First Night in the Bunk Beds!

JB and Gloria were so excited to sleep in their bunk beds last night. We got them new mattresses, mattress protectors, sheets, warm fuzzy blankets, and I am in the process of making JB a quilted duvet cover out of flannel outdoorsy print that I got for him 4 years ago in Minnesota. Switching them to old bunks that we stripped and painted and had to outfit cost a lot all together, but the project was fun to do with Max and new tools and techniques came out of it. The transition would have to happen eventually, so hopefully they will be using these bunks for a while. They can also be separated, but I have a feeling JB and Benaiah will be sharing them next. Making Gloria's room into Baby Benaiah's room is another story...

I was pleasantly surprised that Gloria slept in the bottom bunk all night and we didn't hear a peep out of her (or JB). Gloria up until last night has slept in her girly room in a crib with the sides as her security all the way up. I wasn't sure how she would do transitioning to a "big girl bed" so abruptly, but she seemed to sleep great. You can kind of see the pillows and comforter we put on the floor in case she fell out...although these bunk beds are very low to the ground.

Max did a great job with the step ladder up to JB's bunk and the guard rail up top. We finally gave into JB's plea to have the bunk beds hunter green...a good choice for their room. Now I have to figure out how to make the room at least a little girly for Gloria. Let me know if you have any suggestions. I was thinking maybe butterfly or flower"stickers" on the wall, the kind that you can peel off or stencils.

Sanding the Bunks

This is a very dusty picture when we were in the process of stripping and sanding the bunk beds we bought for 50 bucks for the kids.

Boys and Tractors

JB was beaming as he sat on the John Deer tractor with his granddude. They were trying to make the 1/4 mile long driveway less muddy in places by moving dirt around and adding dry dirt. The snow that is melting has caused the driveway to turn into a swamp in places with big boulders of dirt and mud in other places. The Honda minivan did pretty good getting through the mud. The ride home was also interesting and at some points intense because of the on and off rain and snow.

Gloria in the Haybarn

Fun in the Hay Barn

This is the big hay barn in the beginning of the Bremer driveway. A homeschooling family that rides the horses at the Bremer ranch and helps out with chores outdoors, were playing with JB and Gloria in the hay after building a fort and tunnel.

JB in the Hay Barn

Hard Workers

The kids and I are in Colorado because Max went to ND on a trip for four days and I didn't have any commitments for those days, so we decided it would be a good time to visit Colorado again.

The grandparents put the kids right to work - JB feeding the animals grain and Gloria catching the cat...actually pouncing on the cat. It took a while for her to let him go, but he is a very tolerant cat...almost as tolerant as Scotch...who has unfortunately disappeared probably to a coyote or something.

The mornings here have been very cold, but the days have been beautiful. I'm so glad I brought the kids' rain/mud boots because things are thawing slowly, but surely...puddles and mud everywhere in the middle of the day when it gets into the 40s and 50s.

Another Fun Sledding Day

We have one make-shift sled because the department stores already have summer stuff in and are not selling anymore sleds. Max put car wax on the bottom of the black one (normally a container we use for hauling dirt gardening) to make it slide better. Both of the sleds worked great and we had a blast. They both held up really well going up and down the hill many times. JB enjoyed going down on his own too.

Frustrated Squirrel

Every time we loaded the former feeder with birdseed, most of it would be gone in a few days, leaving little for the birds. We've had Max shoot at them with an "Airsoft" gun and if we saw them, we opened the door for Zephyr to chase them (I have no idea what she would do if she actually caught one). Now it's more entertaining to watch them with this new feeder than anything else. Our other feeder, which was very easy for them to get in and out of, we moved to a different location and they still have found a way to get to it...they jump horizontally off of a vertical post about 4 feet away and swing for a while while munching. Now that Max has shown me how to post videos to the blog, you may be seeing more action of the kids...we'll see.

Falling Squirrel

Caught in the act! Finally, Tamsey 1, Squirrels 0

Appreciated

This morning JB was collecting the foam suction bullets that go to his plastic shotgun (shown in sleeping picture below) and he looked up and said "I'm thankful for everything I have". I thought that was very good and thoughtful of him. After several seconds he said "even you, Mom."

His intentions were definitely the best and I was flattered.

Sleeping angel...

...with shotgun. JB is very protective of his stuffed animals, books, and of course, the "blanket that I love." Don't mess with JB! Yes, he fell asleep like this.

Kansas sledding!

(JB and I have developed cone heads...)
We all went to a nearby high school to use their hill for sledding today after Sunday School. For the past two days it has been snowing/sleeting on and off and it's only 17 degrees. Not much wind though, which makes it not as cold.

Gloria was good for about 3 or 4 sleds down the hill and was very good about walking back up herself. She seems to be a good walker when walking long distances, but wants to be held a lot a home, kind of weird. JB did well as he and Max kept sledding after I went with Gloria back into the truck. I could've kept going, but we didn't want it to be a miserable experience for Gloria...stop while you're ahead kind of thing. We may go out again tomorrow.

Gloria doesn't have a picture because she kept turning her head away from the camera...good old two-year-old stubbornness.

End of Hunting Season

Last weekend the kids and I went with Max to one of his deer and turkey hunting places to take down his turkey blinds and tree stand. No turkeys this year, but we do have three deer in the freezer and have given some away. The meat is a blessing since I don't have to buy any beef for a long time at the grocery store and it's more lean and hormone-free (or whatever might be in store-bought meat). The turkeys were a little more difficult for Max than deer because of their pin-size heads, which made them a hard target with a bow and arrow, but which frustrated Max because they always seemed to "outsmart" him with those pin-size heads. Next year...

Hand Painting

On this cold (-1 degree windchill), freezing rain and flurry day, we have been doing things indoors. Yesterday was above 60 degrees and we did as much as we could outdoors! It's supposed to be icky and icy here all weekend. I guess we will get a lot done indoors.

Our paintbrush painting this morning turned into hand painting as JB and Gloria made hand prints on their papers. They went through many sheets of paper and I kept the good ones.

I'm very much looking forward to spring at this point. New birth, not only for Baby B, but for everything outside.