Catching Up

Since I've done nothing but interviews here for the past month, I figure I better use this week to catch everybody up on what has been going on around here lately.

We're all well and thriving out here in the middle of the wind-blown prairie. Actually, most of us are well and thriving. A few of us aren't exactly what I would call well.

Take Matthew's sheep, for example. Currently two of our three ewes are in labor (I am writing this on Friday, the 15th). They have been this way for the last two days. Beka and Matthew keep making predictions about when the lambs will be born.
"By tomorrow morning, for sure."
"Just an hour or two now."
"Any minute."
"I'd say by this evening, definitely."

Beka making a HUGE batch of cinnamon rolls. It made 5 large pans! They were very good. Photo by me.

So far none of these predictions have come true. So we wait, and watch, and hope that the lambs won't choose a very cold night to be born.

One of Matthew's ewes had triplets the other night, but none of the lambs survived. I don't know all the details. Matthew said something about a genetic problem with the mother...or something like that. We were sad to lose three lambs, but fortunately the mother appears to be doing well.

Yesterday I painted my room. I painted it light pink. All other walls in our house, except for the blue kitchen walls, are white, so this was something new. I'd never painted my room before, and the walls and ceiling badly needed it. So the other day I mentioned it, and now here I am in my newly painted room. I still am not entirely sure how I ended up painting my room pink. I fully intended to paint it white. I think it happened something like this:

Beka: "Are you sure you want to paint your room white?"
Me: "Yes. What other colors are there?"
Beka: "Lots. You could paint it yellow, or blue, or green, or..."
Me: "Okay, okay. Let's go look around on the Internet and see if we can find a nice color."
Beka (several minutes later): "Hmmm. I like those pinks."
Me: "Those?"
Beka: "Yes. Well, try a lighter shade, one of these here."
Me: "This one?"
Beka: "Oh yes. That's nice. That's what you want for your walls. Tell Mom you want that color."
Me: "I...I do?"
Beka: "Definitely. It will look so pretty in here."
Me: "Well, okay, but that's kinda...bright, don't you think?"
Beka: "Oh, no. It's perfect. Trust me."

Caleb likes to cook too! Here he is making peanut-butter cookies. Photo by me.

I suppose I've mentioned a few times how small my room is and how I wouldn't mind a few more square feet of space. However, after painting my room yesterday, I am rejoicing in my tiny room. My arms and wrists are painfully aware of every square inch of wall and ceiling in here.

I want to thank all of you who sent me e-mails this past week. Special thanks also to those who sent me numerous wonderful ideas. I guess my "Word Of Wisdom" last week was taken to heart by many people! Beka and I were floored by the e-mails that kept flowing into my Inbox, especially on Wednesday. Dad thought it was hilarious, especially since my "Word of Wisdom" was not meant as a hint, but just as a "Word of Wisdom"! However, I loved all the e-mails and can't wait to try some of the ideas sent in. I have a few very neat articles coming...so stick around!

Happy Valentine's Day, by the way, everybody! As usual our day was pretty normal and slow. Dad and Mom went out to eat at Subway. The rest of us stayed home and ate candy hearts and a lamb roast. Then I spent my afternoon painting my room. I guess pink was a good color, what with Valentine's Day and all!

Well, one of our sheep has finally had her lambs. (I'm writing later in the day now.) Two healthy, very alive young males were born around lunchtime. Beka was thrilled, and says she feels like she has been waiting forever. Matthew is also very glad to get a healthy pair of twins. Now we just have to wait for the other one...

And here is what the sheep had! One fine, healthy little boy checking life out. Photo by Beka.

School has been going full swing the last couple weeks. The lessons pile up for me each day as we come into the final weeks of school before spring. Both Beka and Matthew have large amounts of school to complete before spring comes and are working like mad to finish.

Besides the sheep, all animals are doing well! Buddy grows bigger (around the middle) and smarter every day. Matthew is now taking him to an advanced obedience class every Monday night. I love watching Matthew train him. It is amazing how fast Buddy picks up on things. His most recent trick is playing 'Find It'. Basically Matthew shows Buddy a spoon, a hat, or a bone, than he hides it, and tells Buddy to 'find it'. Buddy goes looking and smelling until he finds the right scent and sight combination, and he brings the object back to Matthew. It is very fun to watch.

