FarmFresh

The Boy with the Hole in his Head

I did not remember yesterday's date, until late last night. January 18th.

Just another page in the calender, yes. But also an anniversary of sorts for our family. 9 years ago, Jackson had brain surgery to insert a shunt. He would have died without it.

Jackson has hydrocephalus. He is doing well. We continue to be thankful. Dr. Burke and Dr. Guthrie rock.

Learn more:

Gabriel's Life

Hydrocephalus Association

Hydrocephalus Facts

 

Pigs

These are two of the six pigs the boys will show this week. If you need us, we are in the pig barn. We are washing, walking, and clipping.

4 Thumbs Down

I tried a new recipe the other night. I wasn't too sure about it due to the soy sauce and sesame oil. I am a "anything but Chinese" kind of girl when it comes to food. Something about the smell....but I digress. Both boys have the Farmer Boy's love of Chinese food. And the pictures made my mouth water.

The boys tried it. They tried several bites. They did not complain. Miracle, you ask?

Close.

What was amazing is that they had an open mind. They actually tried several bites before deciding they did not care for it. Usually Baby J is quick to gripe and call something "disgusting," while Payne will only try to teeniest-tiniest smallest speck with which he can escape.

It helps to have hungry boys. They had been out working the pigs after school, and were starving. They sprinkled on a little extra seasoned salt and drowned each piece in ketchup. But they did eat. They agreed we did not have to cook that recipe again.

They Call Me Sta-cey

Obsessed. Yes, I am. This song is imprinted in my brain. How can you not bop around when you hear it?

That's Not My Name (link takes you to YouTube video) by The Ting Tings.

*yes, I know some of you have liked them for a while, and I normally am at the front of new music, not on the finally-popular-with-the-world backend. I'll try to find my cutting-edge. I think I lost it about the time I lost Mom-of-the-Year last year.

Where Do You Go: Community

The world is big. It can be big and dark and scary. You need friends and family to walk you through and to keep the candle burning in the window.

The internet is big. It can be big and dark and scary. There are friends and family leaving the porch lights on there too.

I posted before about Matt, Liz and Madeline. He's had lots of people turning on their lights and it seems like he is getting ready to pass it on. See for yourself how is doing:

Thanks to Twitter (what, you aren't twittering?) a mom in a bad position had some light thrown her way this week.

Amanda Soule started Mama to Mama. Look what her online community was able to accomplish.

There are so many ways to connect. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, email, message boards, MySpace (egh! but it might be your thing) are just doorways to meet and greet and help and learn.

So where do you go?

Thoughts on Thursday

The Dos Hermanos are back in school, and I struggle to find my groove. The weeks without normalcy have taken their toll.

I started by heading back to the gym Tuesday. The body is paying for 3 weeks of sloth-ness.

I threw all the stacks on my desk into a box. The plan? To sort and purge and organize.

Jon's new computer came. iTunes will not install. iTunes hates it here at the FarmFresh IT center right now. iTunes is the work of the Satan. iTunes and Vista are trying to kill each other. Add my computer and the inability to connect my phone because it will spiral down a drain of death to my woes. Apple, why do you taunt me with your sleek sexiness?

Hops went home to the Hagedorns, and Jackson is despondent. No surprise there. He moped into school this morning, big brown eyes full of tears waiting to spill out. He doesn't do well when fun things come to an end.

I won the family bowl pool. Rheagan and I were brave enough to pick the sand fleas to go down, and they did so in stunning fashion. Doesn't matter who wins tonight, I am the victor.

I ordered some seeds the other day. I can't wait to eat these little peppers. Now I must decide where my new little garden will grow.

Time to get back to work....still looking for that groove.

Puppy Sitting

Meet Hops, the adorable new puppy belonging to our friends the Hagedorns.

Hops is staying with us while the Hagedorns are away. It's much like having a crawling baby in the house.

Happy New Year

A boy and his dog, at the end of a lovely New Year's Eve party: