conversation with the pest control guy

chicks at four and a half weeks

*doorbell rings*

Me: “Hi.”

Pest control guy: “Hey, I just sprayed around the outside of the house. Have you had any problems inside since the last time I was here?”

Me: “Sort of. There’s been a few incidents with enormous spiders in the kitchen. Which my husband insists on catching and releasing in the woods so they can make their way right back inside.”

Pest control guy: “Okay. Want me to spray around the kitchen?”

Me: “Yes. But let’s just keep it between us. And actually, since you’re here could you spray around the rest of the house as well? Just to be thorough?”

Pest control guy: “Sure thing.”

Me: “But maybe skip the hall bathroom. Because there’re chickens in there?”

Pest control guy: “Chickens?”

Me: “Yeah. They’re in the bathtub.

Pest control guy: “The bathtub?”

Me: “Uh-huh. See, I thought I could just pull the shower curtain closed whenever we had company and no one would know we’re raising chickens in the house, except sometimes they peck each other in the eye. And you wouldn’t believe the sort of racket they make when that happens. Can you imagine being in someone else’s bathroom and hearing that coming from the shower? Like a horror movie or that book about the crocodile in the tub…”

Pest control guy: ??!

Me: “Is this the strangest thing you’ve ever seen in someone’s house?”

Pest control guy: “Sadly, no.”

debarking the stumps

While we’re playing fruit basket turnover in the living room (someone slap me already, I’ve moved the couch four times!) I thought we should go ahead and debark the stumps. We acquired these from the lake over a year ago when Dad had a few trees chopped down. These were the source of a many jokes and eye rolling, especially the branch I insisted we were going to hang over the dining table. That particular piece is long gone, but I have a feeling we’ll be hanging onto these stumps for a while yet.

We gave our stumps a good 18 months to dry out before we removed the bark. I think that was probably a lot longer than necessary.

I used a chisel to start separating the bark from the wood at the top of the stump. Then it was easy to peel it away in big chunks.

Once most of the bark was removed, Caleb used a belt sander and 80 grit paper to smooth out the rough edges and removed loose fibers.

It took about two hours and three sanding belts to complete both stumps. There was a lot to sand.

Before bringing them inside we attached four casters to the bottom of each stump. I love how this photo highlights the dust on my floor. Not. One of these days I’ll learn to vacuum properly.

We have one high stump and one low so I paired them together beside the couch. The higher one catches my coffee cup in the morning and the lower one is stool height. It makes excellent additional seating on game night. I decided not to sand out the marks left by the chainsaw. I sort of like the look.

a few things

Jackson has been late to school every morning this week. I have whatever “-itis” hits on the last full week of school. I mean, really? Are the last couple of days necessary? Can’t we just call it good and start summer right now?

If loathing school is a crime, I’m guilty.

ps. That’s my kid in the front with the binoculars.

Yesterday I shot this squirrel off the top of the bird feeder after it had successfully chased all the birds away and been sitting there stuffing it’s face for a good half hour. And then I took a picture of myself and a dead animal. I embrace Alabama a little more every day, y’all.

ps. I’d like to clarify that we live outside the city limits and I used a pellet gun.

I found a really good deal on a cowhide a few weeks ago so we have a new living room rug.

ps. Feels like this should be related to the picture of the squirrel for some reason. I don’t know why.

Both our hens are now laying. And they seem to have finally synchronized so I’m collecting two eggs most mornings before 10:00 instead at random times all day. It’s nice not making a trip to the coop every hour and I’m sure Caleb is glad I can quit obsessing over the egg schedule. I’ve never owned an animal as rewarding as these chickens.

ps. As I wrote that, I glanced over at Tucker who stared at me indignantly from the chair where he spends 90% of his day thinking of new ways to bark in the middle of the night, poop on the driveway, or put teeth marks on the blinds.

I’m just going to leave it at that.

according to Jack

Jack: “I’d like my sandwich cut in dimes today.”

Me: “Dimes? What does that mean?”

Jack: “You know. When you cut it in four pieces you call it something about money?”

Me: “Quarters?”

Jack: “Yeah! But I just want it cut in three… so, dimes.”

mother’s day

Mother’s Day has always been one of our lesser celebrated holidays. Along with Father’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and pretty much all the other days that don’t involve kids and candy and presents. Don’t misunderstand, I’m never forgotten on my special day. There are always flowers and hugs and kisses extra “I love you, Mommy”s. But I’m not one for breakfast in bed, or trips by myself to the spa, or outings to one of my places when everyone else is miserable. So until now Mother’s Day has mostly been like all the other days. But now the boys are older and my places and becoming their places as well.

I guess what I’m getting around to saying is that we went to IKEA for Mother’s Day. The boys think of IKEA as a glorified cinnamon roll shop that happens to sell carpets and couches. They beg to go until they get there and remember how many many miles of store we’ll be walking through and how many many times Caleb and I will stop to examine the construction of a table or bookcase. Slowly they’ve become interested in the things we are interested in. They contribute to our conversations about design and that’s what turns this into a fun outing.

Me and my sister-in-law Sarah.

Dan and little Eli in the couch department.

The kids with a mostly empty cinnamon roll pan.

Typical view of our drive home.