Joseph's 7th Birthday Celebration

It seems almost impossible that our tiny baby in this post has turned 7 (sebbin, as he says).

He asked for chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  Done!

Nothing too fancy for birthdays.  We put up streamers after he went to bed the night before.  He tore them down in the morning.  I dressed him in a nice outfit for the day.  He promptly took it off and ran around in his underwear.  I marked his height on the wall and he asked me:  What for?

We had baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and steamed garden beans.  And then came the cupcakes and candle and singing and wishing.

He wished really hard.

And showed us how many he is.

I'm pretty sure he wished for a Zebco rod and reel combo.

And I'm sure he wished for a Wigglin' Waterpillar. (from his siblings)

And a Packer beach towel.

And a pile of clothes.

And a lantern.

It's a good thing we picked out all the right stuff.

Happy Birthday Joseph!

*In case you're in the market for a kid's fishing pole the Zebco 33 is a great choice.  The cork handle is a must for Joseph because he has a really good/bad throwing arm.  If it ends up overboard, it'll float.  The closed face reel with large spinning handle is easy for kids to manage and this all metal version is high quality.  I used the pole last night and liked it better than mine.

*this post contains affiliate links, if you click through and buy anything I receive a small commission - thanks

Put A Stop To "I'M BORED" - Part 2

In the original Put A Stop To "I'M BORED" I shared how I dole out jobs whenever "I'm Bored" is  uttered by one of my cherubs.

Today is going to be more about preventing the phrase "I'm Bored".  There's this line in Cheaper By the Dozen where the kids are complaining that none of the other kids on the block have chores and the parents retort with:

Well, we're not like other families.

My kids always chuckle at that line because it's funny, but it also rings true.  They've definitely let me know that some of their peers don't have many chores and in fact have most things done for them.  Gasp!  That would never happen in this house.  We've expected our kids to pitch in and help out since they were able to walk.  Since Maria is our littlest, it's easy to think of examples of her helping out.  She can open the kitchen drawer and pull out a pile of forks which she will place mostly in the correct spots at the table.  She can pick up and sort toys into baskets.  She can wash down cupboard doors with a cleaning wipe or wet washcloth.  

As a parent it's so easy to want to just get it done, but it really is to your benefit to include kids in the work.  Because one day those toddlers will become teenagers.  And teenagers that can't do basic housework or home repairs can easily become an enemy, where as teenagers with skills are your allies helping the household run smoothly.

Not only does a child learn valuable skills they'll one day use in their own home, but it teaches them to use their time wisely.  Working in a diligent manner results in a job well done, quickly.  However, working slowly with lots of distractions is a waste of time and doesn't allow much time for play.

But this is supposed to be about keeping kids from uttering the words "I'm Bored" and nothing works better than real work.

Need a chicken coop door built - enlist a teen.

Need a chicken coop stained - enlist 2 teens

Need some brush cleared - enlist 2 teens and a boy

Work.  It does a body good.

So there you have it.  That's how we keep our kids from being bored.  Of course, there's still plenty of time left for fun.

Wisconsin With Kids ~ Dells of the Eau Claire River

Third Installment of Wisconsin With Kids

Located in Marathon County (North Central part of WI) the Dells of the Eau Claire River is a beautiful, yet slightly dangerous place to tour with kids.  The Eau Claire River flows through an area of enormous Pre-cambium rocks creating waterfalls, gorges, and potholes.

It was raining lightly the day we went, which made for very slippery rocks.  The heavy clay soil on the walking trail was also quite slippery.  

We started out at the trail head not quite knowing what to expect.  Then all of a sudden it opened up to a scenic overlook.  There was an obvious well worn path leading to the rock outcropping.  We took the adventure, but as you can see (a couple pictures down) we had to keep our hands on the little ones very firmly.

Cleaving is the process of rock breaking.  These rocks cleaved with the most interesting straight lines.

 There were so many neat things to explore along the way, like this cave.  Not sure if it's natural or man-made or started as natural and then later reinforced.

Some parts of the trail ran tight to the river.

