The summer is proving to be quite busy here in Smallville. Actually, I’m the only one left. The rest of the fam is in Oklahoma for wheat harvest. I hope to have lots to talk about here in a few days, but for the time being, I’ll just post some pics of the kiddos.

	Riley Coyote turned 8 last week. And then he caught a fish.
After years of begging and pleading, Jacob Jingleheimer is finally old enough (read: tall enough) to drive a combine. He’s totally addicted now. But he’s a natural. Farming is definitely in his blood.

I’m a huge fan of the Ganier® Fructis product line. I’ve got the hairspray, the mousse, the fibre gum, the frizz gel and on and on. This morning as I was combing Jacob Jingleheimer’s hair (because it’s a freaking rat’s nest these days because HE STILL WON’T CUT IT), he noticed one of the Fructis containers that Riley Coyote was playing with. Jacob Jingleheimer grabbed it and started reading…

Jacob Jingleheimer: “Fructis Style brilliantine shine water-based shine wax…”
Riley Coyote: “I have no idea what any of that is.”
Jacob Jingleheimer: “It’s just wax that you put on your head.”
Me: “Actually it’s wax that Mommy puts on her hair.”
Jacob Jingleheimer: “Oh. I thought it was wax that Daddy puts on his bald spot.”

For Christmas a couple of years ago, I received a Bath & Body Works oil warmer from my mother-in-law. Love it. Use it all the time. I usually burn cinnamon scents or apple pie or pineapple. Nothing too extraordinary. But today, Kendal worked late and then came home and has remained glued to his computer trying to learn some script or something. So I dug through my bottles of fragrance and found this Eucalyptus Spearmint Stress Relief oil.

I’ve had it burning for about 30 minutes now and it’s pretty potent. I walked upstairs a moment ago and found Jacob Jingleheimer doing his homework at the kitchen table, just 4 feet away from where the oil is burning.

Me: “That’s a stress relief candle. Are you feeling relieved of stress?”
Jacob Jingleheimer: (looking around) “Oh, is THAT what that smell is? I thought it was Clorox!”

Disclaimer: This post is probably something only family members really care about.

Every year at the kid’s school, the first grade classes put on a black history program in honor of Black History Month. Jacob Jingleheimer did it 3 years ago, Riley Coyote did it last year. It’s the same ol’ program year after year. Except this year, well, THIS year it was an extravaganza! This year, just about the entire fourth grade had a part in the program along with the first graders. Jacob Jingleheimer was chosen to recite the poem “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes.

The program was taped to later be broadcast on the local education channel, so Jacob Jingleheimer was very, VERY nervous. But, he also looked very, VERY handsome, don’t you think? (Even if he still refuses to let me cut his hair.)

How pathetic is it that I find it very depressing that I have had to start using standard-sized hangers instead of child-sized hangers for Jacob Jingleheimers clothes?

I clench my teeth. Whenever I’m concentrating or extremely stressed out, I clench my teeth together. Yesterday I was completely focused AND stressed out while working on one of my websites, so my teeth were clenched for a good 3 or 4 hours. This resulted in a lovely headache at bedtime. My neck, jaw, eyes and head were all aching.

Getting ready for bed last night, I was apparently heaving huge sighs over the disdain of my headache.

Jacob Jingleheimer: “What’s wrong, Mom?”
Me: “Ugh, I have a headache.”
Riley Coyote: “Well, I can’t do anything about that. I am NOT your doctor.”

I went upstairs at 10:00 last night to get the boys around for bed. I see them giggling and rushing to put pens and paper in the drawer without me knowing. I ask them what they’re up to, because, obviously, they were up to something.

Then I turned around to see this on the refrigerator:
And when I opened up the fridge, I saw this on one of my Dr. Pepper cans:
They proceeded into their bedrooms to change into their preferred sleeping attire and I went into my bathroom and found these:
	On the mirror (It says “You glow our heart”. Not really sure what it means, but it’s endearing nonetheless).
	On the toilet handle (”You’r the nicest woman”).
Then I went back into the bedroom to plug in my humidifier and saw this:
And lastly, these were waiting for me when I turned on my electric blanket and crawled into bed:

Clearly, my kids can’t spell. But, I have to say, I slept pretty good last night.

(I apologize for the bad photographs. I was using a less-than-stellar camera since I made Kendal take the good digital camera to Asia with him.)

Scene: Thursday night, 10:15 pm

Me (to Jacob Jingleheimer): Are you going to bed? I am. I’m tired, I NEED to go to bed.
Jacob Jingleheimer: You guys NEED to get a new bed too.
Me (trying to play dumb): Is that right?
Jacob Jingleheimer: Yea, I hear it almost every night.

I shut off his light and left the room.

End scene

I mentioned earlier that Jacob Jingleheimer had an invention project due last week. The objective was to invent something, or improve on an existing idea. Jacob Jingleheimer decided to improve the average bed.

Behold, his invention:

It’s an “Electric Bed”. This photo details the coils that heat up to make the mattress warm. You can also see the remote controls used to adjust the temperature setting and turn on and off (and move up and down) that giant flat screen tv at the foot of the bed. Fancy!

These photos highlight the attractive linens that are available for the bed.

(Yes, parent assistance was allowed, and yes, I’m just crazy enough to sit at the sewing machine sewing itty bitty velvet linens for an itty bitty bed.)