Spring is a dangerous time for me. There are so many cute babies around. I want to bring them all home. The kids love the animals. Mia has no fear of any of them. I worry about this a bit but I'm also glad she isn't afraid. I want her to be careful but not fearful. Bear is more worried but still loves the animals. They can freak him out a bit though. He doesn't like a fast moving chicken or a cat that scratches. That is okay too.
I'm am sorely tempted to go get about three more chicks. I would have to do some more modifications to the chicken area though and I just got done with a bunch. I think I'll hold off until next spring. I have to make myself.
I'm surprised how much I've liked the chickens. I've always kind of been grossed out by chickens. Especially chicken meat. I like to eat it but I hate to handle it. I can butcher red meat but chicken meat is just gross. Not sure why but it is just a yuck factor that I have to deal with. The eggs don't bother me much though. Well, unless they are just barely cooked. Then the texture can get to me.
One thing I like is that my kids are getting to know where their food comes from. My kids know where eggs come from and where meat comes from. I want them involved in the process so they know their food. I want them to know how to raise their own food as adults and not feel like it is an impossible task.
Besides, it is pretty darn adorable when Miss Mia picks up a chicken and pets it and talks to it. She does the same to her cat and I think she would to the dogs if they didn't outweigh her. She does lay on the floor with them and talks to them while petting them. Bear loves the animals too but is less lovey-dovey with them. He and the cat like to snuggle in bed though. He needs a new kitten since his got killed over the winter. Good thing spring is here and the kittens will be born soon.
I've been cleaning up outside from the winter. We moved the chickens to a different area to open up the yard so there is a lot of raking over there to do. I need to put onions and maybe potatoes in. I have all sorts of seeds I need to start. Lots to do.
Yesterday I put lots of it off and did some inside paperwork clean-up. Today I need to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. It is supposed to be almost 70 degrees after all. I should dig some beds too. I think I'll sit out there and spin for an hour or so and then I'll dig some beds and rake. I did get my grapes pruned yesterday. Little-by-little it will get done.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Spring. At Least for Today.
We've had some nice temperatures the last couple of days and our snow is gone. That leads to mud. Lots of mud. I got a little stuck in the driveway coming home yesterday. I say only a little stuck because I never had to get out to push and we made it out just fine, but it did take some rocking back and forth. Things like this never fail to entertain the kids. We've had a couple of fun experiences getting up a big hill by our house too. It has just the right amount of incline that with the right conditions it is impossible to get up it with our two-wheel drive. Luckily we can go around if we need to but it takes more time and usually means being late. It is one thing I do really like about farm country though. Pretty much every road has two or four different ways you can go. Everything is laid out in grids and everything connects for the most part. About the only hang up is the river and there are multiple crossings but sometimes you have to go several miles to get to that other crossing. Same with train tracks. We do have a lot of train crossings. When I go to the farmer's market the one direction I think I cross the tracks twice with a couple of blocks. Each town is divided by the tracks and then two of the towns are divided by the river.
So, back to the mud and spring... I know it isn't done being winter yet. It never seems to let go easily or this early. I am enjoying the warmer weather though. I'll know it is spring when I see the crocus come up. One field I drive by is starting to green. I think they must have a wheat crop in.
I've been burning weeds. The wet has helped to keep things under control but things are still dry. Tumbleweeds are incredible flammable when you don't want them to be but won't burn when you do want them to.
While I burned yesterday the kids played in the mud. We have one spot in the backyard/garden that is a hole from the kids and dogs and there gets to be quite the mud hole there. The kids love it. They were covered head to toe in the grey gunk. Luckily it washes right out of the clothes if you get them rinsed and straight into the washer. I don't dare leave them when the kids are that muddy. It was even nice enough that the kids stripped down outside and they didn't freeze.
