the farm...

Here are some pics of our garden experiment...we'll see what becomes of it, but I think we might get to enjoy a lettuce salad tonight!

There are also a few of our chicken project. We hatched two baby chicks this spring and purchased six more to accompany them. We also have a few (2 soon to be 3???) litters of baby kittens around here somewhere, although the mother moved the one we did manage to find and now they are all MIA. Oh well, we really don't need more cats around here. Let me know if you want a free kitty!

How a 3 hour trip turned into 6...

Right now Gil is at Notre Dame for a Campus Ministry conference. So Jude and I took another little trip! On Sunday afternoon we took off for Council Bluffs and spent that night there with Grandma Carolyn, Papa John, and Aunt Brittany. Since Jude had been having matter in his eyes along with some redness I thought I'd try to get him into a doctor Monday morning before heading down to see the Pick's in Lenexa, KS. Well, Jude's Bellevue doctor wouldn't see him without having him re-enroll as a new patient so instead I called the nurses at both the Bellevue and Sioux City doctors. They both prescribed an eye drop over the phone. So, sweet, I would get on the road a little quicker than I had thought. I left the Ridenour's at 10:10. My plan was to pick up the prescription at Walgreens, then hit up Target for diapers, swing by my friend's in Papillion to get a pair of shoes I had left, and finally get going to Kansas City. Well, after a few misunderstandings and a trip to a different Walgreens and a different Target than I had planned, plus an unplanned trip to Alissa's apartment in Bellevue for a pit stop and some lunch, I actually left at about 12:45. We had been in the car for 2 and a half hours and hadn't even left yet! Luckily Jude was soooooo good. We made it after that with only one short stop for a binkie find and another for gas. We had a GREAT time with Katie and Russ and Ashtyn, plus all the daycare kiddos! Ashtyn said "Jude" about every other second with a variety of tones and inflections, Katie and I got a run in plus made lots of rhubarb treats, we even went to a Farmstead Tuesday morning, which was like a glorified petting zoo. Jude had a blast and is now saying "MOOOOO!" The trip back today went very well too. Jude slept 3 hours of it and we stopped to have lunch in Bellevue with my old roommate Christina (Christina, if you read this, I love your house!). At this point I have checked the pets and garden, unpacked, had supper, bathed Jude, balanced the checkbook and am now simultaneously painting my toenails, watching Gilmore Girls, and blogging...Life is Good:) I only wish Gil was home...and I'm sticking with HyVee instead of Walgreens from now on!

Jude playing with Aunt Brittany and blocks
Jude's after-eating hair-do
Jude and Ash sharing a "boo" bath
Ashtyn, Jude, Preston
Jude at the Farmstead
Jude and Ash showing off their Nike Easter outfits from Grammy Lori
The "mommy" sisters

gRaduAtIOn

This morning I attended Briar Cliff's 2010 graduation ceremony at the Orpheum in Sioux City. Well, I sort of attended. Gil was in cap and gown sitting with the other professors. Jude and I located a spot in the balcony on the end of a row and near the exit. Here is a little tip if you are thinking about bringing a one-year-old to a graduation ceremony: DON'T DO IT!!! Here is my story. We got there really early since Gil needed to be there. We spent the first 45 minutes exploring, which the orpheum is really good for. Lots of steps and space and we really weren't bothering anyone (even though we had an eight-year-old girl somewhat bothering us!). I somehow managed to get into the auditorium again right when the ceremony began. Jude seemed to be interested and a little less squirmy. And the background of the story is that he went to bed at 9 last night (way late) and was woken up at 7. By this time it was 10 and nap time. He seemed sleepy and as we sat through the entrances and the first two speakers I was hopeful that he would doze off in my arms and I could enjoy the show. (I'm a nerd and like graduations!). No such luck. Halfway through the next speaker his squirms and squawks required action. I took him out thinking in a quieter place he'd fall asleep pronto. Again, no such luck. Instead he pooped (sorry if this is TMI!). Of course I didn't have the diaper bag because I was counting on him falling asleep and didn't want to lug it around. I waited a bit until there was a moment of applause before I snuck in and grabbed the bag. We headed upstairs for a diaper change. Then we walked around some more, then we had our milk and raisin bread, then we found a friend of ours with her baby and talked for a while, then we had a second diaper changing (teething!), then we waited until the very end before sneaking back inside. THEN, as the students were making their exit, he fell asleep in my arms. No matter what the day has been like I never get tired of having Jude fall asleep in my arms. The older he gets the less it happens and so now I love it more than ever. I sat in my seat until the crowd around me exited. I attempted to scoop up all of my belongings while keeping Jude asleep, and headed downstairs to meet Gil. Really it wasn't so bad. We probably had a better time than a lot of people there. And I was consoled from my feelings of being a failure as a parent when my child wouldn't sit still or be quiet when I went to the lobby/hallway areas and saw countless others with their little ones doing the same thing-chasing their kiddos around and trying to keep them happy. It was quite comical actually. I guess that is the lot of a parent with a preschooler. I may not "see" a graduation ceremony for many years to come!

We also have some animal news to share. We have hatched two baby chicks this week! I will try to get a picture of them on here soon. This is the good news. The bad news is that Babbs apparently thinks chickens are for killing and so far 4 have become victim to her. We are trying all we can to not let that happen again. Very sad:(

We let Jude be nakey for a while the other night because of his atrocious diaper rash. He loved it!
More nakey!
I had Jude in the bathroom with me while I showered the other day. This was the scene I opened the curtain to find...he was pretty pleased with himself!
Jude petting the kitty. Fluffy loves him and pretty much puts up with anything he does to her.
Our cottonwoods.

Jude walks now!!! He is getting better and better each day. Sorry for the sideways video!

Here is Jude with Fluffy again.