Category Archives: janice

The proper way to slay goatheads

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If you don't know what a goathead is or have never stepped on one I kinda hate you. Read this info graphic that I kindly found for you. Goatheads SUCK. They are one thing I truly hate. HATE.

puncturevine-4-10-12Our backyard is infested. COVERED in the retched things. IT's bad. SO SO SO bad. We've been fighting a loosing a battle for years. We finally got to the point where we decided to just kill everything off and start over with the back yard landscapping. It needed a new sprinkler system and layout anyhow so we just stopped watering and let the deadly AZ sun do it's worst.

goatheadsEverything back there is dead now. YEA! But walking in our backyard barefoot is just asking for epic pain. Just a few feet result in shoes looking like this. And this in bare feet, YIKES. Like you just wanna die from the pain. We have a strict check your shoes policy, but they still occasionally get tracked inside and some poor soul gets it in their foot. And the screaming, oh, the screaming in pain. And the tears. It brings out my inner Mom rage. My inner rage towards a plant, not the children.

goatheads.1I just really hate goatheads. So I did what any reasonable Mom would do, I begged and pleaded with Jon to buy me a flame thrower to burn all the deadly seeds that cover our yard. He was SUPER hesitant to buy his extremely accident prone wife a flame thrower. I mean, it was totally justified. If you know me, then you know. But, Never give up, never surrender! (Name that movie!)

It was either burn the deadly seeds or spend hours scrapping them all out of the earth before we put in new grass. Um…. burn baby, burn!

IMG_7362So I won (Really practicality won, and I have a brave hubby.), and my flame thrower was ordered and delivered courtesy of Amazon (I have an online shopping problem known as: "I have five kids and therefor never leave the house for other than food shopping.") Amazon Prime is my bestie.

Tonight Jon set it all up and taught me how to use it and not kill myself. He was taking photos and standing RIGHT next to the hose. Because he's brave, not stupid. If you know me, then you know.IMG_7393I found flame throwing to be super cathartic for my inner rage towards my goathead problem. Jon had to convince me that I had enough for one night (because it's 112 during the day and nobody needs heatstroke!) and it was time to put the flame thrower away and go to bed.

Also when I as telling my girl friends about my flame thrower I had just received my super awesome and much loved WW headband (my friends love me and fully support my inner geek) and promised to wear my shirt and head band while waging war on the goatheads. I was too excited to start burning to hunt down my bullet bracelets…. sorry.IMG_7400 IMG_7401  I am seriously so excited to torch the rest of our yard. Burning up goathead seeds one flame at a time is actually fun. 🙂  Bring on a happy safe back yard for my buttmunches!!!

Glazner pool party

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After Kaylee’s dance recital we headed over to our friend’s house for a pool party.
IMG_7113“But I don’t want to eat. I just want to plaaaaay.”IMG_7123 IMG_7128 IMG_7132 IMG_1180 IMG_1171 IMG_1170 IMG_1165I got to a point where I was tired of telling V to just stand up and so she got evicted from the pool. She would take a step and panic and flop down into the water even though standing her head and part of her shoulders was above water.And then she would be choking on water and still just not standing. She got sent to the play set on dry ground. Much safer for all.

Jon is ready to give up on going out as a family. Being held hostage to a demanding toddler, and a four year old that gets kicks from doing the opposite of what you ask is not super fun.

Logan’s first casts

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Well the kids are done with school and we have extra time to do fun things like drive an hour+ to see Logan’s first set of casts!

Also Barry is down meeting newbie so we got to see him too! As Kaylee would say, “All good things, all good things.”
IMG_6757I thought Regan was going to fuse himself to Jack’ee and Jason’s massage chair. Kid beelined right for it and had a hard time sharing.  IMG_6762Kaylee FINALLY after months of it being wiggly lost her first upper tooth. The other will come out soon. Maybe…. We are all getting used to the gap. 😉 Super cute.IMG_6767We wrote love notes on his shiny new casts. He will get new casts every Friday for a while before possible surgery followed by I think more casts IF he does need the surgery and then braces. I think. It’s all new and I’m just Auntie. Look at his cute little toes! IMG_6768 IMG_6769Poor dude did NOT like getting so much attention. IMG_6770 IMG_6772 IMG_6775 IMG_6778Uncle Barry needed a few picture with all his littles.IMG_6780 IMG_6782Could you not just melt right now? Awwwwww.IMG_6784

The torture. He REALLY didn’t feel like being messed with.IMG_6785IMG_6760And since it was his mean old Aunties fault that he even was tortured with love notes I’m the one that got to make it all better. See. Snug as a bug and passed out. A little swaddle. A little bounce. All it right with the world.