School

We're starting school tomorrow, not only here at Swede Farm, but those in Hempstead as well. :D Mom and dad figured that the day dad had to start getting up to drive the bus would be the perfect day for us to start school as well.

So, last week we bought the school supplies and today I sorted them out between kids, extras, and 'teacher' supplies. :D The kids from Chris down to Judah had fun buying the supplies and the toddlers were way too happy when I told them that they could use their crayons tomorrow during 'school' time. :D

But, for some reason I always seems to forget the amount of work that goes into getting school stuff ready. For the past few years I have been teaching the toddlers and first graders. It's been really easy. We work on numbers, alphabet, a hymn, a fun song (or silly song, all depending on how old you are), I'll read a history book from the time frame that the older children are reading from, and believe it or not we do a wee bit of geography, as there is a song on the continents that they LOVE!

Well, this year I only have Noah and Judah, both of which are already pretty good with their numbers, know all the silly songs I can remember (it amazes me how easily I can forgot those stupid songs!!), and are always chomping at the bit to learn more.

So, I have to mix things up a little bit. Instead of doing the normal point to letters while we sing the alphabet song, chant 1-2-3, and the days of the week. I have decided to do an alphabet, color, shape, and number match. They both love those types of games and I can multi-task while they are working on the 'game'. The only thing is I need to get this all ready and it always seems like I can't find what I need to do it or the time to do it.

Right now it's cutting and pasting things to poster board, making sure I have all the letters, colors, and shapes I'll need, while enjoying the work. I don't need to be burnt out before we even start!

Oh, and my favorite thing to do.....History work. Print, organize, highlight, and pass out history papers for the next week. Get the history books for this week on the reading shelve, and decided what I want to do ''school'' wise this week.

I enjoy school so much! Not only doing it myself but teaching the younger children, it is such a pleasure to teach them and see them do things later on knowing that I was able to help them learn to do that.

Yes there are trying times. Like the time Timothy got tired of doing his math and decided to do an entire page incorrectly. I kid you not, he sat there and just wrote down whatever number he felt like writing down, didn't get a single problem correct. When I asked him about it he replied with "I was bored with it". Or the time Liberty spent singing the alphabet instead of the numbers we were working on. But when those times past and I get past the frustration and have a few minutes to think about it, it is all fun and something I can keep the memories from for a long time. :D

I am very thankful that God has given me these siblings to teach! :-)

Just a few Thoughts

• Turkeys are the stupidest animals on the face of the earth!! I just had a turkey sit outside the window for five minutes, pecking at the window trying to get the fly that is on INSIDE of the window, while it had a dozen flying all around him.

• Chickens have got to be the second stupidest animal on the face of the earth!! Yesterday while I was at the computer I heard something hit the window, I check on what it is before I start yelling at a toddler for throwing something at the window and realize that was a chicken trying to get away from another chicken!

• It's slightly depressing when I am happily sewing away and realize that I need my glasses to thread my needle!

• Here is an 'interview' I did for another blogger; I have greatly enjoyed reading her blog the past few months. :D

• The Astros won the rubber game last night, 4-1; Wandy went 8 innings giving up only 4 hits, ending the Marlins streak of ten hits in each of the last 15 games (A record that had stood since 1937!). Now if the Astros can keep winning and all the teams ahead of them would kindly start losing. lol

• It's Friday!! That wonderful day of the week that has us all running around like chickens with our heads cut off. You know, the day when we have to get everything ready for markets, hopefully by noon, but 4 at the latest (if all goes well).....Make sure the market buckets and bags are packed, pack all three cars for market, ice chest ready to go, ice all frozen, clothes laid out, product all labeled, etc. On top of that, to make this an even busier day, we are trying to get ready for school next week and preparing to get back to our school schedule.

Taking In A Baseball Game

For those of you who do not care for baseball, this post is one that you will probably find boring. :D Sorry, but outside of reading baseball is my favorite thing to waste time on. :D

Thanks to Stub Hub, I was able to get some tickets to last night's Astros vs. Marlins game. Only six of us went--Dad, Mom, Grace, Timothy, Noah and myself. For two reasons 1)Dad only wanted to drive in one car and 2)Everyone else doesn't really care baseball and were fine with being left home. :D

We all enjoyed it, the seats were great, the game was well played, in all it was a nice relaxing night out. :D













Train full of oranges----->
















I enjoyed watching the Astros play small ball. I can't remember the last time I saw five bases stolen, and a triple in one game.

