Burl's First Catch

On this trip to the farm, Burl got to go fishing in the little pond.  He was so excited on the way up there, because he understood what it meant to go fishing.  Burl got his own fishing pole (red, of course), and he was satisfied to cast a line in the yard.  Once Pops set him down on the bench and got the hook in the water, Burl wasn't prepared for what would happen.  

Within a minute, they had a fish on the line and they pulled it in.  It was beyond exciting!  Two brim and one bass later, they were having themselves a big time!  The pictures are great and really show his excitement:

Fern and I just snuggled in the tractor and took selfies while they reeled in the little guys.  I took the picture below and it looks just like Burl when he was a baby.  It's unreal!

The next morning, back at our suburban homestead, Burl got to take his (unhooked) fishing pole to the front yard and do some casting.  He was just as excited to do this as he was to catch some fish.

He wanted me to give it a go so he could take a picture of me.  I was doing it all wrong, but Burl showed me how to push the button-release-swing thing, and I did it once successfully.  Here's my morning face (don't judge too harshly):

And, because I have an iPhone, I can shoot videos now.  Here's a short little video of Burl practicing at the farm.  Make sure the sound is on, as the noises are too perfect:

The whole thing was a success and the fishing pole is always close by.

Hot Day At The Farm

Directions to my dad's farm literally involve, "take the first non-paved road on your right."  That's my dad's road that drives a few miles threw the woods to get to his mailbox.  And don't you know that we all love that about getting to his farm.  

Today I took the kids up there for my first warm-weathered trip to his farm.  Usually it's cold and gray and cold.  Today was hot and sticky and perfect.  (All pictures were taken with my phone because I forgot my camera.  How telling.  I vow to not be one of those bloggers that stops using their cameras.)

This trip was even better than the last time.  Burl is very comfortable with the workings of the farm, but also knows what to do when he's apprehensive. He launched right into the work, because he is so proud that his Pops needs his help.  

Fern was very excited about the animals, even though last time she was pretty scared of the noises.  She was getting very excited when we saw the animals, pointing and saying their names.  Chicken. Cow. Duck. Doggy.  It's adorable.  It makes sense though, because for the last two weeks, she's been obsessed with these two farm books and really just wants to look at the pictures and say what they are.

This time we had another first: I took both kids 4-wheeling.  I'm semi-terrified and semi-enthralled with it.  Burl was 100% excited, and Fern, well, I think she liked it because she didn't cry.  I couldn't really see her back there, but my dad said she was smiling.  Burl worked out this feed an animal-go for a ride trade off that was really fun.  He loved it!

We ate lunch in the Winne-hot dogs, cheese, apples, and blueberries.
Oh, how they loved those blueberries...and eating in the Winne.

After lunch (we were passing nap time at this point), Burl got to go fishing for the first time.  I snuggled with Fern in the tractor while they had fun.  My dad said that this trip should really be a 3-part series on my blog with all the adventures we had, so I think I'll follow the advice and let the fishing be its own post.  It was such a joy to watch!

Even though we're all exhausted, it was a good time and I'm thankful we made the drive.

A line out of one of Burl's library books sums it up perfectly,

"Today is gone.

Today was fun.

Tomorrow is another one.

Every day, from here to there, 

funny things are everywhere."

-One Fish, Two Fish by Dr. Seuss 

This Week's Menu

Every Sunday night, I post my little menu for the week.  It's less about blowing minds with a fabulous plan, and more of a tool to help me remember the plan.  So often I forget what I plan or where the recipe is online.  Posting it here helps solve both of those problems.  

Roast, steamed carrots, limas

Spaghetti with red veggie sauce (spaghetti squash for me)

Grilled chicken, grilled corn, green beans

Pizza for the fam (I have a dinner)

InstaFriday

I'm in this new relationship.  It's almost too early to say this, but I'm in love.  Mama.got.an.iphone.  John and I made the upgrade this week, and we've had the most fun with Instagram.  For daily fun, follow me as I frequently post pictures.  Here are a few from the past four days.

Linking up with InstaFriday for some fun!