We had plans to go to rummage sales today. My plans to get up early were thwarted with a fevered and crying Charlotte, and by the time I got up with her at 7:30 I wasn’t sure how fast we could get out of here. Milking goats, chicken chores, breakfast for 5 – it all takes a lot of time to get done and out of the door.

I hollered for Liberty to get up, and seeing no movement, headed up the stairs to rouse her. No Liberty. Her bed was made and she was not in the house. Remembering her sleepwalking toddler days, I had visions of horrible things, but I found her – outside, doing chores. By the time I made it up to the barn, she’d been up there for an hour, had the chickens done, Snow milked and all the babies fed. Amazing. She’s helped milk goats a handful of times but never done it alone. Something about selling the scary horned goat made milking the other goat manageable. I cringed and asked how much milk she’d gotten, sure I was going to have to get Snow back on the stand and finish milking her out, but she got just as much as I always get. I was speechless. And now I know who will do chores if I’m incapacitated in, say, late September. My baby girl is growing up.

www.yardsaletreasuremap.com is the coolest thing I’ve found lately. And today was profitable! We found a few new things for each kid, a $2 winter coat for Sterling and a few new things to fit my expanding what’s-a-waist-line and my favorite finds, a pair of Mary-Jane crocs for Ruby and Stride Rite sandals for a whopping $0.50 each. If this baby’s gender had been known, he or she would have had a whole new wardrobe. But I don’t, so it doesn’t. But all the kids are thrilled, we have a few new things for fall/winter and I’m exhausted. The kids wanted to keep going, but my energy level was gone before my day’s budget. They are hoping to head out again tomorrow. I’m thinking not…