I know…it’s been 2 weeks. That seems to be the way this summer is going now. So, let’s plan on a new post every other week. Podcast will be whenever I get a chance to record.

Things are just crazy, and I never have quiet time to sit and type, or record. It’s strange. There is no sense of a schedule in this house, and it is quite frustrating. It makes it difficult for Little Man, especially with naps. Little ones need routine, and when it doesn’t happen, Oof…No bueno.

Anyway, the past 2 weeks, we’ve spent a lot of time outside. Little Man and I have done regular walks down the trail and back, and he loves looking for the Big Bad Wolf on these outings. We had several days where it was quite cool…50s and 60s…lots of rain…Oh man, I loved it. But then everyone’s sinuses went insane! Even Little Man was just miserable, so we had some very quiet, low-key days inside while we all recovered.

Little Man has become quite independent lately. He insists on going poop and pee by himself (only those 2 together, he still wants me in there just for pee), calling me when he is done. It’s nice to see the understanding happen as he runs to the bathroom, “Mummy, me need you!” or “Mummy, me do it myself,” he will say. Our latest adventure is him making his PBJ by himself. I’ll put a hunk of peanut butter on one slice of bread, jam on the other, and he will use his “Baby knife” to spread it around. Every few swipes, he will lick the knife and go “Mmmmm…” then go back to spreading it. I do the majority of the cutting, but he gets to cut the very corner spots.

We did have some big storms come through last week. There was hail nearby, so I made sure I had my emergency bag ready to go. Everything was there, except for my flashlight. Now, I used the flashlight a few weeks ago, and noticed it needed to be charged, but I could not find it after that! I went to Amazon and ordered a replacement. Then, the next morning (no tornadoes, or major issues!), I was clearing out the bag to reorganize it all, and there was the flashlight. So, now I’ve got 2 flashlights, and both are fully charged; according to Jack Spirko math, I’ve now got 1, because 1 is None, 2 is 1, and 3 is for Me. But it’s got me thinking about getting a smaller backpack that I have as the emergency bag; maybe one for me, one for Little Man. I’m not sure – still something ot think about.

This past weekend was the local Community Fair. It was so much fun. My mother had her food trailer set up; there were not a lot of food options, just her, a cheese curd guy, and then the burgers being sold in the Community Building, so she did quite well. I’ve almost got her decided on only doing these events, instead of monkey-dinking around, making pennies selling breakfast at the lake. But, the fair had a great kids area – it was all inflatables! Little Man LOVED it. Friday night he wanted to make sure I was right there with him, waiting outside the two smaller bounce houses, but Saturday and Sunday, he had his courage and was running from bounce house to bounce house. He even took the chance to venture to the big slide! It was hilarious to watch, as he was so slow, so there was always a big line of kids climbing up behind him, but then he would hop over to the slide he wanted, bounce a few times, and then jump and slide down. There was also an inflatable Axe Throwing station, which he started to get the hang of by Sunday.

The fair also had an antique tractor area. The highlight of the weekend, though, were the truck and tractor pulls Friday night and Sunday morning. Some of those truck were LOUD! I brought earmuffs Sunday, so they were a big help for Little Man to be able to watch the trucks without me having to cover his ears.

These past 2 weeks, especially this weekend, have confirmed my decision to have us live in the country. In the small towns, everyone looks out for each other. It didn’t matter if you knew everyone or no one, people would just walk up to each other and start chatting. “Are you from around here? No? Well, thanks for stopping by the fair! Yes? You should come out to these things more often!” And as we watched the kids, everyone kept an eye on all of them. It takes a village – it’s true, and when you have the village willing and able to help, that’s what it is all about.

The gardens are going well. I did not go and weed, like I meant to. Oh well, I’ve got some Tomato flowers starting! I am going to cut off the Mustard seed pods, and get them drying. Same with the Coriander and Dill seeds. The Sugar Snap Peas are looking awesome. I planted 12 seeds, and 10 of them are growing up, about 6 inches tall now. The Cucumbers are growing. I picked the first 2 last week, and there are a bunch of new flowers with Cucumbers starting, so they will be harvested in a few weeks!

I do have to say, I ordered a pair of work gloves from Duluth. I was so excited to get them, and they fit SOO well. I could have actually picked up the Small size, instead of the Medium, but they are what I’ve been looking for for a while now. I am disappointed…I got them, put them on, and within 5 minutes, I had some fraying and the stitching was coming off. Just 5 minutes of raking – seriously? But the rest of them are holding up, so I’m not ready to “throw in the towel,” so to say.