GETTING DOWN TO BASICS!

AFTER BECKY WAS BORN, WE HAD 5 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 8. I THOUGHT I COULD DO ANYTHING! DURING THE LAST POSTING OF BECKY'S ARRIVAL, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WE HAD NO MORE MONEY THAN USUAL, AND HAD TO SQUEEZE THE BUDGET JUST A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER WITH A NEW ADDITION. NOW, I MUST ADMIT, THAT I NEVER ONCE WORRIED ABOUT HOW WE WOULD AFFORD THIS MANY CHILDREN. I JUST ASSUMED THAT IF I DID MY BEST, HEAVENLY FATHER WOULD DO THE REST. IT WAS TRUE, THAT THE CHILDREN NEVER WENT HUNGRY, HAD ALL THE CLOTHES THEY NEEDED, GOT CHRISTMAS AND BIRTHDAYS, AND HAD LOTS OF PETS. (LOTS OF THEM). BUT, LOOKING BACK, I SEE NOW WHAT A STRETCH IT WAS AND AS USUAL, I JUST BARGED AHEAD WITH MORE COURAGE THAN SENSE. AND, TRUE TO FORM, IT ALL JUST WORKED OUT. I SAY THIS LEADING UP TO TODAY'S POSTING.
WHEN WE BROUGHT BECKY HOME, LITTLE OTTO WAS STILL IN HIS CRIB, AARON WAS IN THE BOTTOM BUNK, BOBBIE JO BUNKED IN WITH HIM, AND SISSY WAS ON THE TOP BUNK. THE ROOM WAS PRETTY FULL, SO WE JUST PUT BECKY IN A DRESSER DRAWER FOR AWHILE. SHE WAS A BIG BABY, SO THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG, AND I GOT A LITTLE BASSINETTE FOR HER. SHE SLEPT IN OUR ROOM, AND THOUGH THE ROOM WAS NOT THAT BIG, IT SEEMED HUGE WHEN I HAD TO WAKE UP TO FEED HER AND CROSS ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE BASSINETTE TO GET HER. MARTIN WAS A WONDERFUL HELP. YEAH, WONDERFUL. WHEN THE BABY WOULD CRY AT NIGHT TO BE FED, HE POKED ME AND SAID, "IT'S CRYING." WHEN THE BABY NEEDED CHANGING, HE WOULD HOLLER, "IT'S WET". NOW, HE KNEW THAT IT WAS A BABY GIRL, BUT I GUESS HIS BRAIN WAS FRIED WITH SCHOOL, 5 KIDS, A FULL TIME JOB AND THE FARM ANIMALS. OH, AND HE WAS QUITE THE DISCIPLINARIAN TOO! IF THE CHILDREN GOT IN TROUBLE, HE WOULD SAY, "NOW WHAT DID I TELL YOU WOULD HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME YOU DID THAT? GO SEE YOUR MOTHER!" I BAKED, COOKED, WASHED AND DRYED- TOLD STORIES, SANG AND DANCED-CUDDLED, CURED AND WIPED NOSES-CHANGED DIAPERS, TAUGHT POTTY TRAINING-SWEPT, VACCUMED AND GARDENED-WENT TO CHURCH, TAUGHT PRIMARY, JUGGLED TWO SMALL BABIES, TWO TODDLERS AND A GRADE SCHOOL CHILD- NOT TO MENTION THE COLLEGE AGED CHILD AS WELL. I KEPT GALLONS OF KOOL AID IN THE FRIDGE, MADE POPSCICLES, AND BABY FOOD (PUREED VEGETABLES AND FRUITS AND FROZEN IN ICE CUBE TRAYS)AND WHEN I WASN'T BUSY, (????) I CANNED AND SEWED, CROCHETED AND DID CRAFTS. AND FINALLY, I INVITED MY HUSBAND INTO MY BED AND TRIED TO STAY AWAKE. BUT I LOVED IT ALL, AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT I WAS OVERWHELMED. ONE DAY, WE SAT UP AND LOOKED AT EACH OTHER- AND GOT A BIG IDEA. WE DECIDED TO TRY TO GET A LOAN TO START THE CONSTRUCTION TO MAKE THE HOUSE BIGGER. WE WERE PLEASED TO FIND THAT IT WAS NOT HARD, AND WE SECURED THE MONEY WE NEEDED. NOW, WE DID NOT ONLY NEED A BIGGER HOUSE, BUT A NEW WELL AND SEPTIC SYSTEM, AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING, NEW WINDOWS AND WE FOUND SOME TERMITES. ADDING UP ALL THE COSTS IF WE DID THE WORK OURSELVES, WE FOUND THAT WE NEEDED 15,000.00. FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS! BUT, WE TOOK THE PLUNGE, AND GOT THE LOAN. NOW, THIS WOULD BE A LONG PROCESS, AND THE CHILDREN WERE STILL IN THE SAME ROOM, AND BECKY HAD OUTGROWN THE BASSINETTE, SO SISSY AND BOBBIE JO SLEPT IN THE TOP BUNK AND THE BOYS SLEPT IN THE BOTTOM. BECKY GOT THE CRIB AND EVERYONE WAS NICE AND COZY. DRESSER SPACE WAS A PROBLEM AND A FRIEND OF OURS GAVE US A DINOSAUR OF A DRESSER, ACUTALLY IT WENT FROM CEILING TO FLOOR AND WAS ABOUT 8 FEET LONG WITH DRAWERS UP AND DOWN AND A PLACE AT THE TOP TO HANG CLOTHES. IT WAS FABULOUS! EVERYONE HAD A FEW DRAWERS TO THEMSELVES AND I REALLY LOVED THAT THING. SO NOW, WHEN YOU WALKED INTO THE ROOM, YOU SKIRTED AROUND THE CRIB AND THROUGH THE WALK SPACE BETWEEN THE BUNK BEDS AND THE CITY OF DRAWERS. IT WAS QUITE A MESS, BUT I DIDN'T CARE, IT WAS HOME.