<-----Carlos Lee in the 7th Inning. He grounded out to second (I had to cheat by looking at my score card to remember that).









Valverde in the to his last batter----->

The only draw back to the game was the fact that the Astros used 6 pitchers, (Would have love to see that number at least cut in half!) And Jose Valverde ended up throwing over 40 pitches in the ninth, would have loved for that to ba a 1-2-3 inning!

Here were the totals at the end of the game. It was really nice to attend my second game of the season and have them win this one as well. As opposed to the past two years were I went to four games each and they lost all 8 games!!

Now, to watch tonight's rubber game on TV, if I can convince the girls that I don't want to watch National Treasure tonight. lol

Oh, and to let you know...The back seat of a '94 Volvo Station wagon was not meant for a 21 year old, no matter how much they want to sit next to their little brother!! lol

Wasting Away My Evening.....

Instead of cleaning my room or sewing my dress I am watching TV with the kids. We flip back and forth between the Duggars and Food Network.

At one point we were watching Unwrapped and they said something the "Chocolate Season". Being Thanksgiving to Easter. They also mentioned something about Valentines day.

When they mentioned that Grace said..."I didn't do anything for Valentines day this year!!" After getting a raised eyebrow from me she amended, "Well, I did go to Verona, but nothing else."

At which point I had to laugh and roll my eyes at the idea of doing nothing but Verona on Valentines day. lol

Have you ever had one of those days where you have a list of things that need to been done but don't have the motivation to do them? Or a list of things you want to do, but just don't feel like getting up and doing them?

Well that is today for me. Its Friday one of our busiest day of the week (tied only with Saturday). And I feel like doing nothing. I slept in--9:30. (I’ll do another post at another date on why I did so). I then stayed in my room and read and now I have wasted time on the computer. And the more I think about it the worse I feel. I should be getting ready for market, pasteurizing milk, loading cars, printing labels, etc. But with each thing I seem to have a good excuse for why I am not doing it or can't do it at this time.

Pasteurizing milk--Dad has to get me some more bottles, which is why he and mom are in Conroe.
Loading cars--I only have one of the three cars that I need to load, currently on the property. I'll just have to wait for them all to get here.
Printing labels--I am waiting for my way to technical printer to calibrate the new ink cartridges that I just put in it.

Now for the other things, I have no excuses other then I am nothing but lazy and don't want to get up and work. Maybe if I type out the list of things I need or want to do I will feel more motivated to get up and do them. :D

• Print labels
• Pasteurize milk
• Freeze water bottles
• Clean my room
• Work on the dress I am sewing
• Read this week's chapter for Sunday school (I am not too keen on reading about pride.)
• Make sure all ice chest are ready for market
• Get books ready to return to the library tomorrow
• Do laundry, as I have fallen woefully behind in it and I think I might find myself in a world of hurt come Saturday or Sunday if no one has any clothes, due to my lack of doing it.
• Update Swede Farm Naturals' web page. As I have added new scents, would like to change the color on it, and have decided to down size so I have somethings on sale and would like to get that out there for the world ASAP.
  

There you go my list of what I need, want, or have to do today. And here the day is half gone. I need to get up and going right now. :D

I am off now, because I think seeing that list helped me greatly, because I didn't realize it was that long. :D

Girl's Day

So, yesterday I had some library books to return and needed to buy a zipper for a dress and thread for a shirt that I am sewing. :D

Seeing as the books needed to be returned in Magnolia (or two community colleges), and there was a fabric store in Magnolia that I have been wanting to go to for a good long while I decided to head into magnolia (the fact that it is closer might have also had something to do with it. :D ).

As I was thinking about what I had to do, I thought it would be fun to make an older girls day out of it. I would take Christin, Grace, and Sara we would go out for lunch, then go to the library and then check out the fabric store.

I asked mom, she said it sounded great to her, how about Wednesday?

As it turned out it was just Chris and Grace that I took with me, as Sara had a tooth pulled yesterday morning and wasn't looking nor wanting to go anywhere but bed.

