Deer

 Last week Parker got a deer.  I always have mixed feelings about this.  I've never cared for deer meat.  It tastes like grass......and dirt.  But I've really felt like we need to get a hand-up on our food storage, and a deer would be a great way to do that. 

 Except our freezers are full of breast milk.  With infant formula selling around 20.00 a can, I just can't afford to let my milk dry up.  AND if this post-pardom period is anything like the other two, my milk could dry up by the time the baby is only 4 or 5 months old.  That being said, I've had to store as much breastmilk as I can....so that when the time DOES come that I've got nothing left.....I still won't have to buy formula. 

So with the freezers busting at the seems....what on earth were we to do with all that deer meat?

Well I'll tell you.  We canned it!

Looks pretty gross doesn't it?!  But it's actually my favorite way to prepare deer meat.  It gets rid of the "gamey" flavor quite well.  And in a jar, it's all prepared and ready to go.  Warm it up if you want to...but you certainly don't have to.  You can throw it into a stew, or mix it with some cream of mushroom and serve it over rice.  Anyway.  Best of all, it can sit on the shelf, and not in the freezer.

Parker and I got home from our weekend (I went to Boise, and he went hunting near Pocatello) on Sunday night, and Monday after work, we started butchering that deer.  Parker skinned it in the garage, which actually only took about an hour.  Then he quartered it and cut all the meat into little cube-sized pieces that would fit easily in the jars.  THAT took forever.  We didn't start until 9:00 at night, after the kids were in bed.  I stayed up till midnight with him, helping however I could.  But then I went to bed and he stayed up and finished cutting it up.  He was up till 3:00 AM.  I felt so bad.  The following morning he had orientation at work....which meant he had to go in early, and spend the entire day on his feet.  Poor Parker.  The following day Angie was dealing with extreme constipation.  She work up every  hours saying "I go potty!"  Only when I took her, she'd just sit on the toilet and cry.  Nothing ever came out.  Between that and taking care of baby Garrett in the middle of the night....I had a sleepless night as well.  Oh man we were zombies.  The next morning we decided we were going to have to do something for Angie.  Parker and I went late to work, and he ran to Walgreen's to buy an enema so we could get her to go.  I hope I never have to do that again.  The poor girl.  So much screaming and crying.  About 30 minutes after the enema, she started to go.  It was diahrea, and it was.....bad.  Like.....water.  I could hear her stomach churning like a dishwasher.  I felt so bad.  Another emotional break-down followed about how I shouldn't have to go to work.  Parker's sister, Jayne, was kind enough to take Angie and Garrett for the day, since there was no way I could send her to daycare like that. 

The following day was my day off....thank goodness.  And it was a good thing, because Angie threw up so many times I lost count.  Where is this coming from?  I missed 2 days of work last week too because she was throwing up.  To top it off.....Caleb had a doctor's appointment after school to get his warts removed.  That wasn't too bad, but I decided to have someone look at Angie too.  While we were waiting for Angie's appointment (Caleb moaning and groaning about the new sores on his hands from the cryotherapy), Angie informed me she was going to throw up (AGAIN).  I'd brought a bowl, which she'd already puked into a couple times while at Caleb's appointment.  At the time I had GArrett in his carseat in one arm, my purse and discharge papers in the other hand....AND the bowl.  I dropped everything and she emptied her guts right there in the hallway.  Caleb's appointment card was sitting in the bowl when she lost it.  To top it off....I hadn't eaten anything all day, and I was literally SHAKING because I was so hungry.  I was completely famished.  A gentleman walked by and looked at the 4 of us and said, "can I help you?"  Humiliated, I told him that I just needed someone to stand with my kids while I cleaned out the bowl.  He said, "I'll take that." 
"Oh no.  You REALLY don't have to do that."  he insisted and tooked the bowl full of puke out of my hands.  What a saint.  Another lady was walking by and offered to stand with Caleb and Garrett while I got a new appointment card.  (I was now carrying Angie).  Oh my goodness, sometimes there really are good people in this world. 
When I got back with the appointment card, the lady had some disposable barf-bags for me, and the man had my bowl in a grocery sack.  Wow.  Thank you whoever you are. 
After the doctors appointments, I went to WalMart because Caleb had behaved SO ADMIRABLY at his appointment.  He didn't even cry while his warts were being frozen....although I KNOW he wanted to.  I could see his pouty lip, and his tear-filled eyes.  But he never faltered. And I was so proud, I just had to buy him a little toy.  (This is the boy who screams and goes stiff as a board when you tell him he has to get a shot......yes he deserved a toy).  But first I had to get some food.  We went to the Subway located in the Walmart, and the 3 kids sat there and watched me stuff my face with a sandwich.
Relief.
No longer shaking, we got the kids their toys and a few groceries and headed home.  And to think we had originally planned to go to the temple that evening.  So much for that.  Angie was just too sick.  Once we got home, she went to bed, and didn't have any more incidents.  No more puke.  No more runny poo.  Everybody cross your fingers that she's really over it.  Because on Tuesday night we're going on vacation to Las Vegas, and we're going whether we have sick kids or not...because I am ready for a BREAK!