As always my cat is doing fine, but she is neither growing bigger (anyplace) or smarter. She does know a few things, like how to get picked up, fed, let in, let out, given catnip, put up, put down again, and a few others. She also is very intelligent when it comes to anything to do with meat--raw, cooked, on the counter, on the floor, and so on. She doesn't mind what kind, but chicken, tuna, sardines, and salmon are some of her favorites. She also likes gravy poured over her dry food, but she doesn't get that very often! All she normally gets is dry food, except when Matthew has a (rare) benevolent fit and buys a couple cans of cat food for me to mix in with my kitty's dry food.

Speaking of cat food, my cat is getting very good at making messes with her food. She is a very strange cat when it comes to that. She likes to dip her paw daintily in water and then whip it through the air, sprinkling water all over. Another trick is picking up some catnip on her paw and tossing that on my desk and floor. (Beka would not believe this until she saw it herself. Then she just laughed and laughed.) She will do the same with her food. I try to discourage this. "NO, kitty...." So far this method is not working because my cat just purrs, gently rubs her head against my arm, glancing at her food and then at me with a silly look that says,
"Wanna play too?"

To finish this off, here is a funny little Valentine's anecdote, taken word-for-word from a conversation I recently had with Caleb:

One night a few weeks ago I had a sudden inspiration to paint my toenails, something I rarely do. I found a bottle of red nail polish, and headed to Matthew's room. Caleb was perched on the back of Matthew's chair, watching Matthew do his school. He soon began watching me with interest.
"Rachel, what are you doing?" He asked at last.
"Painting my toenails." I replied.
"Why are you painting them red?" He wanted to know. "Why don't you paint them blue or something?"
"Because it's nearly Valentine's Day." I explained lightly. "And red is the color of love."
Caleb looked at me in disgust.
"Rachel, red is not the color of love. It's the color of blood!"

The Weekly Bible Verse

1 Peter 5:7: Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

Bits and Pieces

Caleb had his birthday this week. He turned 9. He had been looking forward to it for weeks, giving numerous subtle and not-so-subtle hints and reminders about what he wanted, when it was, and what cake he wanted.

Caleb requested a safari jungle cake for his birthday, and I decided to go with an easy cake this time. Mom bought a small bag of jungle animals--giraffes, hippos, and zebras--for me to use on the cake. We have plenty of little animals ourselves, but, knowing where they have been (in the garden, the cow stall, the bathtub, and the basement) I felt slightly hesitant about using them on anything edible.

Caleb with his safari card and cake. Photo by me.

The day before his birthday I made a very original birthday card. I cut the bottom out of a cardboard box, and stapled several animal pictures to it that I printed off the web, making a lift-the-flap card. Everybody signed their name under the flap of their choosing, and all in all it was, well, original! My family sure was surprised. Dad kept chuckling the whole time he was signing his name. Beka just shook her head and gave me that "What will you think of next?" look. But it worked and Caleb liked it.

Caleb opening up his very own BB gun. Photo by Mom.

On the morning of Caleb's birthday, Beka and I got up early and began to decorate the cake. It was easy. We just slapped on some green icing, piped a stream over that, and stuck a few animals in. At the last minute I added a waterfall over the edge of the cake. After sticking in the candles, we were done. It looked great and it didn't even take us twenty minutes! Caleb just sat and stared at it for about an hour that morning as it stood on the table!

We had "Sloppy Joe's"--hamburger mixed with ketchup, tomato sauce, and brown sugar, plus whatever else Beka dumps in--for lunch with fresh rolls. Afterwards, Caleb, bursting with excitement, opened his presents. He received a tadpole net, some money, a Western make-believe air pistol, complete with belt and holster, and Reeses peanut-butter cups. However, the crowning present was his very own BB gun, which is a tradition around here. Caleb has yet to use it, since Matthew has to give him some lessons first, and nobody around here will let him touch the thing until he gets those lessons! So Caleb has had to content himself by shooting everything (and everybody) in sight with his air pistol.

A Word About The Weather

It has wavered between very cold and middling all week. I don't mind the middling days, when the wind is blowing and the sun is out, but I sure don't like the cold ones! We are all looking forward to spring here!

A Word of Wisdom

When painting, it is wise to put the paint can on newspapers instead of on the floor. That way all the paint that drips down the side of the can doesn't harden onto the floor.