We had lots of fun eating out at Taco Bell without having to watch for toddlers spilling water or dropping food on the ground. :D

The library was just as fun, since the library system that we use.--Has one of the best selection of books and the amount of books we can borrow at a time is almost unreal. lol

The fabric store was wonderful! We feel like we hit the jack-pot with it. It has a wonderful selection of fabric, more patterns then I have ever seen in one place, and other sewing items priced just perfectly for us, not to mention the people there were beyond nice. I will definitely be going back there when I need more sewing stuff. :D

In the end it was a wonderful time and we enjoyed the day out. Now, to see what I can do for Sara who had to miss out and the younger three girls. :D Something tells me another trip to the fabric store is in order, as Linnea has some sewing projects she wants to work on and Liberty loves looking at fabric. :D

Sometimes, taking the girls out isn't all that hard or bad. Just as long as they don't make me take them to get a manicure or their hair done! I think I would rather scrub dishes then do that!! But days like yesterday can be repeated as often as they or I would like, as it was very enjoyable. :D

And people think living in a large family is hard, no fun, and not enjoyable. They just haven't lived the life and have no idea. :D Wouldn't they be surprised! :D

RAIN!!

It just rained for a full hour and not just a little bit here and there, but a full fledged, out and out, soaking pour for over thirty minutes!! :D

I think the last time it rained this much at one time was back in early June! It sure was nice to see the puddles get larger, the rain keep coming, and to run through it and get soaked. :D

Oh, wait I guess at 21 I shouldn't be running through puddles. :-S Forget you read that.--That is until the next time I say that, as there are just somethings that I just can't seem to give up even as I get older. :D Ask my family, puddles are one of them. lol

Well, I need to go bottle chocolate. The gallons of some of the darkest, richest, best tasting chocolate milk you will taste is almost ready to bottled and I got distracted by rain. You would think I could grow up some day. :)

Opps!!

In our house I am the present person. No, I am not bragging, just trying to make things clear for you. :D

If you need helping figuring out what to buy for someone, ask me. If you want a present wrapped you ask me. If you need help sneaking a present into the house you ask me.

I know what everyone is getting from everyone else for all birthdays and Christmas (except of course my own). I wrap almost every single birthday present and I wrap over 50% of the Christmas presents, during the month of December my room is a mess and no one is permitted in there due to all the wrapping paper and the gifts that are hidden away EVERYWHERE!! (And I have the smallest room in the house so you can imagine what a mess it looks like and is.) And this is the way that it has been been for over 10 years now. In fact my family jokes that if I am not one of Santa's elves then I must be an honoree one. :D

Why? Because I love doing it, we have gift shopping parties during the Christmas season. It's just so much fun shopping for everyone and getting ready to see their faces when they open the gifts, it's almost more fun the receiving gifts. :D

In all of this there have been two things that has amazed not just me, but my older siblings and parents. 1) In the past 21 years I have found what my gifts are only twice! How it has not been more then that we have yet to figure out, maybe it's the fact that I don't go looking for gifts and do my best not to see what they are.

And the second thing, the biggest one for me is that I have not told anyone on purpose or by accident what they were getting. Oh, I might have done the "I know what you are getting for Christmas!! It's a _____" game and everyone knows that what I just said was an out and out lie, but they all love it anyways. (Well, truthfully more often than not it's not an out and out lie, it's a hint. But then the hint is such a good one that they cannot figure out what they are getting.) And honestly how I can keep all of this from everyone I don't know, but I am very thankful that I am able to do it. :D

Well, after I brag about it I have to confess......I failed to keep from Sara what she was getting for her birthday this year. :-S

In my last birthday post I said...."Today Christin is turning 20 and sewing madly, to get a birthday gift for Sara finished. (Now, to keep Sara from reading my blog until after she opens her gifts. lol)"

Honestly, I would never have typed that if I thought Sara would see it. When I typed that she was gone, and didn't get back home until evening chore time, which she went straight to doing. And then we had dinner and gifts. But somehow, someway Sara had enough time to slip onto the computer and read my blog (which I have just found out recently, is one of the VERY few things she does on the computer!). She already knew what Christin was sewing, so she knew what she was getting.

Now, that sneak didn't tell us she was getting on the computer and then went and told Chris and me that she had read my blog. At least she waited until after she opened it to tell us.

