Yesterday was field trip day. Don’t be jealous. Not everyone can rush around in the morning, teaching math and language arts, fold laundry, chase boys, monitor the care and feeding of rabbits, and pack lunches for the car all by 11:30am. Only us lucky ones.
It was pouring yesterday. And I mean pouring. If it were up to me, we would have stayed home because, quite frankly, I am not waterproof and after one errand in the rain, I look like a drowned rat. But, my kids were excited to get all handsome on learning about the wonderful world of mammals, so off we went.
Look! It’s a beaver!
No. That’s Handsome Dude. He is so tricky.
So, we get to the field trip (with several other homeschoolers) and the kids all sit down while a lovely lady gave them a little lecture on mammals. There are some brilliant kids in this group and I am impressed by their knowledge of mammals.
And then, there’s my kids.
Lovely Lady: Can anyone guess what other animal belongs in the dog family besides a wolf?
Little Dude (looking oh-so-proud of himself): DOLPHINS!
Lovely Lady: Well . . . no . . .
Little Dude: THE SUN!
Fantastic.
Luckily, Sweet Pea and Handsome Dude both answered questions correctly and totally redeemed the Maliblahblah name.
Sweet Pea correctly identified the bone from a rabbit’s foot. Go figure.
Handsome Dude correctly identified the tracks from a deer. Go figure.
Look! It’s another beaver!
No. That’s Little Dude. Keep up, people!
Next, Lovely Lady brought out an injured owl named Barbara.
Right before Barbara’s debut, Handsome Dude was starting to go into meltdown mode.
HD (whining): When are we LEAVING? This place makes my heart hurt!
Attention Peoples Who Are Planning On Having Offspring At A Future Date: If, per chance, you ever are blessed to have a preschooler, please note that when they start complaining about stuff that does not make sense or would never, ever, happen, understand that they are LYING and just trying to get their way. It is best to smile at the child, show them to their seat, and force them to listen to a delightful speech on owls, hurting heart and all.
Owl Information: It’s good for them.
Turns out Handsome Dude was fascinated by the story of Barbara.
And later that evening told his dad every fact that Lovely Lady had mentioned.
Color me surprised!
***
After the field trip, we had to run errands because that is what us rural people do. I have decided to try making my own dishwasher detergent. I have not heard good things about these recipes, but here’s to hoping.
The recipe, which I got here, calls for:
1 box Borax
1 box Super Washing Soda
3 cups Epsom salts
24 packs of unsweetened Lemonade flavored Kool-Aid (Weird, I know)
You mix all the ingredients and use 1 tablespoon per load. You are also supposed to add something called Lemi-Shine to each load.
So, I get to Walmart, figuring they will have everything I need. It is pouring rain, and yes, the first thing I heard when I walked through the doors was:
“Boy! You sure got your hands full!”
Because, apparently, the general public has never seen a mother with FOUR children before. So uncommon.
Walmart has two of the ingredients. I am bound and determined to make this detergent today, so off we go to Fred Meyer.
Now, the most annoying part in all of this is that Little Dude cannot fit into his 5 point harness seat with his puffy, winter jacket on. So at each stop we must not only do the carseat unloading, but also the jacket donning. Which does not sound like a big deal, but trust me, after about 10 stops, the novelty wears off.
Fred Meyer does not have the Kool-Aid. We had to go to about 5 stores, but we finally got all the ingredients.
I ran a load last night and so far, it looks pretty good. I am not sure how much cheaper it is all going to be, so I will have to keep you updated.
And I know you want to be updated. Don’t pretend this does not excite you, too.
***
Finally, Sweet Pea wrote a letter into a kid’s magazine and it is going to be published this summer. She is pretty sure this makes her the bee’s knees. The magazine asked me to send in her picture, so I thought I would share:
Happy Tuesday!
Can you tell us what magazine? I can’t believe people (well, I can) act that way about 4 children. I know families with 8 children. I love and wish I had a large family!!
I’m on pins and needles about how the dishwasher detergent comes out. Also, two high fives, a pat on the back, and an Atta Girl! to SP! That’s very exciting!
Awesome job, Sweet Pea… going to be a famous writer, just like her mom! 🙂
I would totally try your dishwasher detergent, if I had such a marvelous invention in my kitchen. My parents joked they didn’t need a dishwasher, because they had me.