I GUESS NOW WOULD BE GREAT TIME TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE VISITORS WE CONTINUED TO HAVE. REMEMBER WE WERE SORT OF OUT IN THE COUNTRY, AND THERE WAS A HUGE FIELD BEHIND THE HOUSE, NOT TO MENTION A YARD FULL OF CHICKENS AND PENS FULL OF PIGS. WE ALSO HAD A FEW GEESE AND DUCKS, THE COW AND FINALLY A GOAT. CRITTERS LOVE CORN, AND WE HAD PLENTY TO FEED THE ANIMALS, SO WE HAD PLENTY OF CRITTERS TOO. STARTING AT THE BOTTOM, WE HAD TREE ROACHES COME IN RANDOMLY. I HATE THOSE THINGS, AND WAS ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THEM. ONE EVENING, MARTIN WAS WALKING THROUGH THE LIVING ROOM AND THERE WAS AN ENORMOUS TREE ROACH SITTING ON HIS BEHIND. I TOLD HIM ABOUT IT AND HE PICKED UP ONE OF HIS BELTS AND SWATTED HIMSELF, INSTANTLY KILLING THE ROACH. "DID I GET IT?" HE ASKED- "UH, NO,IT IS STILL ON YOU-BUT IT WENT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF YOUR BUTT" (I SNICKERED). SWAT!!! AGAIN. "HOW ABOUT NOW?" HE SAID. "UH, NO, IT IS STILL THERE, BUT IS BACK ON THE LEFT NOW"( HEE-HEE) I TOLD HIM. SWAT,SWAT,SWAT!!! "DID I GET THE @!!!** THING?" HE ASKED-AND SISSY RUINED MY FUN BY SAYING "DADDY YOU GOT IT THE FIRST TIME. WHY ARE YOU SWATTING YOURSELF?" I, OF COURSE DECIDED THAT IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO PUT DINNER ON THE TABLE AND LATER HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH SISSY ABOUT RUINING MY GOOD CLEAN FUN! THEN, WE HAD THE FIELD MICE. OH, THEY LOVED US. SKITTERING AROUND, SCARING THE CRAP OUT OF ME- AND THE KIDS LOVING IT EACH TIME I SQUEALED WHEN I SAW THEM. I PUT OUT TRAPS WITH CHEESE, (DIDN'T WORK) WET BREAD, (DIDN'T WORK) AND FINALLY, AT MARTIN'S SUGGESTION, PEANUT BUTTER. (WORKED GREAT!) BUT I COULDN'T STAND TO SEE THE POOR LITTLE THINGS IN A TRAP, SO WE GOT ANOTHER CAT. (THE OTHER ONE DID NOT MOVE WITH US). THE CAT WAS GREAT, AND THE MICE WERE KEPT AT BAY. THEN ONE DAY, IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM, I SAW A HUGE RAT. OKAY, I AM GETTING TIRED OF THIS. NOW, THIS WAS A NERVY RAT, HE DIDN'T EVEN RUN WHEN I YELLED AT HIM. HE JUST SAT THERE AND LOOKED AT ME. I AM AFRAID OF A NERVY RAT- AND WENT AND GOT MARTIN. IT TURNED OUT THAT IT WAS NOT A NERVY RAT, JUST A TIRED OLD RAT ON HIS LAST LEGS. MARTIN TOOK CARE OF HIM, AND THEN WENT TO THE HARDWARE STORE. HE CAME HOME WITH A HUGE RAT TRAP, THE SPRING KIND THAT SNAPS WHEN THE RAT TAKES THE BAIT. IT TOLD HIM HE BETTER NOT PUT IT OUT WHERE THE KIDS COULD GET TO IT, IT WOULD BREAK THEIR FINGERS IF THEY GOT THEIR HAND CAUGHT IN IT. HE SET IT TO SHOW ME HOW TO DO IT, AND LET ME TELL YOU THAT THING WAS DANGEROUS! I AGAIN TOLD HIM TO BE CAREFUL WITH IT, AND HE TURNED AROUND AND TOLD ME HE WAS TIRED OF MY ALWAYS GIVING HIM RAT TRAP ADVICE- HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING AND ANYWAY....SNAP!!!!!! SCREAMING!!!!! HE HAD SET IT DOWN TO FUSS AT ME AND LITTLE BECKY TODDLED UP TO IT AND PICKED IT UP, CATCHING HER FINGERS IN THE CLAMP. I JUMPED UP, GRABBED A BROOM, AND SMACKED MARTIN AS HARD AS I COULD. "SEE!!! WHAT DID I TELL YOU!!! I TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!!!"I