Thankfully Christin took it with a laugh. Because she knew that I had typed that and was helping to try and keep Sara off the computer as well. I am still trying to figure out when and how she got on without us know and what possessed me to let a slip like that out so that she knew what she was getting!! Still, can't fathom it! :-S Oh, well.

Appearances

Last Saturday was lots of fun. :D With our car troubles it would have been difficult to gt all our product for three markets into the two cars that we had. We had some friends who heard of our troubles and offered to drive me to our big market in Houston, while mom and dad went to Austin for market in the morning and a cheese thing in the evening.

It was lots of fun seeing all the other vendors and our old customers at this market as it has been a while since I was there, due to being at another market. It was also fun having our friends helping me for the day (even with their over the top praise of our product. :D ) Then I was treated with lunch out and had a wonderful Panini. Yum-o! (That made two meals with out an a bunch of toddlers running around to watch in one week, what is this world coming to?!?)

One thing that I noticed that day was what people have in mind of us Carlsons. But the more I think about it the more I wonder is it what they have in mind for my family or for me? Let me explain.....

I decided that I had had enough of a certain piece of clothing, I was NOT going to wear it again that week (I had already worn it three times that week).

<---That item was this skirt. It is my out of the house, errand running, market going, friend visiting--basically anything other than church skirt and I sometimes get sick of it. It's one of my favorite skirts, but I have had it for over a year now and wear it all the time and sometimes it just plain gets old and I want a change.







So, I wore these pants instead. --->
(yes, I know bad pictures, but at least you know what I am talking about.)

Now I don't know what it is, but I have come to realize in the past few months that people have an idea in their mind what you are to look like and when you wear something different (in my case jeans) it comes as a slight shock to them.

I have noticed that those outside of our family are surprised when they see me in anything other than a skirt.

When I leave the house in jeans I get comments from other vendors, customers and friends such as..."Are you sure you are a Carlson? You are not matching them." Or "What did you do with the real Katie?!" And "Where did you get the jeans, I didn't think you knew what they were!".

I take all the comments just like I take all the other comments I get with being in a large, homeschooling, farm living, non-dating, non-collage going, family. Only I answered these with a laugh as well as the answer because it shows one of the ways that I have changed in the past decade. (Yes, even before we moved out to the country).

I have been thinking about this and about how people notice my clothing and how I need to keep that in mind before I leave the house. I don't know why but it comes as a slight surprise to me. I guess it's because when you see us in a group you see no less than a half dozen skirts and in this day and age, no matter when or where that will catch your attention. So, I take a lot of the comments that our family gets as a group that would happen to anyone and everyone in the same situation. The first thing people notice is a large group of kids and then a lot skirts, of course they would notice and then comment, but out side of that group no one will notice or comment, right?

But, these past few months has proven me wrong and added one more thing to my list of what to keep in mind when I am about to leave the house....No matter the amount of people I am bringing with me, people will notice me because I am from a large, homeschooling, farm living, non-dating, non-collage going, family and there is just something about me/us that tells everyone that and they notice it, so whether I like it or not I am a witness for a whole long list of things and I need to keep that in mind even before I ever leave the house, and the way I dress is just one way I am and can witness to people.

Oh, the pressure!!

Habits

Have you ever noticed that everyone has little habits? Some are annoying, some are funny, and some you just don't really notice or care about?

One thing I have noticed is that in a large family everything is multiplied--laundry, dishes, laughs, cries, shoes, books, toys, people, everything, including habits! And again some are annoying, some are funny and then there are those habits that we rarely notice or care about. :D

I was going to post all my siblings habits, their names, and a picture so that you can put a name with the face and habit and ask them about their habits the next time you see them. But, then I realized that I have lived 21 fun filled years and as of right now I would love to keep living and enjoying their habits (well, at least the funny ones).

So, I will not post picture or names. Because if I were I would be boiled in oil, my head cut off and put out at the gate (that we do not have), and then I would be quartered and sent to the four corners of our lovely country (and not even be able to enjoy it!). So, as I would rather not be boiled in anything, I really kind of like where my head is right now, and I would love to see the country and be able to enjoy it, I will not be doing the mean, evil, older sister things that I thought of doing. :D

I will say that there are some that you can guess which sibling does what habit, just by having been around us for a little bit. And there is the one or two habits that my mom has talked about on here blog that I might link to. :D So, I will tell you about a couple habits, and I will say sibling instead of their name and just let y'all stew on who you think does what thing. :D

First there is the sibling that always whistles. Morning, noon, evening,and night, all the time! They have been doing this since they were about 6 years old, and when they were younger it was the worst off tune whistling you could imagine. Always three notes higher then it should be and making you think that it might be nicer to listen to me playing the clarinet in high C (which I wouldn't suggest!). Now as this sibling has gotten a litter older their whistling has gotten better and I have come to enjoy, I will sing along with them and I rarely ask them if "They were paid to be a canary?".