Now I’m nina the mom- infamous washer of dishes. Bummer that you had to brave the downpour for kool-aid- something about that seems especially unjust. AND try to ignore those who see the number of kids you have without recognizing that you are much more fit to have a flock of children than they are.
<3 <3 <3
It DOES make her the bee’s knees! Way to go SP!
Lovely photo of Sweet Pea. Clever girl.
They named the owl Barbara?
maybe she was injured in some ‘barbed’ wire…just a guess…i thought i made a funny till i got the mental picture…now it just makes me sad!
Sandy, you are right! The owl got her wing stuck in a barbed wire fence. A man was driving by and noticed her. He could not take her off, but he got wire cutters and took to her the vet, with the wire still in her wing. There was too much damage and she can never fly again, so she stays with fish and game. They named her Barbara 🙂
Field trips, I remember them well. Way to go Sweet Pea!
I have had mixed results with homemade dish soap (altough I never tried your recipe), but homemade laundry soap is the bees-knees!
Way to go girlie! Which magazine? Keep up, will you! 🙂
i think you should let your kids post on your blog…each child gets one day to post whatever they want. you know we would all LOVE it! and it would certainly count as a writing lesson for home school! they could even put it in their college folder (whatever that is but we were just told we should have one for our rising high schooler)!
SP is the bee’s knees. Congrats to her and to her teacher!
Do you add the cost of fuel required for going to 5 stores to the total cost? : )
No, but I probably need to! Sometimes this stuff is just not worth it.
I still remember the looks I got when we moved to Texas and went to check out the nearest grocery store. I only had five children at the time….I did not go back with all five and my husband again. It was our weekly family outing!
Let’s be kind, maybe those store strangers don’t know what else to say when they see a Mom and more than two kids. “Hi! How are ya?” would be fine.
Just to save time, I would like a t-shirt that says:
YES!
They are all mine.
I am a busy gal.
I wanted all of them.
I know what “causes that”.
God blesses me every day.
Congrats on the great field trip and multi-stop errand day. I feel your stress. In and out of the van, in and out of coats, don’t get run over, stay with your buddy, why did you take your shoes off for the 3 block trip to the next stop… Plus rain? Ugh. Friday is our day for all that fun stuff. Maybe it will be sunny by then.
What magazine? And was the heart heart a typo and meant to say heart hurt? You pointed out a typo or something a little while back that your faithful readers didn’t catch so I thought I should check.
Thanks! I shall fix it!
You are awesome! We just did a class at Lifer MOMS today on making your own cleaning supplies. Seven pages of ideas!! Wow! Give sweet pea a big congrats from me- not that she knows who I am, but hey! Good job!
Yeah Sweet Pea! You go girl.
Looks like the new pups have found their forever home? yes?
As for homeschool field trips…ugh…the smart kids get me every time. 😉
Yes, the dogs are keepers!
I hope it’s not wrong and rude to post a link to someone else’s blog but my friend posted this on facebook and I thought it most correct! One of these days, when I’m feeling very, very brave I plan to smile sweetly at the “My! but you’ve got your hands full!” comment and say “Just trying to out number the idiots.” Just kidding. That’s not very Christian. But I’ll think it. That’s not very Christian either.
http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2012/01/12-things-moms-of-big-families-may-want.html?spref=fb
Way to go! Sweet Pea!
Many years ago, when I was the mom of one, and my sister the mom to three, we were walking together into my son’s kindergarten open house. OK, two mommies, only 4 little children, right? One of the teachers actually said to us, laughing, “looks like you have an orphanage here”. People are amazing, are they not? And by the way, it is still a crystal clear memory after 30 years!!!
lLove your blog, you have a gift for making your stories of your family life very, very endearing! i know if I knew you in person i would be trying to be an “extra” grandma to your sweet kids!
All the little lumberjacklings are so buff. How do homeschool kids go on a field trip? I’m ignorant. Does mom arrange or is it a coop thing. No need for reply as I will see you in 3 days and become wiser in the ways of the homeschool field trips. Panhandlers probably don’t even need a fridg in the winter other than storage. Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the Sullivan side of your fam.
Several blogs ago you inspired me and I looked online for both powdered and liquid detergent how to instructions. The items you mentioned were not on any of them. Conversation fodder alert. (and to another niece – yes, story award – that’s me)