Totally Bizarro Baby Products ~Becky

Who Cut the Cheese?

KT pulled this old cheese out of the outdoor root cellar. I don’t know how long its been down there, but she is planning to try some of it.

Apparently, some of it is Tome cheese; some of it is Ricotta Salata (salted and recooked, in Italian). There's a Sicilian variety, too.

~Becky

Eagle Cam

Just saw this on the news- so neat... Baby Eagles hatching-the first one sometime today. And you can watch it on the eagle cam. Baby Eagles! This morning either the Mom or Dad eagle (they take turns) was sleeping in the nest, which was very cute. Not very exciting perhaps, but as you start to watch, waiting for that first baby is very suspenseful. Can you imagine being lucky enough to watch that? Can you imagine watching all day and then missing it? Links to WKBT articles on the subject: http://www.wkbt.com/Global/category.asp?C=207989 http://www.wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=14354431 Oop, just heard my baby wake up; my little baby dinosaur. ~Becky

Charlie’s toy box.

I love it when everyone is blogging! Thanks for keeping us going here Mum (see also The Lingens and (insert clever title here)).

Percy and Steve brought Charlie’s new curtain and toy box down on Sunday, completing Charlie’s nursery (I guess he needs a floor play rug yet, and I might rearrange his wall art slightly, but close enough). I don’t think the pictures quite do it justice, but aren’t the Lingen boys handsome? (Charlie’s getting wild.)

The toy box isn’t attached to the wall, which is very clever, as it can move with us. Its already full of toys! But I can just see Charlie curling up to read in his window seat, with a view of Sugar Loaf Bluff, when he gets a little bigger.

For now, he’s more into eating books than reading them. Although he does enjoy being read to, and we’re currently reading through "The Season's of Henry's Farm"; which I highly recommend, as does Trav and Mother Earth News Magazine. In fact, reading this book may have been what prompted Trav to plant several types of seeds outside yesterday (that and his dad bought him a ground thermometer at Menards, and I’m pretty sure he has a bad case of Spring Fever- he even drove his motorcycle to school today, though he called between his lecture and lab to say he may need a ride later, as it was acting up).

~Becky

Big Boy.

Every time his Mummy can catch him at it. ~Becky

Before milking

Polly before she gets milked. She has a nice silkly udder, and is easy to milk.

Our first new mom who lost her babies because they came too early. She likes to get milked. She also is fun to milk and has a nice udder too.

The last three that were born. They love to run around the milking stand as I am trying to milk.

These are the oldest ones that get fed the milk from their mothers. They are sure growing. Sometimes they run around the pen and jump off the wall.

Busy time in the goat barn

This Mom had three one large 9 lbs and the other two were 6 lbs . One doe and two bucks.

Ivory had two, 10 lbs each, one doe and one buck.

Here is a new Mom. Larry raised her last year and named her Polly. She had one big buck.

Here is our first kids of the season. Oreo had one doe and one buck.

Will you be my Valentine(s) all year?

A little bit belated, but enjoy the cute video and lovely cheer . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=840NbiFF1zM

My Baby.

-Becky

A Day in the Life of Charlie's New Hat.

~Becky

Greatest Hits (Holiday Style). AKA Charlie's first Christmas.

~Becky

All cookied out, but ready for Christmas.

I started with recipes for about 8 varieties of cookies, and ended up making 4 (with extra plain-jane cookie dough waiting in the fridge, perhaps for a Christmas Eve decorating party?). And that's going to be it for now. It gets to be a lot of work, baking so may cookies with an infant around- doable, but a major workout. And its tired me out. Charles and I are going to do some cuddling tomorrow, I think, instead of baking cookies. We prepared this sampler plate for Trav, for when he gets done with work tonight. So we've got molasses, hershey kiss peanut butter (a little crumbly), a lemon-glazed white cookie, and a Christmas cookie with orange zest kneaded in the dough and a semisweet chocolate drizzle (my favorite this year). After we decorate cookies, we'll have a little more color in there.

Otherwise, we're pretty much ready, and excited to be hosting the first Christmas (of course we always get to have more than one Christmas, so that's always fun :)

Here's some more Christmassy photos from around the house (not very good quality, but like I said, I baked all day)...




And Charlie got a visit from his Grand-mummy Wiste today (and Zia KT and her friend Eveline). Fun was had by all. However, Charlie's fighting a little cold and teething perhaps? So he wasn't quite his normal self - even so, he has a hard time not smiling.

~Becky

Happy to be.

This is a picture of Charlie yesterday, shortly after he rolled over for the first time. He is generally such a happy baby- such a joy to be around. He's chatting at me right now, so I'd guess I better go...

~Becky

Now taking bets.

When do you think the first tooth will break through?




Busy, busy.

~Becky

The Holiday Season...

The snow just makes it feel more like the holidays. I'm finally excited to start decorating and Christmas shopping, baking, and making Charlie's first Christmas special. (Stockings are on the way!) Trav's holiday work party is tonight, so that should be fun.

I have several different occasions of photos to post (including baptism), but just haven't for lack of either time or motivation. Here's a few from Thanksgiving, which was fabulous because we were able to share it with so many family members and friends.

Liz and her brussel sprouts

Truman, making lefse (watch out for feisty Norwegians!)

Megan spilling secrets in Spanish to Charles

Lin, pouring the champagne

And Grandpa Wiste, showing Charlie the birds

Check out some additional lovely pics at Bill's zenfolio site (I love this one :).
Which also includes photos of Bill and Lin's farm, Meadowgate (which coincidentally is where my Grandma Wiste grew up, and is now a completely romantic hideaway complete with sheep and herding dogs).

~Becky