Here are some pictures from our camping trip over Labor Day.

This was a beautiful caterpillar that greeted us upon arrival.

We went with another family who had a 3 year old and 6 year old girls and a 7 year old boy. Jbird and the other boy spent half the weekend fishing...

B was more into collecting rocks

JB loved playing in the water and building sand castles

Many sticks were found and played with (our friends had the camper - I have decided that is the way to camp)

Our friends had a game called Fibber - which the kids loved.  They loved the purple glasses and making their nose grow.

They also had a neat set up of washers.  The boys really enjoyed playing this.

The weather was beautiful. Could not have asked for nicer weather and the kids got along great. They took their bikes and were able to ride all over the campground. More pictures to follow.

The first three days of school have gone well.  We have gotten ready early enough to walk/ride bikes!  On the first day, JB and I were getting ready to go get them, when it started raining.  There were big clouds looming.  It was not a heavy rain, but rain.  Since we are about 5-6 blocks from the school, I opted to drive down there.  Boy, am I glad I did.  About 2 minutes after all the kids got out, the skies opened up and it was torrential downpour for about 15 minutes.  The kind of rain with really big rain drops that sting.  By the time we got to the car, we were dripping wet - it took my shoes almost 24 hours to dry out.  I can't imagine what it would have been like if we did not have the car.

The other day I had my appt to get my stitches out.  I had arraigned a play date for the boys.  The friend who was watching the kids does not handle chaos well, so when the younger two repeatedly acted up and fought, I figured I could not leave them both with my friend.  So, I took Jbird with me to my appt.  He watched the nurse take out my stitches and x-ray my finger.  Then I went down the hall for a homemade splint.  The gal making my splint got a kick out of Jbird - he was playing with some of her therapy 'tools' and she was very impressed with his ability to manipulate the tools.

Then I had another appt for a spot on my leg that had recently appeared and was not going away.  This was a doctor I had never been to but he was great.  He said it looked totally benign but in all his years, he learned better to be safe than sorry.  So, he took me to a back room to cut out a small spot.  I got up on the table and told Jbird he did not have to watch.  I was not sure how he would react...silly me.  That kiddo was almost nose to nose with the doctor as he gave me a lidocane shot to numb my shin, then he proceeded to cut out a very small area and put in one stitch.    Jbird did not flinch.  The doctor was shocked that Jbird watched all of that without even wincing.  Jbird made a comment a couple of times about there being more blood, but he was not phased a bit.  When the doctor commented on Jbird's resolve a second time, Jbird just kind of smiled and said "I go hunting and fishing with my dad all the time so none of that blood stuff bothers me".  It did not even bother him when his momma was in pain and wanting to scream from the shot :-).  (The spot came back negative.)

Looks like we are heading out on Saturday morning to go camping with some friends.  Hopefully if the weather cooperates, we will be gone Sat and Sun evening.  Sad that this will be our first camping trip of the summer, and probably our last!  We will be sure to enjoy it!

First day of school! Fourth, First and Preschool. Can you guess who had the 'no picture' attitude today.

I recently bought some shirts for the boys online...JB loved the eye ball and tongue and insisted on having it :-).  The boys are at a new school this year.  It is walking/biking distance from our house!  It was so nice not to mess with the traffic.  Plus it is the time of year where it is nice and cool in the mornings - low 60s.  Great for a walk.  JB and I will head back down there to pick them up this afternoon.

For B's birthday this summer, he got some drawing stuff.  He has recently been playing around with it.  Figuring out the shading, outlining works and the difference it can make with pictures.  This is his most recently completed picture.

The stitches are out and this is the newest contraption.  I will wear this for the next 6 weeks or so.  The therapists are amazed at how well things look.

I have started some new routines around the house.  One of them is trying to have fruits and veggies at every dinner.  The other day J ate about 10 carrots and JB ate a few cucumbers and peppers.  B begrudgingly ate his carrot, but it is a start! I am trying to keep them cut and handy in the fridge so that they are always available.

We are working on our cleaning schedule and I am very hopeful!