While other parts were much higher with a steeper grade.  Just a note, this is not stroller friendly.  We had Maria in a backpack and kept an eagle eye on Joe and Peter.

If you're into the nature study aspect of hiking this is your spot.  We looked at lots of moss and Hemlock Trees and Pre-cambium schist and exposed tree roots.  So much to see.  Do you see the trail behind (and above) Emily and Joe?  Not for strollers.

This was a phenomenal site to see in Wisconsin.  

Wisconsin has so many state natural areas to explore.  Give one a try.

Delicious Frozen Sweet Corn

Nothing tastes more like summer than fresh picked sweet corn in August.  Don't you wish you could get that flavor in January?  I do.  And with the help of a recipe from an old-fashioned cookbook, Chit Chat Homemakers, you can too.

For you local folks, head over to Nekoosa and pick up some super sweet corn from a disabled vet.  I talked to him yesterday and he relies on sweet corn sales for a good portion of his income.  It is some of the best I've ever had.   FYI:  he's located on the street across from Beaver's, sort of.  I bought 5 bags which pencils out to 70 ears of corn.  We ate about a dozen with our tacos last night and then froze the rest.

Here's my method for freezing corn.  I've adapted the original recipe to suit our tastes.  I'll share my version of the recipe after the pictures.

Step 1 - Shuck the corn, remove all silks.

Step 2 - It's time to cut the kernels from the cob.  In the past I've stabled the cob on a cutting board and cut the kernels letting them fall.  It makes a huge mess.  This time I was thinking I needed a way to balance the cob and then a bowl to catch the kernels.  Looking through the cupboards I found my angel food cake pan.  The center opening was too large and as the kernels were removed the cob kept pushing through the opening.  The idea was right, just the wrong pan.  So I grabbed my bundt pan and it worked perfectly.

 The cob balanced easily in the opening and the kernels fell in the pan.  Hardly any mess at all.  I also tried my Rada bread knife and it worked like a dream.

And then in no time (a little more than an hour even with lots of distractions) your counter will be covered in bowls of corn.

Step 3 - Cook corn with water, salt, sugar and.  At this point the distractions ramped up so I don't have anymore pictures.  But basically you bring the corn to barely a boil for 2 minutes.  Then add butter.  Cool slightly.  Pack into freezer bags or containers.  Cool a little more and freeze.  When you take these out of the freezer in the dead of winter, thaw and heat until hot you will be taken right back to summer.  It's so good. (please excuse the dirty stove top, it's been working a lot of overtime hours)

Fresh Frozen Corn

6 cups sweet corn kernels

1 1/2 c. water

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 T. sugar

2 T. butter

Place corn, water, salt, and sugar in pot.  Bring to a slight boil for two minutes, stirring often.  Add butter, stir to melt.  Cool slightly.  Pack in family size portions.  Note:  I double this recipe and cook in my large pots.  If suppose you could cook this in a huge canning kettle, but it would need constant stirring.  I just can't commit to that so I cook it in smaller batches in multiple pots on the stove at one time.  

And since apple time is near, another recipe you might enjoy.

Rustic Apple Pie

Linking up with:

Summer on the Marsh

We took a little walk on the marsh yesterday.  By the looks of the cranberries, summer is slowly fading.  The Stevens and HyReds are blushing nicely.

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Then I couldn't help get a shot of Sam ready for his first BMX practice.

Farm kids hanging out on the fertilizer trailer.

Our HyRed cranberry harvest is only 6 weeks away.  Of course, I'll be posting lots of pictures of the harvest and how it all works, but if you just can't wait until then to learn more about cranberry harvest you have two options.

#1 - Read my past posts on cranberry harvest.

Virtual Cranberry Marsh Tour

Cranberry Marsh Tour Day 2

Cranberry Marsh Tour Day 3

There are 7 days worth of tours, but these should get you started.

#2 - Purchase a copy of the soon to be released Time For Cranberries written by my neighbor, Lisl Detlefsen

*this post contains affiliate links - if you click through and purchase anything, I receive a small commission - thank you