Some of us (yes, more than one) has the habit of licking our lips when thinking or working, I do it all the time and sometimes do it so bad I have to have lip balm with me at all times or else I come away with the worst dry lips ever. But there is one of my siblings that licks their nose when they are thinking or working hard. I'll stop right there! :D

Then there's that one thing that more than one of my siblings have done or are still do.....Nekkidicity, now that is funny! :D

The one habit that gets on my parents nerves as well as mine is that wonderful habit of quoting things. And when I say things it can be anything, it might be a song (and it all ways seems to be an annoying one or one you do not want them singing!), an ad, a book, a line from a move, or something you said. I have one sibling who is a wonderful mimic, careful what you say around this one or else it might be all over the place and everyone will know who said what and how they said it!!

The one that bothers me and my dad a lot is, doodling. Now I don't mind if you do it on your own paper or your own notes, but it's a whole 'nother ball of wax when you do it on someone else’s papers or any spare scrap of paper you can find. And most times I can tell who did it by the name that they scribbled over and over again, with doodling all round it. lol

And lastly I'll give you a habit I have, I might as well be fair to my siblings and share one of my habits.....I twist hair. You can laugh all you want and think it's no big deal, but my family will argue with you on that matter. :D I have bangs, only because of my incessant twisting. I can't keep my fingers still; if there is thread in my lap I will twist it, a child laying in my lap will get their hair twisted as well.

If you have ever been on the phone with my mom and heard her say "Ouch, Kate that hurt!!" That was because I was sitting there and twisting her hair, and it happened to get so twisted it was in a knot and I yanked it out. My toddler brothers have gotten used to me doing it during church, car rides, and movie watching and are fine with it, just as long as I don't twist it to tight enough to hurt. :D

There you go, a smattering of habits from a large family. :D

Cars

I have posted twice about driving. Once I talked about not really wanting to drive, but having to get my license for the dairy. The other post was on the car troubles that I had my first time out of the house without a parent (just what I need, right?!).

Well, now I am going to talk about driving a stick shift and our car troubles we are currently having.

First about driving a standard (or stick shift).....Well, I have known for ages that the car that I was going to learn to drive on was a stick shift and truth be told I was happy about that and it looked way to fun to pass up! (Plus, being able to drive something that some of my family members couldn't drive added some pleasure, but that was/is pride so that's another post.) But when the time came I was not taught to drive a stick shift, I went back and forth between the big 15 passenger van and our little 4 seater geo!

The main reason being, that the geo was what dad drove to work and since I was 'working' in close to the same area as he was, we drove together (or else I didn't work) and the 15 passenger is what our family drove to church. Also, dad didn't want to risk spilling coffee or breakfast on himself while I tried to learn how to drive with a clutch in the Houston morning traffic. lol

And another reason I never really drove a stick shift was I could never really grasp how it was done. I would stall out six times in as many feet, give you whip lash once I got us going and never got higher then 2nd gear! We couldn't figure it out, but necessity made it necessary that I learn to drive one as that is what I had to take to markets.

One day while I was talking with mom about it and she was telling me how she learned to drive a stick shift, all off a sudden we understood why I couldn't drive one...Dad was in the car with me! Now I love my dad dearly and if it weren't for him a TON would be missing from my life, but again, that is another post. Most times I can get over the pressure of having him watch me do something; I did it for keeping score at a ballgame, shooting a gun, pasteurizing milk, typing posts, making soap, etc. But driving a stick shift was a whole 'nother matter.

So, mom suggested I try it without him in the car, I had a license why didn't I run to the local tea house a couple days and maybe once to the library and see how things went from there. Well in those runs I stalled the car out a grand total of twice! And on my first trip to the market without parents I stalled it out four times in 70 miles! Now, I am sure that there were a few people who laughed at me while I jerked into first, but at least I got there and back home safely.

