Kissaroo and the Barnyard too!

So, I'll start with Kissaroo! I taught kindergarten this week, and I saw this book and thought it was absolutely adorable!! It's called, "Won't You Be My Kissaroo?" by Joanne Ryder and Melissa Sweet. I still need help with my links, so just check it out on amazon or something. I really want to get it! It's written for children, from a mom sheep to her lamb sort of ....but I'll let you in on a secret....I videotaped myself reading it and put it on the other blog I have for Matt for his birthday video. Yes, there's a reason why he's the only one who can read that blog. Nobody else would want to listen to me read a silly story, with lots of bloopers because I just copied down the text real quick at the end of the day and couldn't read my handwriting!

Sidenote: How cool is my family??? They sent I think 32 emails to Matt for his birthday!! Thank you family!! It helps to have a big family, but that's so awesome!!

The book is sort of written like a poem and talks about all different kinds of wonderful kisses...hehe. Good morning kisses, hello kisses, good-bye kisses, breakfast sticky kisses, "gotcha" kisses, and on and on. I think it's one of my favorites. So sweet! It's not one for a good plot though! However, I think it's one any parent would enjoy reading (well, Moms anyway) to their little one or even wives to their husbands (big points for any husband who reads it to their wives)! haha Hooray! I made a plug for Literacy! I need to use that Master's degree some time. Someday, maybe I'll share more of my favorite "children's" books. That's about all the kind of books I've read in the past 6 years, besides text books. I did start an "adult" book today, haha...ok, a novel, so we'll see how that goes.

This weekend, well, Thursday on, my parents are out of town. Roberts had a track meet, Christian Nationals, out in Indiana and my dad coaches, so he's often gone most weekends (until super early Sunday mornings ...for church). My mom went with him this time. Being the helpful daughter I am (ok, the boring one out of the 4 kids without much of a ...a...busy life, no that's not right. Yeah, I guess just the boring one right now), was stuck with, I mean left with the responsibility of taking care of the animals. Caleb, our dog is alright, but right now he stinks! It's pouring outside, and I'm thankful to have just finished feeding the animals. We all (the animals: sheep, goats, donkey, horse, ducks, Caleb... and I) got pretty wet. Several weeks ago Caleb must have sat on a skunk or, probably rolled on a skunk. Oh man he stunk! He's an indoor dog that's an outdoor dog at heart. He loves being outside, but he loves people too. So, he's in when the weather is bad and during the night or when the family is inside for the most part. Anyways, no, as far as I know he hasn't had another date with a skunk but anytime it rains and he gets wet...that scent just bursts on forth! I put off filling the water troughs till tonight, so I had to stand in the rain with the hose while he runs around sniffing things out. I was hoping the weather would call for several inches of rain...so I wouldn't have to fill them ;) just kidding..? At least they were all where they were supposed to be tonight. This morning, I was in a hurry (to go babysit Nathanael), isn't that the way it always is? and one of the ducks was out and the littlest lamb was in the wrong stall ma-jig. The last day I have to deal with you and this is what you do? We still have yet to figure out how that duck keeps getting out. She's pretty tricky! On the neat end, we have 3 eggs in a nest in the barn. We'll see if we get some little ducklings! Matt and I have discussed this whole animal issue when we have kids several times. This is our conclusion: We don't mind having fish as pets (haha) or at most, a dog. (Oh wait, we might have to have Matt's chinchilla, Yoda, for awhile...sigh...at least it's small :) As soon as our kids ask for the "bigger and better pets"....we ship them off for a weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's. They can help out all they want. (My parents waited till all us kids were grown up to finally get half the animal we wanted...a horse...they have a mini-horse.) Hey, maybe our kids can even persuade them to get a different animal, but it stays at Grandma and Grandpa's!! Grandparents really do spoil the grandkids waayy more than their kids. Hopefully, that'll still be the case when our kids come around! Our kids will be able to have the fun of "having" animals, but we won't have the mess! And, we won't be stuck with the animals, after the novelty has worn off for them and/or when we want to go on vacation!

*I love you...even though you like chinchillas...ew.