Charlyn’s Web

We had a nice breakfast this morning. On Saturday I usually make a big hot breakfast. This morning we had Sausage, Mushroom and Cheese Omelet, hash browns and whole wheat toast.

I asked TG if she wanted ketchup on her potatoes.

“Uh-uhh” was the reply.

Now, the TV (or TB depending on who you ask) was on and there was other talk going on at the table so I missed what exactly it was she mumbled.

So I asked again.

“Uh-uhh!” was the reply again.

Now, I am starting to feel frustrated because I can’t make out what she is saying, partly because she is not looking at me and I know if I get it wrong it would be catastrophic, for heavens sake. So being a deaf, dense Mother, I ask again.

Do you want ketchup on your potatoes?!?

“I said No! I said no two times!!!”

Oooo-kay.

A bit later, Little Miss I Said No Two Times said “I need (a favorite term of hers) that (as she points to the ketchup) on this! (as she points to her hash browns)”

Not in your lifetime.

I made some very yummy Peaches and Cream muffins the other day. I made them with the sour cream option instead of milk. We had them for dessert.

I was gathering up the paper cup liners when I noticed there was none around TG. I started looking around for it and asked her where it was.

“I do’know.”

What do you mean you don’t know? Did it fall off the table?

I pull her out and look on her lap and on the floor. By this time everyone was looking around. Where could it be?

Then I asked- “you didn’t eat it, did you?”

By this time she was getting a little perturbed with all the questions and forceably informed me-

“Yes, it’s in my tummy! And it’s NOT fat!”

We bought a bike for KJ a few months ago. She had been riding the Dirt King trike and we probably would have let her stay with it for awhile longer except that her “little” sister was able to ride it too. I would let one ride it half way and then the other would get to ride it. This was working but it also meant that one would have to walk part of the way which slowed us down. We might also have waited for her birthday but it comes in mid-fall when the weather is not the best for going for rides. As I mentioned earlier we left the training wheels on but had them quite high so that it was easier to go over the rocks.

We were out for a walk/ride the other day when it was noticed that one of the training wheels was loose. It got so bad that her Papa took it off. She rode back to the house with only one training wheel on the bike. She did well. When we got back to the house Papa took the other one off too. He started her out and ZOOM down the driveway she went and back again too!

She has done well since then too, she still has trouble getting started and corners are still a bit, shall we say, wide. There was the incident where she ran into the side of the house. The house apparently leaped out in front of her and there was nothing she could do but run into it. Houses can be unpredictable like that.

We went to a parade in town on Saturday. The kids had been looking forward to it. Because of all the neat things that are in the parade, you ask? Because of the fire trucks, horses, old cars, and Native Americans in beautiful regalia? Silly you. No, it’s because many people hand out candy! Their supply was getting low. It’s a long stretch between Easter and now when they don’t have occasions to get candy and fill their stashes.

I am a mean Mommy in that I don’t let them gobble their candy down when they get it. I make them keep it in the pantry, in bags with their initials on it, and dole it out after they have eaten their lunch. They have come to expect it lately so it hasn’t happened as often.

Now their bags have some new stuff in them. A few more lollipops- which is a favorite. It should help them get through until our Church’s Harvest Party where they get the mother lode of candy supplies. It used to be they didn’t eat the chocolate as much, preferring the other candies so a little Mousey would come along and help get rid of it for them. Now, unfortunately for the Mousey, they have discovered the joys of chocolate. Isn’t it a shame?

Never forget.

As you may know from a previous post, we’re not exactly on good speaking terms with the pheasants that are ravaging our garden. In fact, I resorted to borrowing a certain loud “dissuader” from a friend of mine. The tool makes a loud noise when discharged, propels small metal pellets rapidly through the air, and its name rhymes with “not fun.”

Except that it is. Particularly when you’ve just caught the perpetrators in their wanton act of criminal destruction, they’ve attempted to make their rapid getaway, a loud bang resounds, and one of them suddenly drops from view into the 10′ high scotch thistle patch in the corner of a neighboring field. I’ll admit that this doesn’t happen very often. I’m a newbie with this instrument, having grown up with rifles and pistols instead. Although I’m learning, my percentage is rather dismal.

Of course, all three children insist on being involved with the patrol efforts, but it rather surprised me when KJ wanted to examine one of the corpses, and was not in the least fazed by the blood-stained body of the feathered felon.

So, we were late on our way to an evening service at church, and not letting any grass grow under the tires of our van, when about a mile or so up the road, a close relative of one of our garden gangsters ran out in front of the vehicle. It was pretty close anyway, and as we were in quite a hurry, I didn’t make any effort to take evasive action. There was a thud down low, a body and feathers flew up through the air, and it was all over.

“What was that?” came the queries from the back seat.

A pheasant.

“Good job, Papa!” the cheery, encouraging voice of KJ replied.

I guess when you’re as bad a shot as I am, you need all the encouragement you can get.

It’s a cereal. It has raisins in it and the flakes are brown.

More than one. Could be two, three, ten, twenty-five.

“Look! Horses! Two horses!” Says TG as she points to a group of four horses.

I think it’s pretty typical for a child her age but it’s cute anyway.

Bonzo was a dog of Col. Panic’s who would excuse himself after a burp with a low, small “woof”. This became an inside joke between us. I guess we “woof” fairly often because I was in the bathroom with KJ the other day when she burped.

“Woof.” She said.

Now, why doesn’t she pick up real manners like that?

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We bought KJ a new bike not too long ago. It has training wheels on it but they are raised up pretty high so she can get over the rocky areas. When she is on the pavement her training wheels are quite loud so it can be heard whether or not she is balancing. We were down on the pavement the other day- KJ and HP on their bikes and TG on her “Dirt King” Trike. KJ was yelling excitedly “I’m balancing! I’m balancing!”

TG came peddling along behind yelling “I’m balancing! I’m balancing!”

That’s a good thing.

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I pulled into the Library parking lot yesterday as TG excitedly said “Can we go see the mountain?!?!”

Mountain? I looked around the flat parking lot. Mountain?!? At the Library? What mountain? Then it dawned on me.

“Yes, we can go see the Fountain.”

I am a pantry type of person. I buy things on sale and stock the pantry. When I notice something is getting low, I write it on a list on the refrigerator. I even remember to take it with me once in awhile. We usually don’t have troubles with things going unused or spoiling because I buy what I know we will use. However, this past week, I have found myself in an uncomfortable position of being out of some very vital things. Things that this household can hardly live without- like tortillas! Then some basic staples- like sugar, flour and baking powder. I was going to make a dessert using zucchini (we do have an abundance of that!) for our Church Potluck but had to scrap ideas like Zucchini Chocolate cake and Zucchini brownies because of the lack of baking powder. I found a very nice looking Chocolate Zucchini Roll with no baking powder in it and scraped the last of my flour out of the bin- barely managing to have enough. It was tasty! Even got a request for the recipe. In Potluck Land that is a high complement!

But the lack of sugar is what has really thrown me for a loop. No, I don’t eat it from the canister! In fact I often go for a long time without opening the sugar container. But it’s awful hard to can things like peaches, jams and zucchini relish (did I mention we have lots copious amounts of zucchini?) without sugar. I ran out after the Chocolate Zucchini Roll but during a batch of Zucchini Relish- that batch will be a tad tangy! So I am at a stand still. Which is probably good because I needed to tend to some other things- one of which is making it so you can walk around in my kitchen without fear of sticking permanently in one location.

Col. Panic will be bringing some home with him and I’ll be able to make some more peach jam, zucchini relish and, maybe even, some zucchini jam. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! You want some zucchini?