Talking

Garrett is 13 weeks old today....he'll be 3 months old tomorrow.  And just like any mom of a new baby, I just don't know where the time has gone.  He's so BIG!  His face lights up when you talk to him, and he has such a unique smile!  Unlike his brother and sister, Garrett has a rather large mough....and as a result a very BIG smile!  I just love it.  He is also quite a bit more rolley than the other two.  I'm sure we can attribute that to the fact that he was so much bigger when he was born.

His eyes are still blue, and his hair is still red......keep your fingers crossed!

 

The boy has found his voice, and it's absalutely adorable!  I've taken a few videos of him talking.  Please excuse the obnoxious "Mario Kart" noises in the background.....

My children never cease to amaze me.  Today Angie counted to thirteen (and I've hardly even heard her count to ten)...then she started saying things like "eleventeen."  Always makes me laugh.  She just started singing the ABC's  even though I'm sure she's known them forever....it wasn't till recently that she started singing them.  And "Annie" is her favorite movie....so I always catch her singing to herself "Tomorrow" or "Hard knock life."  What I didn't expect was how much Caleb likes the movie too.  And HE has been singing just as much....if not MORE.....than Angie.  Just today I heard him singing "Little Girls."  It made me laugh. 

The other day I was trying to get the kids ready for school/daycare before I had to go to work.  I was rushing around the house barking commands and dealing with the constant frustration of my life that Angie NEVER SWALLOWS HER FOOD.  There came a moment where I looked at Angie and said, "Angie!  We HAVE to go! You need to swallow your food!" and she looked at me with this perplexed, innocent face and said, "Mommy.....you happy?"

Augh.

Reality check.  Am I happy?  I'm sure to her, I certainly don't LOOK happy.  Mornings are HARD!  And so frustrating.  And I can never seem to be ready on time, no matter how early I wake up....because lets be honest.  If the baby wakes up (which often he does)....the whole world has to STOP so you can feed him....(although I've recently succombed to the "prop the bottle" technique which EVERY nurse and doctor tells you NOT to do).  Anyway.  I looked at her and took a deep breath.
"Yes, sweetheart, I'm happy.......and I love you.  BUT YOU HAVE TO HURRY, IT'S TIME TO GO!!!" (I said it nicer this time).  My poor children.  I need to practice some patience.  And maybe do a few more things the night before......like shower, and do my make-up, and eat breakfast so that I have more time in the morning.  Hah.  If only.

With Tresa gone, Angie is still adjusting to her new daycare.  We spent plenty of time getting her acclimated to the place....and I really feel like she likes it there.  But she's going through separation anxiety now, every time I drop her off.  After Caleb goes to school she always asks, "Mommy, we going home?"

"No sweetheart, I have to go to work.  You're going to Shasta's house."

"NO!!"  (here come the tears) "I wanna go home!  I don't wanna go to Shasta's house."

Then once we get there, I have to follow a strict routine.  I HAVE to take her potty, and then give her a snack or the rest of her breakfast, and sometimes get her to play with a few toys and of course give her like 20 hugs and kisses before I leave.  It's NOT easy. 

And now, she's starting to have separation anxiety when I drop her off for nursery at church.  That used to NEVER happen.  It's so unfair.  I really am grateful for my job, and my education...but I also HATE the fact that I HAVE to work.  Oh well.  Life goes on.