Off to play with JB, I think he will miss his brothers but also enjoy not having to share toys. He starts preschool next Thursday.

This past weekend we attended Digger Days.  This is a fundraiser for a local non-profit that works with disabled kids and adults.  We went last year and the boys loved it and was shocked at how much more stuff they had this year around.  Lots and lots of pictures.....

Here are just some of the excavators they had for kids to get in and operate.

B working the dirt

JB in a mini excavator

Jbird getting his turn in one.

B in another mini excavator (at least I think this is what all the machines are called).

JB getting into the steam roller that he was able to drive around.

You can tell by the look on his face that he was so proud of himself...

Jbird got to drive the bull dozer

JB in another machine

The long line of machines....I think there are 5 other machines not shown.  All of the 'rides' were 3-5 minutes long, so kids got lots of hands on experience.

They had great mounds of sand to play on, culverts to climb through and tires to jump off of.

Probably one of the coolest things (that was new this year) was the Ditch Witch (can't find the official name - maybe a trencher).  Here is B learning the ins and outs.  This is the machine that tunnels through the ground to it's destination to lay utility lines.  Then when the drill bit pokes out of the ground on the other end (up to 500 feet), the line is then attached to it and it is pulled back toward the Ditch Witch - basically laying the line (at least that was my understanding of the whole process.)

As you stand on the ground above the bit, the ground is shaking as I would imagine an earthquake would feel.  The bit was 3 feet under ground.  The contraption below is called the locator.  This is what is used to read the depth, angle, etc of the bit.  The one operating the locator is always telling the Ditch Witch operator what adjustments need to be made to the bit underground so an existing utility line is not hit and that the end destination is made so the line can be properly laid.

B was totally in his element.  They had business size cards they were handing out that told people what each color line is.  So, now when B sees the orange, blue, yellow, etc. spray painted lines, he knows what is under the ground.  B would hand out the cards to anyone walking by.  I think my kids spent over 20 minutes watching this whole process.  (It just excites me to think that things like this could be laying the ground work for a future job/interest for them.

In the background were lots of other static (I think that is the word) machines that people could just climb up into and look around.

Jbird had lots of fun rolling down the hills.

This contraption was really cool - put out by the electric company.  Each 'person' below is in a potentially dangerous situation, in regard to power lines.  (One guy moving a sail boat and the mast is about to hit a power line, one person climbing a tree, etc).  He would flip a switch and the person, or object they were holding, would move in such a way as to hit the power line.  You would hear the shock and see it.  The person also glowed, but because it was so bright, you could not really see it.

A great, fun educational day!

Just one picture today...of the boys! (taken a few weeks ago by JR)

Yesterday I went to physical therapy.  She said the hand looks great.  Amazed at how much swelling there still is and the stitches...I was thinking 4 or 5 stitches...closer to 15!  Already getting good movement.  The finger itself does not hurt (bone) but just the incision.  I will continue to wear a splint periodically, but it sure is nice having it off and getting some movement.  Amazing how stiff things can get after 7 days.  The only issue right now is splitting open the stitches, so I have to be careful how far I bend it.

All the boys need a haircut, but it always scares me because they never seem to cut it right.  I took B for his haircut.  He wants to continue letting his hair grown out, but it needs some shape.  I told her to trim it up.   Then I made the mistake of asking her how guys let their hair grow out without it looking like a mullet.  I noticed she was cutting the front a little short (okay, way short) so I walked over there.  I was running my fingers through his hair and telling him how much I love his curls.  Then I turned around and walked back over to the chair.  I looked up and the curls were gone!  She somehow took my comments as I wanted a 'Justin Bieber' haircut.  I was livid.  It took everything I had not scream at her from across the room.  I kept reminding myself that it was just a haircut and it would grow back...that school pictures were probably a month away and it would look better...that B did not seem too upset, so don't make a big deal about it.  I am still really irritated by it and trying to figure out why.  I guess it is because I felt like she did not even listen to me and if she did and there was any confusion she should have clarified.  Next time we will tell her to trim 1/4 to 1/2 inch off.  Just one more rant...the only way Justin Bieber's hair looks the way it does is because he uses a lot of gel/hair spray and has someone to fix it every time he shakes his head.  The average Bieber cut 'falls' every time you move.  Uugghh.  (I just asked B if he liked it and he told me he does not like Bieber and he does not like his hair - but then it would grow out....)