YELLED AT HIM. POOR LITTLE BECKY IS STILL SCREAMING WAVING THE RAT TRAP AT THE END OF HER LITTLE HAND. MARTIN IS DODGING THE BROOM AND TRYING TO GET HER HAND OUT OF THE TRAP. FINALLY, I GRAB HER, HOLD HER HAND, AND MARTIN PRYED THE TRAP OFF. THE WHOLE TIME I AM STEADY YELLING AND CARRYING ON ABOUT HOW HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO......THEN I REALIZE THAT I HAVE MADE YELLING AT MARTIN MORE IMPORTANT THAN SEEING TO THE BABY. HER LITTLE HAND WAS SWOLLEN, BUT THANKFULLY NOT BROKEN. LATER, AFTER SEEING TO HER AND CALMING HER DOWN, I HAD TO GO AND FIND MARTIN TO APOLOGIZE. I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW I HAD ACTED. HE WAS OUT IN THE CHICKEN YARD, AND WHEN HE SAW ME COMING HE SAID, "WHERE'S THE BROOM?" TODAY, WE LAUGH ABOUT IT, AND LOOKING BACK, I GUESS I DID OVERREACT A BIT. I PROMISE, THAT IF ONE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN GETS THEIR HAND IN A RAT TRAP, I WILL TAKE IT OUT BEFORE I TAKE CARE OF THE IRRESPONSIBLE PERSON WHO PUT IT THERE! WE HAD OTHER LITTLE CRITTERS, BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR WAS THE OPOSSOM. HE JOINED US MUCH LATER WHEN THE KIDS WERE TEENAGERS, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIM. WE HAD LIZARDS, THE INEVITABLE TREE ROACHES, A COUPLE OF SQUIRRELS AND A BIG SURPRISE! WHEN OTTO WAS JUST OVER TWO, HE CAME TO ME AND SAID, "BLOSSOMS IN THE HOUSE". I THOUGHT HE MEANT THAT THERE WERE FLOWERS IN THE HOUSE, (WHICH THERE WERE) AND TOLD HIM HOW SWEET HE WAS TO TELL ME. "NO MAMA, BLOSSOMS IN THE HOUSE!" HE REPEATED. "OKAY SWEETIE, MAMA KNOWS." I GAVE HIM A HUG. HE PULLED AWAY, STAMPED HIS FOOT AND SAID, "MAMA!!! BLOSSOMS IN THE HOUSE!!!" WELL, GOSH, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? I FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE LIVING ROOM AND TO MY IMMENSE SURPRISE, THERE WAS A HUGE PIG SITTING IN THE LIVING ROOM! WHAT THE---- AND THEN I UNDERSTOOD. THAT PIG'S NAME WAS BLOSSOM. SHE HAD GOTTEN OUT OF THE PEN AND COME IN THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR. SURE ENOUGH "BLOSSOM WAS IN THE HOUSE"! NOW THAT THE MESSAGE HAD BEEN GIVEN, OTTO WENT ON AS THOUGH NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. BY THE WAY, DID YOU KNOW THAT A PIG WON'T LEAVE IF IT IS CONTENT? NO, THEY WON'T. AND NEITHER WOULD BLOSSOM. NOT WHEN I TRIED TO PUSH HER OUT THE DOOR, NOT WHEN I THREW FOOD OUT THE DOOR. NOT WHEN I YELLED OR POKED. FINALLY I JUST DECIDED TO WAIT FOR MARTIN TO GET HOME AND LET HIM HANDLE IT. OF COURSE, JUST BEFORE HE GOT THERE, BLOSSOM DECIDED SHE HAD HAD ENOUGH OF THE HOUSE AND JUST WENT ON OUT AND BACK TO HER PEN. OF COURSE HE THOUGHT I WAS KIDDING AND I HAD TO GET LITTLE OTTO TO TELL HIM THAT THE PIG DID INDEED, COME INTO THE HOUSE! I HAVE MORE TO TELL YOU, BUT THAT WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW. UNTIL THEN, LOVE, NANASEE PS-THIS MORNING, I GOT UP TO FIND THAT A RACOON WE LIVE CLOSE TO AN ANIMAL PRESERVE)HAD BEEN IN THE NEW KITCHEN, HAD THE NERVE TO GET IN THE DONUTS, AND LEAVE LITTLE RACOON FOOT PRINTS ON MY COUNTER! NOTHING CHANGES, DOES IT?