earth DVD set.  AMAZING.  We laughed, we cried, we could have watched the entire 5 episodes straight through, but we had somewhere to be.

Someplace where the gifts are perfect and the eats are out of this world!

A Birthday Celebration.

A present -

that you liked very much.

A Birthday Wish from Daddy -

that you loved.

A Birthday Cake -

that was iced with a custom blue color created entirely by Ava who claimed to know the exact shade of blue that you like best.

And three candles -

your favorite part of all.

Or was it?

Birthday Interview, No.1.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Jack!

 

I wanted his pictures to be taken on this very day, and these were, despite an awful cold and one very runny nose.  Jack didn't feel very good, but cooperated because Mama asked him to - I love this boy.  I hope to repeat this interview each year.  Here are his very first answers, unprompted, spontaneous, and true (mostly). 

• How old are you today? 

           Sixteen. 

• What grade are you in? 

          What?

• What is your favorite color? 

           Blue.

• What is your favorite thing to eat? 

           Chips.

• What is your favorite thing to drink? 

           Red juice.

• What is your favorite thing to do? 

           Do the candles on my cake. 

• What is your favorite movie? 

           Max and Ruby.

• What is your favorite song? 

          Run, Run Reindeer.  (Little St. Nick)

• What is your favorite book? 

          Um.            Ummmmmmm.

• What do you want to be when your grow up?

          A unicorn.

• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

           What?

• Who is your best friend? 

           Ava.

• Who is your favorite - Mama or Daddy? 

           Mama.

• Who does Mama love most in the whole world?

           Me!

Height:  39 inches, exactly

Weight:  33.7 pounds