The chickens are loving the nice weather too. I'm going to move them. There is a shed that I am going to move them into. Their coop will move too, but this way they'll have more protection from the wind. I'm just hoping that by moving them they don't become dinner for some predator. It is a bit further from the house but they need the protection from the weather and I need to be able to keep them more out of the garden during the growing season. They are lovely right now in the garden but not so much when we have lush baby plants coming up.
So, back to the mud and spring... I know it isn't done being winter yet. It never seems to let go easily or this early. I am enjoying the warmer weather though. I'll know it is spring when I see the crocus come up. One field I drive by is starting to green. I think they must have a wheat crop in.
I've been burning weeds. The wet has helped to keep things under control but things are still dry. Tumbleweeds are incredible flammable when you don't want them to be but won't burn when you do want them to.
While I burned yesterday the kids played in the mud. We have one spot in the backyard/garden that is a hole from the kids and dogs and there gets to be quite the mud hole there. The kids love it. They were covered head to toe in the grey gunk. Luckily it washes right out of the clothes if you get them rinsed and straight into the washer. I don't dare leave them when the kids are that muddy. It was even nice enough that the kids stripped down outside and they didn't freeze.
The chickens are loving the nice weather too. I'm going to move them. There is a shed that I am going to move them into. Their coop will move too, but this way they'll have more protection from the wind. I'm just hoping that by moving them they don't become dinner for some predator. It is a bit further from the house but they need the protection from the weather and I need to be able to keep them more out of the garden during the growing season. They are lovely right now in the garden but not so much when we have lush baby plants coming up.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Things I Never Thought I Would Say
I never thought I would be happy about a school break ending. I am. This points out one of the many, many reasons I don't home school. I do not have the patience or level temperament. Bear needs to be focused and going constantly. I know even his teacher seems to have a tough time keeping him going.
After five days of being home we were all a little stir-crazy. This morning Bear came bounding into our room and 6:30 a.m. saying, "Mom, Dad, time to wake up. I need to go to school." All said as he's clapping to make more noise. He happily got dressed and ate breakfast in record time. He was very happy to be going back to school.
I have to hand it to the kid. He is brave and very much his own person too. A while back we actually got a decent amount of snow. He has misplaced his black snow pants so I dug out a pair that Mia had gotten some time back that were his size. Great! Now he can go play in the snow here at home.
Well, then he wanted to take them to school with him. No problem except that they are pink. Very pink. I'm thinking the other kids will give him a hard time and I tell him it maybe isn't the best idea. He was determined, so I let him take them with him. Sure enough, a couple kids gave him a hard time. They said something about being girly and his reply was, "I don't care. I like them." And he continued to wear them. Then a day or so later one of the older kids that had given him a hard time told him that pink was also that kid's favorite color. I was very proud of Bear. He is such a confident kid and really doesn't seem to care what others think of him. In fact, he seems to be the kid who is going to be the trend-setter because he is brave enough to wear whatever he wants.
In all this he reminds me very much of my dad. My dad never changed who he was for anyone. Much as we all would have liked him to sometimes. My dad would never do what the crowd said needed to be done and he bucked every fad in the book. I have a feeling this will be Bear as well. I'm okay with that even if I might be mortified at times.
After five days of being home we were all a little stir-crazy. This morning Bear came bounding into our room and 6:30 a.m. saying, "Mom, Dad, time to wake up. I need to go to school." All said as he's clapping to make more noise. He happily got dressed and ate breakfast in record time. He was very happy to be going back to school.
I have to hand it to the kid. He is brave and very much his own person too. A while back we actually got a decent amount of snow. He has misplaced his black snow pants so I dug out a pair that Mia had gotten some time back that were his size. Great! Now he can go play in the snow here at home.