The boys got their teacher assignments. We start school next Wed. Jbird has a male teacher - first time for either of the boys - he is very excited.

Next week I am going to start implementing some schedule routines. One thing will be a menu of foods for the week. So today B and I were in the kitchen preparing some small desserts for the freezer. He made cup cakes and home made brownies all by himself. I made some breakfast cookies - it will take some getting use to because they don't taste a lot like 'cookies' but will be a very quick, healthy breakfast for the boys.

Fair warning...here is a picture of my finger....if you don't like this stuff, then close out the page (still trying to get the orange coloring off of it from the anti bacterial stuff they put on it
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Learning to get along with one hand.  Fortunately, the splint comes off Tuesday.  Weird to think it is one week start to finish - minus any therapy.

The surgery on Thursday was fine.  I certainly was not expecting all the hoop la.  I guess I envisioned it being like when I go to the dermatologist and they have cut a spot out.  The surgery center where they did my finger, was a mini hospital.  I had to put the gown on, hair net and booties.  I was given a nerve block and I think something that relaxed me but did not put me all the way under.  I was awake the whole time.  They put some kind of tourniquet on my arm and I am pretty sure that it squeezed down to the bone.  It hurt far more than any part of my finger has hurt.  They said they can keep the tourniquet on for up to 2 hours within it killing cells.  I think my arm was close to purple when they took it off 42 minutes later.

The boys have been great.  The morning of my surgery they made me breakfast and delivered it upstairs to me.  They also drew me pictures.

After the surgery I took a pain pill - not that I was in pain, everyone just warned me to stay on top of the pain and not to wait until it hurt.  I woke up that night at midnight and took another one.  I woke up at 6am Friday and took another one.  When I finally got out of bed at 8:30, I was sick.  Spent the next 5 hours throwing up, dizzy and just plain not feeling good.  I pulled up side effects from the pain meds and had them all except low blood pressure.  I probably had that one, I just could not check my bp by myself.  Not sure if I got sick because of the meds or because I took the 6am med without food.  So, with the weekend approaching, called the doctor and got an ant-nausea medication.  Took both Friday night and did well.  So, half the time I have had no drugs and not been hurting too bad...maybe pain 2 out of 10.

I have an appt Tuesday to get it unwrapped and start moving things.

Recently B went to something called "Flying Eagles".  It is a group of pilots that bring their small planes in and give the older kids a free ride - trying to get kids interested in flying.  A friend took him, but here is one of the pictures she sent me.

This was not the plane that B went up in. He said the plane above had running water and a bathroom in the back.  We will have to keep an eye out for the program next summer and take the younger boys too.

I am trying to be more intentional in getting the kids to help me cook. Recently for breakfast I made the bacon, B made the pancakes and Jbird made the eggs. They did it all without assistance.
Today I asked the boys if they wanted to help make cookies.  They all jumped at the chance.  When I said 'make cookies' all they wanted to do was get out the cookie cutters. I tried to tell them that you need special dough for cut out cookies, but they sure wanted to try.

Here is one of Jbird helping with the garlic bread for lunch...

My recent huckleberry picking adventure was not the norm, so I am told. I guess this year has been an amazing year so they are very plentiful. Between my friend and I, we picked about 2 1/2 gallons in just over an hour. Up here, huckleberries can go for 30-50 dollars a gallon, so all I could think of was a future side job for the boys. Other than getting into some tall bushes, it was pretty easy, quick work. As a child my friend spent lots of time in the fields working for money, so she knew all the tricks. We had a gallon jug with the top cut off and a string attached to it. So I tied it around my waist and was able to use both hands.

Here is just one of the buckets full.

I have them frozen. Been looking at recipes. The boys don't like them plain so I hesitate to make anything too big with them if they don't like it. But will probably end up with jam, syrup or huckleberry crisp.