Four Days Without Incident

Today, I was making my own cow Christmas ornaments.  As if you could expect anything else from me these days.  Anyways, I was “crafting”, and I use the term “crafting, quite loosely,  and LD yelled from upstairs,

“Ma!  Burrito!”

Me:  What?

LD:  Burrito!

Me:  What?

LD:  For lunch!  I want a burrito!

Me:  Oh.  Can you try asking nicer?

LD:  Can I please have a burrito for my lunch?  Thankssssss.

So, I made him two burritos.  Because I know him.  Also, he really likes when I make burritos for him.  He apparently can’t “fold them” as beautiful as I do.

David:  That kid is going to be thirty years old, living in our basement, and you will still be making him burritos for lunch.

After he ate his two burritos, he scarfed down two mini banana bread loaves.  Have I told you about the mini banana bread loaves, Reader?  I oft make them for my children.  They are a hit and a half.

You prepare your favorite banana bread recipe.  You NEVER add nuts, but you do add chocolate chips.

Instead of making it in a normal loaf pan, you divide the batter out into a mini loaf pan.

If I made normal banana bread, my kids would not eat it.

But if I make mini loaves-

They rise and call me blessed.

So he ate two burritos and two mini loaves and then a bit later I heard the air fryer going.

Me:  What is going on?

LD:  I am making dino-nugs!

Dino-nugs are the chicken nuggets in the shape of dinosaurs.  I buy the gigantor box at Costco.

Me:  Why?!

LD:  I am just so starving.

You should see me walk through Costco, or any grocery store for that matter.  I just try and find as much food as I can for as great a bargain as I can to sustain these ravenous beasts.  I now place limits on things, because apparently I am THAT kind of a mom now.

LD:  Ma!  We’re out of dino-nugs! When are you going to Costco again?

Me: I told you when I bought this box that I would not be buying another box until after December 1st.

***

I trust you all had a nice Thanksgiving, no?  Due to the novel coronavirus, we stayed home and did not go visit any family or kin.

It was weird, but nice.

We let the kids sleep in and David and I had a morning cup of coffee in the hot tub whilst admiring our herd.

Then David took the kids out to the back forty for a fun group activity called, “Pick up sticks and put them in a burn pile.”

I was on house cleaning, laundry, and food prep.

Then I tried to get everyone to watch a movie together, but that proved to be a disaster.  The boys were super annoying so I told them to just go elsewhere.  They cheered and left.  So, the girls and David and I started to watch a movie.  David put his arm around me, causing Hadley to jump up, shout,

“If you two are going to be doing THAT, then I am leaving!”

So, just David, Kate and I were left to watch the movie.  And we all three fell asleep.  Together.  On the bed.

I then realized that this was technically Kate’s “last” Thanksgiving at home.  Because she is a senior.  And I started to feel sad, but then I stopped feeling sad because it is not her “last” Thanksgiving with us.  Things might look different next year, but she’ll still be our kid.  You know?  It will all be ok.

After our nap, we had another cup of coffee, then David and I took Charlie and Abbie on a walk to explore the new land we purchased next to ours.

The girls did not fight at all and had a lovely time on their walk, finding several bones and sniffing various piles of poo.  It was a Thanksgiving miracle!

We finished up our walk by checking on all the cows and calves before going in for the night.

I found the newest calf all alone.

At that moment I knew all I wanted for Thanksgiving was to pat that little guy on the head.

It was the best.  Very fuzzy.  Very pleasant.

We came back inside and got out of our farm and ranch gear, trying to look a bit more civilized for Thanksgiving. Kate snapped this picture of me and Rio.

I love that kitten.

Reader.  Please take notice of my earrings.  Kate bought them for me.  For no reason.

Just because.

Are you wondering why I am not slaving away in the kitchen cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving?

It is because I didn’t cook a turkey for Thanksgiving.

#genius

I made an easy family favorite:  Slow cooker beef stroganoff with mashed potatoes, salad, and rolls.

We played Telestrations and had a family arm wrestling contest.  The only person I can beat is Kate.

Weakest:  Kate

Strongest:  David

The kids went in the hot tub and blasted music.  No neighbors cared and I don’t think the cows minded.  David and I had pumpkin pie and went to bed.

***

Today, I went to check on the cows.  David was gone.  He had to butcher a steer today and take it to town.

Me:  Ok, maybe I will see you around two?

David:  Oh, I hope to be home well before then.

Reader.  It is 4pm and he is not yet home.

Oh!  I found the Sectional Couch of Dreams on Craigslist, so I texted David to ask if he could please go and buy it on his way home.

David:  Well, I don’t really care, but I am covered in blood.

Me:  So, is that a no?

Sectional of Dreams was already sold, so a blood-soaked David did not terrify poor, unsuspecting city folk.

ANYWAYS.  I was on a walk, and I was in some work type clothes and I decided when I got back, I would freshen up a bit and make myself more presentable for my husband’s return.

And then I totally fell and got mud all over myself.  So, I am in sweatpants and slippers.

One of my top two favorite cows, Babs, lost her ear tag, so I am having trouble identifying which one she is.  Today on my walk, I just tried to approach cows to see if they would allow me to pet them.

Reader.  Babs is the only cow who will permit us to pet her.

Reader.  I found her.

I like her.

Check out the mud.  Can you understand why I peeled my pants off and just threw on sweatpants?

And here are the two babies.  Alive and well.

On the left is the bull calf who was born to the newer cow.  On the right is Babs’s heifer calf.

When I walk and check on my cows, I take the same route.  When I get to our fence, I turn right and go up the hill towards the house.

On the other side is the new land we just bought.  I asked David if he could put a gate there someday soon.  So I can continue my walk and make a loop.

AND HE SAID YES.

***

The whole family has committed to Team Keep Both Girl Dogs.  I am very impressed with everyone’s cooperation and focus.

We are vigilant!

We have plans in place!

We love them both!

Because I find myself to be hilarious, I created this motivational sign to help us press on towards our goal.

Me:  Look, everyone!  It says “Four Days without Incident.”  We can change the number each day!

The kids don’t find me as entertaining as I wish they did.

***

Pop Quiz:

If you found your husband’s steer butchering pants in the laundry, covered in blood and other mystery substances, how many times would you run them through the washing machine on the “Sanitize with Oxi” setting?

Three.  The correct answer is three.