The Urban Agrarian: "What should we do with the scurvy Pirate?"

What SHOULD we do with the scurvy Pirate?... Damned "Dora the Explorer!" ... Sung to the tune of 'What shall we do with the drunken sailor?' ... I am TRULY greatful that the children's show changed the words of the classic song for the benefit of my children. I am greatful also for the laugh I got listening to Ruby sing ~ no SHOUT~ this over and over and over again. I even joined in! Adding a second verse, "Throw him out with the dishwater, Captain..."

But I am NOT, oh no, SO NOT GREATFUL for this little gem rolling around my head at 3:30 in the morning keeping UP! AAAAAAHHHH!

However we had a seriously GOOD time on Nick's first day back in the office. We played and tidied, played downstairs, folded and put away laundry. Eli had a nap, I pulled something out of a hat for lunch and then we went outside to sing the aforementioned pirate song! I'm not sure my retired neighbours were impressed after the millionth verse! Oh Well! We had fun!

I put Eli on a tricycle and pushed him around the yard, Ruby and I played golf, Eli ate dirt, Gypsy tried to eat the golf ball, we all sat on the big swing and accidentally bashed Gypsy in the head, Eli fell off the slide, Ruby 'walked the plank' on her balance beam.... the birds chirped and the sun shone! It was glorious!

I noticed about a dozen plums growing on the plum tree, two apples are on the grafted apple tree, no cherries this year, but we have TOMATOES!!!!!!!!!! Yep a whole schwack of them! Gonna have to keep Ruby out of the garden somehow! (Tomatoes are her ultimate favourite!)

Potatoes are doing wonderfully, beats should be ready for harvest in only a few weeks, carrots also. Beans are taking a while and there is sadly no hope for the green onions, they sprouted but that's about all. The Walla walla onions are doing marvelously well! Couldn't see anything on the Filbert/Hazelnut tree ~ but then again I'm not sure of what I am looking for? Raspberries are coming up fast, rhubarb has taken off but we won't harvest this year, apparently it is one of those things which are only harvested the year after first planted.

Huckleberries are alive but seem a bit stifled, as with the gooseberries... perhaps their yields will be for next year also.

I'll need to do another batch of kale chips next week as the kale is already knee high again!!!! I'm SUPER excited about this as I've discovered that the Kale Chips I've made are the perfect 'pick me up' for that 3 pm slump! I used to brew coffee but even half calf had me spinning and crashing. No More! 2 good handfuls of kale chips and I'm a NEW woman with TONS of energy! I thought I was imagining it but I've looked it up and kale is very high in Vitamin B (along with A,C, K, iron and calcium) Eating it gives me an incredible 'buzz!' I LOVE IT! And just to back up my findings ~ yes my pee is florescent yellow once I've eaten the kale, a sure fire indicator of Vitamin B for anyone who has taken it in pill form!

Going camping this Canada Day Weekend! I'm hoping that the four older cousins and Ruby will entice Elias in to walking once and for all. I KNOW he can do it he just won't yet. Perhaps trying to keep up with all the chaos at the camp ground will inspire him!

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Wednesday

So I realize I have nothing, NOTHING in my fridge, no yogurt, milk, cucumber, tomatoes, NOTHING!

I thought about ordering in the groceries, but then thought why not turn it into an adventure?

Well it was an adventure all right! I had the BRILLIANT idea of taking the kids for their first bus ride! Yeah! Sounds great right? Ya.... apparently 6 years in the hinter lands has seriously affected my ability to read a bus schedule!

Ok so have a good chuckle at me... but then remember I'm undertaking a bus ride with a 20 lbs baby strapped to my back and a 26 lbs toddler in the stroller going grocery shopping solo.... NO I'm not crazy I'm just trying to keep boredom at bay and have some adventures/memories along the way!

So I hurridly got the kids ready, it was just before 8 am and the bus was scheduled to go right past our door in 40 minutes or so. Get everyone washed etc and go stand in the neighbours yard. Even have an old lady take our picture!... Ya then I watched the bus go by on the OTHER side of the street!

Ok, deep breath. Race into the house baby still strapped to back, dog knocking Ruby over, quickly fire up laptop to reread bus schedule for the CORRECT route. Ok so another half hour. No prob! We'll just walk to the next bus stop!

Saddle on up and out we go, sauntering at a 2 year olds pace! Life is good! Get to the intersection, cross the street... hmmm can't see if there is a bus stop on the other side of those trees... saunter on over... NOPE... SHITE....... turn around to see the bus swiftly pass us by... I'd gone left instead of right at the intersection.... didn't realize that I'd have to walk a block in the opposite direction of our travel to take the correct bus. Lesson learned.

Whatever we're here and I've always wanted to walk to the grocery store,,, here goes nothin'!

Start our trek up the hill....oooh Ruby look! How many cows are in the field? Twenty one! Cool!

Walk a little further, and a HUGE pregnant cow is standing right at the gate!!! HELLO Cow!

~Yes we have to pass a dairy farm on the way to the grocery store~ It's pretty neat to live this close to a farm! We drive by it all the time and on hot nights when the wind blows a certain direction we can smell the methane! It's oddly comforting?

More photos! ... Keep trotting... Eli falls asleep in the backpack... Ruby and I chat away to ourselves and passers by.

FINALLY we make it to the grocery store! Tinkle first! Shop second!

Pick up a few items, I'm careful to select the essentials as I have to hoof all of it home unless I miraculously figure out the bus schedule ~ yeah right!

Bump into a woman who turns out to be my neighbour 3 doors down...."Holy!" she says, "you must walk ALL OVER the place! You walked by my house this morning!"

She tries to hide the smile as I explain how we attempted a bus ride at the bus stop just to the left of her house...

Get our groceries, and a snack. Loaded the bottom of the stroller up and attached the bread and eggs to the back of my backpack. Down two blocks to the ball field, plunk everyone down for a snack and a run.

Saddle everyone back up, keep trekking.... passed the Fire Hall! Then to the park!

Meet ANOTHER new friend! YAY! That park just keeps blessing me with new friends!

Get a few more great pics of the kids and head home... feet swollen, shoulders raw from straps, and back aching! But we did it! Left at 9 am and got home at 11:30. I'm POOPED!

Quick lunch and some much needed quiet time! Gonna have to tidy up before Daddy gets home!

I think I've decided to do as my family does when on vacation.... one day out'n'bout the next day relaxing at home. This way we get to explore so I don't feel so bad when we are stuck watching tv because the weather is too hot to even play outside!

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I think I could guess who's reading in Malaysia! ;)

Ciao faithful readers!