"1st"s of the summer:
1.) I Mowed the lawn this weekend for the first time. We have been able to buy a little time on this one due to the long winter/cold spring and our numerous "al naturale" lawn mowers (i.e., Aoife, Beatrix, Ciaran and Padraig... and of course the baby lambs). Over time, Farmer J has gotten the sheep used to wearing a collar and being on a long lease so we can graze them on the yard. The baby lambs stay close by their mamas so they don't need to be on a lease... yet! The goats stay by us! And who needs nasty weed removal chemicals when you have goats... they love dandelions! Such a win-win, the animals get more grazing pasture and we have less to mow. The only downside... our "al naturale" lawn mowers are not potty trained. But... we don't have to buy fertilizer for the grass! Just watch where you step...
2.) Sun burn for the first time. I should know better. Today I got to celebrate my upcoming birthday with one of my bestie girlfriends! We garage sale'd and ate lunch outside! Who knew that little bit of sun would turn my shoulders pink. But... should I really be surprised- these shoulders haven't seen sun like today's sunlight since last September!
3.) Arnold Palmer in hand! Those of you who know me know that I LOVE sweet tea and Arnold Palmers (1/2 lemonade; 1/2 iced tea). Got an Arnie for lunch today! Ahhhhhh. I'm looking forward to sipping some sweet tea while rocking in my rocking chair on Memorial Day!
4.) Chicken round-up! The chickens do not like going in their coop when it's still light out... but I don't want them to get munched up by Mr. Raccoon (who seems to be no longer a nocturnal animal). So... trying to get them into the coop last night was a family affair. Unfortunately, the boys let out 5 chickens when they were trying to get the last remaining chicken in the door! Farmer Mama to the rescue. I do this clapping noise along with a loud "Baaaaaabies" and they come running. Even the chickens know to listen to their mama (of course, it doesn't hurt that I'm the one most often feeding them.)
5.) Fishing at the nearby lake. We live very close to three, nice lakes. J and the boys went fishing off Mr. Jim and Miss Mary's pier. They almost caught "the big one." Luckily, they got to stay for a yummy lunch. Thanks Mr. Jim and Miss Mary! Also- thank you for moving the brush pile by the barn!
6.) Ice Cream/Movie night. We found a new spot for de-lish ice cream! We all split a turtle banana split! Yum! Now the boys are watching "Star Wars" for the first time. I had a big brother growing up so I'm passing on the Star Wars movie-- but can hear many Chewbacca and lightsaber noises from downstairs!
7.) Run through the sprinkler (a.k.a., the hose with an attached spray nozzle). All mama's know how to multi-task. I was able to take turns watering some flowers, spraying off the ant piles on the walkway, spraying off the chicken poo on the front porch AND spraying off two little boys running through the front yard in their swimming trunks!
8.) Garage sale (in warm weather). I LOVE to rummage. So... I have been garage sale'ing for at least a month now but today I got to not only do it with a bestie BUT in warm weather! My bestie's and I are trying to only buy clothes (for our whole families) and household decor items second hand (i.e., garage sales, thrift shops, Craigslist, etc.) We popped some major tags today! I got a pair of brand new, North Face snow pants for JJ for next year for dirt cheap at a garage sale today. My bestie got a few antiques, a funky lamp and lampshade and a cute Pottery Barn rolling basket. If I was just a wee bit smaller, I could have scored some amazing high end jeans. When you need something new, consider buying second hand-- it's great for the pocket book and for the environment.
