This is a Bob. This is a Bob on popsicles. Jeff bought these new swimsuit/floaty things the other day for the boys to wear to Lava. Aidan wore his almost all day yesterday. So cute! I think he finally feels semi-ok with going in the pool now.

You can see the guy climbing the tree in the background. Aidan was sitting on the counter to watch him better since I wouldn't let him go outside to watch.







This is what we spent our afternoon doing. :) We hired someone to cut down our 2 dead trees. We had powerlines running through the tangled branches of one of them. I was teasing my friend yesterday, telling her that we had a guy climbing our trees like a vampire! Then I found out his name was Kellan! For you non-Twilight fans out there, one of the vampires - Emmett - his real name is Kellan. Just thought it was funny.

EARWIGS!

I have lived with cockroaches extra large and small. I have had a mice scurrying in the kitchen when we lived on the farm. I have disected frogs and worms and had spiders crawl across my face. But nothing - I repeat NOTHING is more slimy, disgusting, horrifying or nauseating to me than earwigs! And we have tons of them here! For the last 3 summers we have had them everywhere in our yard and even some brave ones that decide to go to the basement. Well, I decided to do a little research on these wretched insects. I learned that they don't nest inside - this is very good. I also found a natural way to kill them which I am happy to do.

We put an empty tuna can (we didn't rinse it) with olive oil and bacon grease behind our bbq near our laundry room window. I had forgotten about it. We just put it out last night. Well Jeff came running in the house all out of breath, grinning from ear to ear and nearly prancing like a little girl because he was so excited. He took me outside to show me and I thought I was going to throw up! There were probably 100 or more in that little can! It was completely full! As I type this, Jeff is on his way to the store for more olive oil and bacon. I'm sacrificing full cans of tuna to the neighborhood cats tonight as well.

So - if you have earwigs - do it! It seriously works. I'm just so happy that so many are gone now that I had to blog. How sad is that? BUT I didn't put a picture up with this post because if any of you feel the same way about those things as I do - you would never look at my blog again.

Happy earwig hunting!

A little experiment...

Peff - get ready - because you are fully involved in this one!

Those of you who really know me know that I LOVE the old shows like Dick Van Dyke, I Love Lucy, Leave it to Beaver...you get the idea. One of the things that fascinates me about them is how perfect the wives and therefore the children are. Now I know there is no such thing as a perfect wife or mother - but I want to try. I have been wondering though - did they have it right? There is a book called Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin that makes some points for moms back then. I'm going to try it out and see if it really does make a difference or if it just leaves me feeling like a slave and unsatisfied.

I've started a blog so I can have somewhere to put my results, thoughts, feelings. If you want to follow me - that would be great. Its always nice to know that I'm not talking to myself. Please leave comments and ideas too. And if you're a femminst - lol may as well not even look.

www.momofthe50s.blogspot.com

At the end of the night...

The 4th of July is so much more than fireworks and great food. When my boys can sleep peacefully without a thought of anyone that might hurt them and me and the Peff can sit together and not worry about needing to protect our children - that is the true blessing of the 4th of July. Without our freedom, I feel sure our nights wouldn't be so peaceful.

The Festivities

(sorry! pictures loaded backwards!) This was our grand finale tonight! It's funny how fireworks bring out the pyro is grown men. They were sure these fireworks would be better if they put it on a ladder. Gotta admit - it was pretty cool!

I think there were only 2 kids that didn't like the fireworks - but everyone else was outside enjoying the show.

Everyone sitting and enjoying!

Because of the rain we spent the first part of the night inside. The kids thought it was fun to beat Wade and Jeff with balloons! We all thought it was pretty funny too...

The day was absolutely gorgeous! Then at 7pm which was when we were supposed to be to Crystal's house - it started to downpour! This is what happened in about 15 minutes. Walking from our car to her house was like walking across the Portneuf. I wasn't expecting the power and it almost took me out! :) It was gorgeous and clear just in time for fireworks though which is what really mattered most.

4th Of JuLy PaRaDe!

The last 3 years we've been here, we have been meeting our awesome group of friends at the parade. Aidan has met his best friends here and so have I. I love these gals!

It took Harry a bit to catch on to the whole thing of the parade. Sitting on the curb and putting the candy in a bag we normally use for garbage was a completely foreign concept. :) He would pick up a piece of candy, eat it and then wait for another piece. By the end of our (very short) parade he finally understand.

Aidan couldn't wait for the parade! Every day for the last week he has been counting down how many "big sleeps" he had until the parade and fireworks! His big blue lips were a gift from his older girlfriend at the snowcone shack.

We made the boy's rad shirts at our playgroup last week. Our friend Courtney helped us - she's awesome. You mix flour and water to a pancake consitency and put it in a squeeze bottle. You use it to make whatever design you want. Aidan wanted the transformer face thingy and Harry just did a bunch of squigglies. Then you water down fabric or craft paint and put it in a squirt bottle and spray it on the shirt. You can't see them very well here - but they are awesome and the boys have worn them every day since we made them. (had to wash them at night!)