After that first week I had it down pat and like I thought I would, I LOVED it!! I drive my little geo everywhere I can and love it, I drive it every Saturday to markets, sometimes to church, to run errands, etc. All the time!

Now, for our car troubles....

If you have been in Sunday school with me the past few weeks it's been almost comical the way my prayer request have been...Week #1 "We have three markets all at least 50 miles from our house and one of cars is acting up and we need it to keep driving safely for us."

Week #2 "Well, we still have our three markets, but two cars that drive properly and the third one still drives but not any faster than 45 MPH, we would appreciate prayer that "princess" (that nick name for this one van) would act properly. Thanks!"

Week #3 "Well, we are down to two cars, for good. But one of those two has to go into the shop because it won't start, we are praying that it is an easy fix, prayer that it would be an easy fix and that we can get a larger car so we won't have to borrow a friend’s car for markets would be greatly appreciated!"

Well, this week it's going to be even better! The car that we thought might be an easy fix, was beyond easy, I could have fixed it with some coke (but don't tell my machine that I said! lol) So, we were up to two cars, our big blue 15 passenger and my little 5 seater geo.

On the way to market Tuesday afternoon our 15 passenger van blew a spark plug, something my dad never knew you could do. Thanks to some friends from church we were able to get to market, and thanks to some friends from the market, who were able to take some of our stuff home for us we were able to make market and back home with all that we needed, as well as visit with our friends from church. :D

Now, God has blessed us wonderfully and we have been able to get a station wagon (my dream car!) for one of our markets, but we will have to skip one market this week due to lack of car space and hopefully we will be able to get our old truck that used to belong to our uncle fixed for next weekend.

Now how does this all relate? Driving a stick shift and our car troubles? Well, the two working cars that we have, plus the truck that we are hopefully going to get fixed are ALL standards! I guess it's a good thing that I was forced to learn how to drive a standard!

When You Were Sweet Sixteen

Well we are here celebrating Christin and Sara's birthdays.

Where Judah helped Emma bring in the cakes (or pies as the case may be) and true to our family Judah blew out Sara's candles while the fan put Christin's out in the middle of singing Happy birthday, went sent us all in a mad dash to relight them before the song ended.

At the end of singing Grace turned up my MP3 player, she wanted to listen to some country music. When mom reminded us of a song I hate, but we always do for a 16th birthday..."When You Were Sweet Sixteen", the version we listen to is done by the Irish Tenors.

This is a song the girls played on my 16th birthday and at least once a month of the entire year that I was 16. Honestly I do not like this song, never have and somehow I get the feeling I never will. And please don't ask me why because I couldn't give you an answer, maybe because it's a wee bit on the mushy side?

But every one of my sisters loves this song; they can't wait until they are 16 so they can hear all the time just for them.

Now, to why I am blogging instead of sitting in the living room with my family? Well, I deleted this song from my MP3 just last week, and now I have to download it back to my MP3 player. But, it is taking longer than it should, because my MP3 player is giving me fits and the computer won't recognize that it is hooked up. Sometimes I HATE technology!!!

Happy Birthday!!

Since I was sick yesterday I didn't get to post like I wanted to.

Yesterday was Judah's 3rd birthday. I take it he had lots of fun, all I know was that dinner and dessert were good and he enjoyed all his presents. :D


Today Christin is turning 20 and sewing madly, to get a birthday gift for Sara finished. (Now, to keep Sara from reading my blog until after she opens her gifts. lol) Tip: Never get in Christin's way while she is doing a sewing project! She just might either knock you down or leave you thinking she is about pass out due to the stress of sewing!! (and here I thought it was a relaxing project. lol To each their own. lol)


And Sara is turning 16 today, and enjoying it with a trip into town with mom, dad, and Grace. This is going to sound weird, but I remember when Sara was born and I can't believe that she is that turning 16 today!

Toddlers

Toddlers say and fight over some of the weirdest things!

A few minutes ago Noah and Judah got into a fight because Judah wanted to go to the orthodontist and Noah said he couldn't, because Noah was going. Which is incorrect because neither are going, they aren't even going to the dentist! I think that might be a first, fighting to go to the orthodontist!

And then a few days ago Noah told Christin while she was cleaning, that if Christin kept cleaning we would have to move.