Weekend Fun and Projects Done!

Most of the time I feel like I'm doing okay as the Ferrell Boys Mom, but then other times I realize that I could do so much better.

Like for instance . . . the swimming pool.  I worked on getting the swimming pool totally cleaned up and even moved it up by the house so it would be more convenient for the boys and for me when they want to swim.  Most every time they ask to go swimming, I let them go swimming . . . I say let because if I don't watch them swim, then they can't go swimming.  They just aren't old enough to go swimming unsupervised yet.

But even though I fixed the pool up for them and let them swim whenever they want to swim, I still wasn't doing the best that I could do as far as swimming was concerned.  Of course, I had no idea that my children were being deprived in any way until this weekend.  What changed?

I changed.

I changed into my swimsuit (horrors) and got in the pool with them!  And the difference it made to them . . . who could have known that me getting in the pool would be that big a deal to these rowdy three boys I'm with all the time anyway?!?

But that's just it.  Apparently swimming is more fun when Momma is there with them.  Was it more fun for Momma?   Uh nope.  I got water in my ears.  My hair got wet.  And I need a vacuum for the pool cause I didn't like the leaves that had accumulated on the pool floor when I stepped on them.

But the boys loved it.  And I loved that.  I actually got in the pool on Friday and Saturday.

Zach and Alex both know how to swim.  Shane hasn't learned yet.  So I decided to give him a little swimming lesson while I was in the pool.

Lesson #1:  Learn how to kick your legs in the water.

Shane, "But I don't want to get water in my face."   Hey Shane, if you get in the pool, you're gonna get some water on your face!  

That's all the lessons we accomplished this weekend.  :)  

Zach demonstrated his version of the dead man's float for me.   

Besides swimming this weekend, we also did some cleaning around the house.  My sweet daddy came out Saturday and mowed our front yard and back yard.  The grass was almost to my waist . . . it was soooo high!  Our yard is about 3 acres to mow so it took Daddy several hours to mow it.  And then because the grass was so tall, there were rows and piles of grass clippings everywhere.  So Daddy came out Sunday afternoon with his grass catcher attachment to his mower and raked up all the grass clippings into the bag . . . and then dumped out the grass "hay" for the cows to enjoy.

My yard looks so good!  My Daddy does such a great job on everything he does.

And while Daddy was mowing, my sweet momma spent Saturday helping Alex clean up his room and go through his toys.  On Sunday she helped Alex clean out his closet AND clean up his bathroom (like under the sink and in all the drawers).  She helped him purge his toy collection and now he has a bunch of toys to give away.

Now I was busy too.  While my sweet parents were busy working in the yard and cleaning Alex's room, I was working on the breakfast area in my kitchen.  I'm almost finished with that project.

My friend Laycee came out one night last week and helped me decide where to put the plates and pictures I had purchased for the breakfast area.  I was having a hard time deciding where to hang everything.

Today,  Dave helped me hang everything.  But I'm still not completely happy with the way it looks.  I need some opinions please.  Here is what it looked like when Dave was finished:

My Daddy hung the Ferrell Farm sign for me a few weeks ago. 

Today, Dave added the plates on either side of the Ferrell Farm sign.  There are farm animals on the plates.

Dave also hung the cross and the two rooster pictures on either side of the window.

Here's my problem . . . I can't decide if I like the animal plates hanging beside the Ferrell Farm sign.  What do you think?

With the Plates:

Without the Plates:

With the Plates:

Without the Plates:

What do you think?  And should I put some white wooden blinds on the window?  I'm so close to being completely through with my breakfast area.  This is all I have left to do.  Help me please?!?

Also on Saturday, I got stung by a wasp helping my Daddy outside.  It was very traumatic.  I haven't been stung by a wasp in years so I had forgotten how bad it hurts.  My poor hand is still swollen and sore today.

On Saturday, Dave took Zach fishing as a reward for his hard work in the yard picking up limbs and trash.

We have 8 dogs -- part lab -- so they are constantly dragging things into the yard and tearing up stuff. Everyday, the boys have to pick up stuff in the yard, but Saturday, Zach did it all by himself  . . . getting the yard ready for PawPaw to mow.  All this hard work . . . so he could go fishing by himself with Dave.
(btw:  He's wearing my boots)

He loves to fish and getting to spend the afternoon fishing with Dave by himself was a big treat.  When you have 3 boys, it's hard to have one on one time with each of them, but Dave really makes an effort.

Of course, Dave was happy to go fishing too.  It sure beats working in the yard!

Well that wraps up my weekend at Ferrell Farm with . . . .  

                           the Ferrell boys and me!