Pickles anyone? I got extras! 
This kid kills me...just sayin. 
Ok so we got brussels which are looking good despite some leaf damage from the dreaded beetles. Leeks behind looking good, bronze fennel that you can't see here, cukes of every size, shape and color, broccoli which didn't do well-not blight but damaged from the rain. Back to some neem oil at the base of the crops methinks. Today is a whirlwind of baking for our camping trip to the Cape. So far two batches of big pumpkin muffins, one loaf of banana pumpkin bread, and I haven't gotten to the couple dozen pancakes. Everything gets frozen so we can just pick it up and eat them whenever. Also to bring- a couple Stonyfield containers of cherry toms form the garden as well as some pickles, and some cukes of course. I think I'm going to harvest the cabbage today and shred it. I'm also bringing some bagged, washed herbs to throw in with the eggs and meat. My plan is to make a couple cold salads as well. Tomato, basil and mozz salad, as well as rice noodle black bean salad. I also have a dozen loads of laundy to get done, some to hang out. I have swimsuits to clean. I need to pack the camper with our bins of bug sprays, sunscreen, lighters, pots, kettles, etc etc etc Han and Em have Drs appts in Norwich at 1:30pm I need to go to Job Lots to get some tiki torches and snacks. *sigh* Avery has decided to play football. It's against my mama's intuition but I'm letting her because she wants it and needs to try it. She's been a rough kind of kid since day one. The kind of kid you would liken to a big Golden Retriever that jumps on you and knocks you over. She doesn't get how strong she is and she often hurts the others-sometimes without even realizing it. I am worried that she will get hurt, worried that I've always had a "suck it up" attitude with her because she is tough-built like a tank and STRONG. I love that she wants to do it knowing she'll be the only girl and that doesn't bother her-she thinks it looks fun and wants to try it. Her father is a bit of a caveman. He loves to be rough, loves football, teaches her to hunt for her own food, wants the kids to be able to survive whatever the circumstances (and I often think to be more prepared when we finally decide to go completely off grid somehow. ha ha!) Alternative fuels, no factory farmed mistreated meats, natural, whole, organic and no one to tell me they are going to taint my food supply! When all is said and done-I want the kids to be truly themselves without my hang ups attached-although I fully admit to being one who wears my feelings on my sleeve. Hence this conversation "But honey, we do yoga-not football!" Who knows maybe she'll hate it!! It certainly helps that one of the coaches is wonderful and knows us from soccer. He has a daughter who has played so I feel good about that. I did make sure to tell him that this is strictly trial for us. We'll see. What I know is that our relationship is difficult right now. She's been impossible from the moment she wakes up until bed. Very hard to please, wants "things", can't just chill and is always the root of the issues between the kids fighting. She drives me nuts. At night I want to smack her, not hug her and I defintely don't want to hang out and read our book. I just want her to go to sleep and leave me alone! I hate feeling like this with her. Han is ever the dreamer. We just finished the Giver-Lois Lowry and it was powerful she loved it and was thinking about it for days coming to me with new questions. I just finished Schooled which was also very good. She's lovely and helpful with the littles and cleaning up the house and often rearranges for me. We've bonded this summer and I hope school treats her well. Em and Max -littles-disastrous duo-mass destruction in their wake. Em mostly just tries to keep up with the big girls now and Max trails behind. Mostly though Max wants to climb countertops and find the sharpest knife he can (an oyster shucker for God's sakes) or he want to tear at my shirt demanding "BOOBIE!" or he wants to bite his sisters or pinch or throw a train at someone. Hell on wheels. Thankfully he wanders easily outside during the days-riding his tractor around the property-fixing things, picking little green blueberries and tomatos (oy!) helping with the garden or swinging and sliding. He doesn't venture too near to the pond but I have my eye on him and the others all day long. We've drilled into them that the pond is for fishing and feeding fish and duscks. The snappers we've hauled out of there this summer would grab a limb of one of those kids and do damage. We've had a turtle relocation program this summer-haul 'em in with hot dogs and put them in a nice rubbermaid container to be relocated to the Q river. Anyhow time for work~ | 