 

One last thing.  While we were at Lagoon a few weeks ago, Caleb got this little cheap-o ring with a peace sign on it.  He asked me what it was a picture of.  I told him, "It means 'peace.'"  He looked at me a little confused....but then satisfied, he did a little punch into the air, and then said,

"You wanna piece of me?"

Hah.  Not QUITE the same "peace" I was referring to.  Oh well.  He's a boy, I guess he can't help it. ;)

Lagoon

 The last weekend of September we took a family trip to Lagoon.  It's kinda become a Lyons family tradition, since Parker's dad gets about 6 free tickets every year from work.  I just can't believe how much fun we had this year!  One of the reasons this year was so great was because Caleb was tall enough to go on almost all of the rides!  He was so excited to get to go on the big roller-coasters like "the spider" and "wild mouse" and "colossus" and especially "wicked."  I'll never forget his face as he stood up to the measuring board and we told him he was tall enough to go on "wicked."  He got this cheezy grin, "I'm tall enough?!!......YES!  I'm tall enough to go on WICKED!"  Honestly I don't know how a 6 year old can stomach that ride though....I can barely handle it myself.  It goes 0-50 in like 5 seconds and then takes you up vertical, and then a vertical drop.  I screamed so hard I lost my voice.

 Angie was tall enough to go on quite a few rides too!  And she never got scared, which REALLY surprised me, since some of them were kind-of intense.  But she really enjoyed the kiddie rides, and luckily Caleb was happy to ride those with her too. 

 Last year at Lagoon, we arrived around 11:00 and were ready to go home by 5:00.  The kids were pooped, and hungry, and cranky.  THIS year was so much better.  They were older, and enjoyed themselves so much that we stayed until about 8:00!  It was well after dark.  I just couldn't believe it.  We left because we (the adults) were pooped....not the kids.  Caleb could have continued going on rides all night.  

 Baby Garrett was such a trooper too!  He sat in his carseat cradled in the stroller for pretty much the entire day.  Of course I took hiim out to feed him and burp him, and just love on him....but he spent most of the time asleep in that little chair. 

 We decided that Fall is the best time to go to Lagoon.  The weather was SOOO perfect!  We're usually battling extreme heat, but since we waited until the end of September to go....it was much more pleasant.  It was actually the first week of "Frightmares", so there were all kinds of halloween decorations around the park....and then as evening started to come in there were lots of people dressed up as zombies walking around and waiting to scare you.  I warned Caleb about the zombies, and pointed them out to him.  He made sure he kept his distance. 

 At one point, we decided to go to Pioneer village and hit the two wet rides.  We did the log plunge first.  Angie was NOT a fan.  She HATES getting wet unless it's in a well-heated swimming pool.  So naturally, a surprise splash while she's fully clothed brought on the water works.  She screamed and cried.....and then she got over it.  Then we went on Rattlesnake Rapids (a river raft ride).  I KNEW she was going to hate this one.  Luckly it's easy to move and change seats on this ride....so as we saw the splashes coming, I got up out of my seat and shielded Angie with my body.  As a result.....I was SOAKED!  And she STILL cried.  There were SOME splashes where the water just went over the side of the boat and landed in your lap.  So my butt was completely soaked....AND.....my shoes.  I wore tennis shoes and socks.....and after that ride, I removed my shoes and wrung out my socks.  A steady stream of water gushed out.  Aww man.  I walked the rest of the day in those squishy, wet, and now stinky shoes. 

After pioneer village we hit some of the bigger roller coasters.  Caleb went on "the colossus" FOUR times!  Once with Parker, once with me, and twice with Grandpa.  I'd forgotten how intense that ride was.  I screamed the entire time.  I really have no idea how Caleb could handle it FOUR times.  He rode more rides than any of us adults!  I have a feeling he may be hard to keep up with at an amusement park like this once he's a teenager.

While we were standing in line for "wicked" Paul and Claudia waited with Angie and Garrett.  At one point there was this car that started playing some music.  Angie decided to head on over and dance.  She danced for like five minutes straight!  And Grandpa videoed the whole thing.  It's pretty much the cutest thing you've ever seen. 

 After Lagoon we went to Aunt Jo's house and stayed the night.  Caleb LOVES going to Aunt Jo's house.  This just ADDED to his excitement from spending the day at Lagoon.  It was such an awesome experience to get to enjoy that with my kids.  Especially Caleb.....this trip was a milestone for him.  We really did have a blast.