NorthernDaddy Gets Crafty

Now, by looking at the title of this post, I know that many readers are expecting another post about duct-taping Toddler to the bed or some other inventive solution that Daddy has come up with to deal with the craziness of Toddler. Not so. This post is about Pinterest.

For those not in the know, just go to pinterest.com and check it out. It's a great big virtual pinboard for all kinds of ideas. It's fun, it's informative, and it's dangerous. Dangerous because it gives non-crafty people the notion that they just might be able to do some of the things pinned to the site.

NorthernDaddy has been seeing a whole lot of things being made out of pallets. Plain old shipping pallets are being transformed into coffee tables, headboards, planters and all sorts of things. Now, Daddy has access to tons of pallets. They are a mainstay of the work that he does. He's not too interested in playing with pallets outside of work, but when he came across a small shipping crate in his warehouse racks, he knew that there was a pinterest-style project hiding in there somewhere.

Recycle one shipping crate, staple in some landscape fabric as liners, and add flowers and soil. That's all there is to it. (It helps that NorthernMommy was suitably impressed by Daddy's craftiness!)

(Hopefully, the flowers will fill out the planter some more and we can share a daylight photo with y'all - this project was completed at night after Toddler was asleep so that he couldn't "help"!)

Progress

After much planning, procrastination, and delays, NorthernDaddy has made some progress.

First, the trailer was loaded up with scrap metal destined for the crusher. Gone from the NorthernHousehold are the two old lawn tractors, the old well pump, the cruddy old grill that lived in the back of the barn, the beautiful cast iron birdbath that Daddy rescued (but Mommy wouldn't let be used in her pretty gardens), and a big pile of assorted metal junk. It's starting to look a little better around the yard.

Second, the run for the ducks is under construction. Since the trailer was already rolling around town, Daddy stopped and purchased the small forest of lumber that was needed for the ducks' playground. Of course, as soon as naptime was over and Toddler saw Daddy building something, there was a helper. NorthernToddler managed to rip the head off his plastic hammer when he insisted that he could pull a nail out of a board. NorthernDaddy has a note to buy Toddler some real tools soon (before he's old enough to just outright steal tools from Daddy!).

All that's left is to get a roll of chicken (duck?) wire and then the FFDs can play outside!

(FFD = Future Freezer Duck)

Potty Talk

Photo courtesy of American Standard

The NorthernClan had to replace a broken toilet seat. Not an every-day kind of task, but these things break every once in a while. NorthernDaddy blames Toddler for consistently slamming the seat down and for causing rust by "hosing" the hinges. Toddler maintains his innocence.

The variety of toilet seats available at the local home center is quite impressive: there were thirty-six different models of the 'round' seat (and another forty of the 'elongated' style). After deliberating for thirty minutes, Toddler and Daddy selected a nice model and headed home.

Upon installation, it was discovered that one of the features (if a toilet seat can even have "features") of the selected seat is that it has "Whisper Close". That means that with a gentle tap, the seat and lid slowly glide down to the closed position. It is an  interesting concept, and does make things quieter - no slamming of the seat by the midget.

Toddler is fascinated by the workings of this toilet seat. After being put to bed, he suddenly realized that he had to pee. Three separate times. Within ten minutes. Anybody else think that he's just playing with the "Whisper Close"?

The downside to the slow-close magic show that is the Northerns' toilet seat is that NorthernToddler was so captivated by watching the seat float down to its closed position that he forgot what he was doing and missed the bowl and peed right on the floor!

That negative wasn't mentioned in the product literature......

Need A Caption

This photo needs a caption...

-"Has anybody seen my snack?"

- Yogi Bear Toddler gets his head stuck in yet another picnic basket..."I'm smarter than the average bear!"

-"A pen? Yep - hold on just a sec..."

-"Hold on buddy, let me get the dynamite and we can blast that thing right off there...."

--NorthernDaddy is sure that our readers can come up with something better-- let's hear them.

More Cows? Are You People Crazy?

In an on-going effort to see every last cow in the state of Vermont, the Northerns visited yet another dairy farm. It wasn't really a new farm; it was the dairy barn part of Shelburne Farms. The milking barns there are usually off-limits to the public, but once a year the barns are opened to visitors. NorthernMommy found out when the open house barn was happening, and encouraged Daddy and Toddler to go with her to the event ("Gotta see all the cows - all of 'em).

Well, okay: Toddler and Daddy will go if they can look at the tractors, too.

Cows and tractors - it seems that every thing the Northerns do is related to cows and tractors!

 This warning sign is on the outside of a manure pond. To take a dip in the lovely brown goo, one would have to crawl through the wooden fence, get past some strands of a nasty electric fence, and then perform their belly-flop into the nicely fermented cow poo.

Is the sign really necessary?

I'm a Worker!

NorthernToddler has been helping NorthernDaddy with some building tasks this week. First, he helped with the retrieval and hauling of some scrap wood that was pulled from the rafters of the barn and transformed into a nice, solid door for the duck house. Second, he helped measure, hammer, and saw as the dutch door on the other opening of the duck house was reconfigured to meet the needs of the duck keeper (aka NorthernDaddy - he likes his ducks. NorthernMommy can have her chickens, the ducks are more fun!). Toddler also served as an all-around gofer as he brought tools and hardware to Daddy.

At one point, after measuring some lumber, Toddler clipped the tape rule to his jeans because "that's what workers do, and I'm a worker." NorthernDaddy had to agree - Toddler had been working, just like the construction guys he was emulating. Besides, with his tools in place, Toddler looked the part. From this picture, it appears that the Northerns are raising the next Ty Pennington. Doesn't he have the same style and out-there good attitude? NorthernDaddy doesn't think it's too bad to have a little insane carpenter/model/television host  running around - as long as he doesn't pick up the drug/alcohol problems that are rumored to affect the real Ty.

Anyway, NorthernDaddy salutes the hard little worker known as 'Toddler' - keep up the good work, buddy!