The Property

So, "The Property" is a 5 acre piece of land that we purchased in February 2010 to build our new home on. And in January 2011 we began doing just that - building our dream home.

The boys, all 3 of them, LOVE "the property". It once was "the plop-erty", as it was lovingly referred to by Jackson, who now pronounces it correctly. Makes me a little sad, that it sounds correct and grown up now. Oh well. Time marches on!

Neal and Jackson, I think are the most in love with those 5 acres. Garrett enjoys going but also enjoys staying at home for now, especially if big brother is away and he has free reign of the toys!

They always come back filthy, all of them... so much so that stripping at the door and putting shoes directly into the "dirty bin" is a necessity and their clothes go straight to the washer! Then little boys go straight in the tub and the Daddy goes straight to the shower! Often, I have to run the bathtub water twice - first is to soak them, second is to get them clean.

Jackson loves "the loppers" - a cutting tool that Neal lets him use to trim small trees and things. It's a real tool! He feels so grown up and tells me that it's only for him because it would be too dangerous for me to use. Ha. He might be right. He also has "rules" that newcomers must be instructed in and he is quite serious about these rules. His favorite activity this week is lizard hunting... pronounced "yizard" hunting.

"Yizard" hunting is quite complicated evidently. I got a brief tutorial on the plan this evening. Per the description, it is going to involve nets, a helmet, a light (for shining into the dark logs they hide in), loppers, a sharp thing (for cutting up the logs they hide in), a fire (to burn up the logs they hide in) and a team of people. We, the team, each have specific duties that he outlined. Whoa!

Garrett, the dare devil, is usually Jackson's assistant. Sometimes willingly and sometimes, he ignores his role and does what he wants. :o) He has no fear. He was the one the contractor found halfway out on the catwalk in the unfinished portion of the attic - you know, the part where you can fall through the ceiling if you step off said catwalk. Whew. He scares me to death sometimes. He is also the one that would get cold this winter and would ask Neal to put him in the truck and his car seat. He would get in there and take a nap. This one is definitely mine!

Each night, "property talk" is requested, or rather demanded by Jackson and sometimes by Garrett. Property talk entails Jackson running down things that "need to be done," have already been done and just general discussion about stuff. Tonight's "yizard" hunting discussion was our property talk. Evidently, Daddy is much better at it, but Mommy will do in a fix. Garrett's version of property talk is mostly jabbering about trees, repeating the same phrases over and over - things he's heard Jackson talk about. :o) He'll be talking non-stop too soon.

Love those little guys and love that they enjoy being outside so much. Hardly even mind the dirt that comes with it. I am still working on my stain remover though. :o)