Well, then he wanted to take them to school with him. No problem except that they are pink. Very pink. I'm thinking the other kids will give him a hard time and I tell him it maybe isn't the best idea. He was determined, so I let him take them with him. Sure enough, a couple kids gave him a hard time. They said something about being girly and his reply was, "I don't care. I like them." And he continued to wear them. Then a day or so later one of the older kids that had given him a hard time told him that pink was also that kid's favorite color. I was very proud of Bear. He is such a confident kid and really doesn't seem to care what others think of him. In fact, he seems to be the kid who is going to be the trend-setter because he is brave enough to wear whatever he wants.
In all this he reminds me very much of my dad. My dad never changed who he was for anyone. Much as we all would have liked him to sometimes. My dad would never do what the crowd said needed to be done and he bucked every fad in the book. I have a feeling this will be Bear as well. I'm okay with that even if I might be mortified at times.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Kid update
I've been lax about keeping up to date on the kids. Funny how life gets in the way. I am awful about remembering to take pictures too. I get too busy just enjoying the moment to worry about the camera. In fact, I've been trying to remember where on Earth my camera is. I know it is here somewhere.
So about the kids. Mia is now 37 inches tall and about 30 pounds. Bear is right about 4 feet tall and edging toward 60 pounds. I know I will be looking up at him before I know it. I am hoping Mia gives me a few more years of being taller than she is but I know it is likely she will be quite tall as well. That is what happens when everyone in the family, on both sides, is taller than you are. My paternal grandmother is the only person who was around my height in the whole family. I don't think any relations are even close to my height on Tom's side. Not that can make a genetic difference at any rate. I do have a step-grandma that I eventually got taller than, but she doesn't have any influence on the kids either.
Bear is doing really well in school and loving it. He seems to truly enjoy the school atmosphere. Both the learning new things and the social aspect of it. He is now bringing reading homework home in the evenings and is just blowing through it. I've been impressed by the speed that he is picking up how to read. He seemed to take a while to really get interested in it but now that he is look out. I'm enjoying watching him turn into quite the young man. Many mornings now he happily lets the chickens out for me or he'll put them up for the night. He is an incredible help with his little sister too.
Speaking of little sister. She is quite the prankster. The other night she got up for what seemed like the umpteenth time and Tom told her to go back to bed. She said, "But Dad, I have to ask Mom a question." So he let her come in the other room where I was and she grinned at me and said, "Did you know, I don't have a question?" Cracked me up. She knew she was asking me a question by saying "Did you know?" but she really didn't have anything specific to ask me. Stinker. She does that sort of thing quite a bit now. Also, now that she has turned three anytime she would normally say "too" she says "three" thinking that "too" is "two." That has turned into when she says "I love you" it is always with the person's age. So Bear gets a "I love you five," and Tom and I get our ages and we are supposed to respond with "I love you three."
They are funny kids. They play well together. This morning I have no idea how long they had been up before they came and got us at 6:30 a.m. They said they were playing games in Bear's room. Some made-up version of Angry Birds according to Bear.
We all have a lot of fun together. With all the art supplies the kids got for Christmas many afternoons and evenings are spent painting, coloring, and stamping. Or we get out the board games and play after supper. There are things that I really enjoy about Winter. Bear is getting really good at Mancala. I don't hold back playing him and only sometimes beat him by much. Most of the time it is either really close or he wins. He is really good at Set Jr. and Zingo. Mia loves the Zingo game because she and Bear can easily play by themselves without needing Mom and Dad to help out.
I suppose I have put laundry off long enough. It is a grey dreary day here. We are supposed to get a bunch of snow. We just got rain last night with just a skiff of snow. At least it is some moisture. We've been dry since just before Christmas. Oh, I guess we have had one snow storm since then because Bear had the sled out that we bought around Christmas. But that was it. The moisture is welcome.
So about the kids. Mia is now 37 inches tall and about 30 pounds. Bear is right about 4 feet tall and edging toward 60 pounds. I know I will be looking up at him before I know it. I am hoping Mia gives me a few more years of being taller than she is but I know it is likely she will be quite tall as well. That is what happens when everyone in the family, on both sides, is taller than you are. My paternal grandmother is the only person who was around my height in the whole family. I don't think any relations are even close to my height on Tom's side. Not that can make a genetic difference at any rate. I do have a step-grandma that I eventually got taller than, but she doesn't have any influence on the kids either.
