Sprinkler Fun

Summer is quickly coming to a close here. School will be starting in a little more than a week and we will be starting a new, more structured routine but for now we are still enjoying our carefree days spent mostly outside!

I found an awesome tutorial for a pvc pipe sprinkler while I was wandering through blog land one day and I thought it looked pretty fun! We picked up the supplies for the sprinkler awhile ago but never got around to putting it together. My wonderful husband finally found some time in his crazy schedule to put it together for me.

We decided to test it out today and it was a HUGE hit! Normally Jadon and John do not care for the sprinkler. They prefer to play in the baby pool or the water table. When Jake kicked on this sprinkler however they jumped right in. They loved it!!

I could not believe how much fun Jadon was having running through the water!

Stopping to get a quick drink.....

Trying to catch some of the water in buckets.

Another drink break.....cracks me up.

Watch out big brother.....Here I come!!

Oh mom this is so much fun!! 

After about 30 minutes of running through the water Jadon needed a break.  He got out his chair, sat in it, and watched for about 5 minutes.  That was enough to rejuvinate him and he was off running again! 

Love this idea and I am so glad we made one!  Thanks to the blog "Here Comes The Sun" for sharing her idea! 

Gardener In Training

We have a little gardener in training at our house this year.  Jadon LOVES to go out to the garden.  He is very excited to pick and eat the "watermeme"!  Tonight I told Jadon that I needed to go water the garden (we need some rain).  He scurried up the stairs leaving me to wonder what he was up to.  When he came back down he was wearing his rubber boots.  He has been waiting for the perfect time to wear these boots.  He keeps trying to put them on when we are leaving to go into town and run errands.  We keep having to explain that he can't wear them.  So finally I don't have to tell him no!  He looks so cute in them.

So off we marched to the garden.  Jadon ahead of me saying "Mon Mom, Mon"....translation...."Come on Mom, come on!".   I started watering the garden pausing every few minutes to fill the three cans that we keep out there to water the plants that the hose can't reach.  Jadon was dunking his little watering can inside of these cans to fill it up.  He was then searching for things to water.  Jadon believes that you need to water the actual vegetable not the leaves.  Of course he had to water his precious watermeme's first!

Shelby took over watering so I could snap some pics.  I love how this picture turned out. 

Watering another watermelon.

Marching back to fill up his watering can.

So serious!  Look at Righty go!

Righty carrying the watering can.  Just loving the boots!

He found a tiny squash that needed some water.

That tiny squash must have looked very thirsty.  It got several good drinks!

Jadon was such a good helper!  After I was done watering I gave Jadon the hose to play around with while I did some weeding.  I was pulling some grass out that was trying to hide in the tomato plants and the next thing I know I am getting wet!  That little stinker turned the hose on me!  He thought it was pretty funny so I continued to get sprayed periodically while weeding.  He did finally lose interest and came over to help me find more "pickles".  He LOVES Daddy's dill pickles!  We found about six.  Jadon put them all in a can and carried them in the house for me.


As we were walking in the house I noticed that he was soaking wet from head to toe.  His boots were covered in mud and grass.  We had to make sure he took his boots off on the porch and his clothes came off not long after we got in the house.  He was messy but it was a nice way to spend an evening. 

A Yummy Pie With A Surprise

A couple of years ago our zucchini plants went INSANE!  We had zucchini all over our kitchen counters and could not come up with ways to use it fast enough!  We felt like we were shredding and freezing all day long.  We would beg people to take just one.  I distinctly remember taking several five gallon buckets full of zucchini to a pool party our 4H club had and praying I did not have to take them back home.  That was the day I got an amazing recipe that used zucchini.  Our 4H leader asked me if I had ever tried mock apple pie.  I asked what it was and she explained that it looked and tasted just like an apple pie but you used zucchini.  I expressed my doubt that this was even remotely possible, but she swore it was true.  I had the recipe in hand within 24 hours, and a pie baked within the next 24 hours.  I am here to tell you people that yes this pie does taste and look just like apple pie.  I love this use for zucchini!  I now freeze some of my zucchini in the slices required to make this pie along with shredding for bread.

We love making these pies for unsuspecting people.  We let them eat happily believing that they are enjoying a yummy homemade apple pie then we spring the news on them.  My husband took some to work and did this.  People argued with him when he told them it was zucchini.  They told him he was lying.  LOL!  Cracked me up!

So here is the recipe for what I like to call "Zapple Pie".

Zucchini “Apple” Pie

Use big zucchinis, but still tender enough that you can pierce the skin easily with your thumbnail.

Peel, cut in quarters lengthwise, remove the seeds and slice crosswise.

Toss together:

4 cups zucchini, cooked until tender crisp (I do this in the microwave)

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Dash salt

Mix in a bowl:

1 ¼ cup sugar

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. cream of tartar

Dash of nutmeg

3 tbsp. of flour

Add zucchini and mix well. It will be runny, but that’s okay.  Dump the filling in to a 9 inch pie crust and dot with butter.  Add the top crust and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown. 

Recipe may be doubled to make the jelly roll pan size pie “slices”.

Enjoy!

Got Dirt?

What is it about dirt that makes boys just gravitate to it?  We own a sandbox with nice play sand from Menards and lot of buckets and shovels but if this boy finds a patch of dirt he would much rather play in that.  We have mole issues and every once in awhile they will create mounds of dirt in the yard while they are tunneling.  Jadon loves to play in these. 

I watch him amazed.  He does not even need a shovel.  Nope.  Why waste time going to get a shovel when your hands work perfectly fine?  Ugh.......

It does not take long before the other boy in the yard becomes curious about what Jadon is up to.  As soon as he realizes Jadon has a watering can full of dirt they are best buds. 

Now they are on the move.  John's container is empty so I am sure they are scouting out another good place to dig up some dirt with their hands.

Who needs a sandbox?