Bear is doing really well in school and loving it. He seems to truly enjoy the school atmosphere. Both the learning new things and the social aspect of it. He is now bringing reading homework home in the evenings and is just blowing through it. I've been impressed by the speed that he is picking up how to read. He seemed to take a while to really get interested in it but now that he is look out. I'm enjoying watching him turn into quite the young man. Many mornings now he happily lets the chickens out for me or he'll put them up for the night. He is an incredible help with his little sister too.
Speaking of little sister. She is quite the prankster. The other night she got up for what seemed like the umpteenth time and Tom told her to go back to bed. She said, "But Dad, I have to ask Mom a question." So he let her come in the other room where I was and she grinned at me and said, "Did you know, I don't have a question?" Cracked me up. She knew she was asking me a question by saying "Did you know?" but she really didn't have anything specific to ask me. Stinker. She does that sort of thing quite a bit now. Also, now that she has turned three anytime she would normally say "too" she says "three" thinking that "too" is "two." That has turned into when she says "I love you" it is always with the person's age. So Bear gets a "I love you five," and Tom and I get our ages and we are supposed to respond with "I love you three."
They are funny kids. They play well together. This morning I have no idea how long they had been up before they came and got us at 6:30 a.m. They said they were playing games in Bear's room. Some made-up version of Angry Birds according to Bear.
We all have a lot of fun together. With all the art supplies the kids got for Christmas many afternoons and evenings are spent painting, coloring, and stamping. Or we get out the board games and play after supper. There are things that I really enjoy about Winter. Bear is getting really good at Mancala. I don't hold back playing him and only sometimes beat him by much. Most of the time it is either really close or he wins. He is really good at Set Jr. and Zingo. Mia loves the Zingo game because she and Bear can easily play by themselves without needing Mom and Dad to help out.
I suppose I have put laundry off long enough. It is a grey dreary day here. We are supposed to get a bunch of snow. We just got rain last night with just a skiff of snow. At least it is some moisture. We've been dry since just before Christmas. Oh, I guess we have had one snow storm since then because Bear had the sled out that we bought around Christmas. But that was it. The moisture is welcome.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Said so well.
This gal over at The Prairie Homestead talks about the couponing issues so well that I'll just send you her way. http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/05/why-i-dont-clip-coupons.html
I will say this, no I am not 35 miles from town, although I have lived that far. I don't have a milk cow either despite considering it at times. Otherwise my views are very similar to hers.
I will say this, no I am not 35 miles from town, although I have lived that far. I don't have a milk cow either despite considering it at times. Otherwise my views are very similar to hers.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Growth
At Mia's birthday we measured both kids. I try to do this at each of their birthdays since the birthdays are 6 months apart. Almost 2 inches for both kids! No wonder I can't keep any groceries in this house.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Happy Birthday
I can't believe my youngest turns three today. Here is a post from not long after she was born: http://mommech.blogspot.com/2011/02/some-pictures-from-last-week-or-so.html
She was so tiny. Especially compared to now. I keep trying to add a photo of her yesterday and it isn't cooperating with me. Not sure if it is my computer or Blogger. Doesn't matter.
Three years sure has flown by. When we moved she was only a year and a half, still in a crib, still in diapers, and barely talking. Now she is totally potty trained, been in a big kid bed since right after our move, talks non-stop, and talks about going to school. She is dying to go to school like her big brother. Because he is a great teacher she knows her alphabet song, counts to 10, and tries to do everything he does. I think with just a little time put in she'll be writing before long. I am not sending her to pre-school until she is four. Mostly because of two things. I don't want to pay for it and I don't want to have to drive to a second school just yet. Plus, she is going to need more shots etc. in order to enroll in school. I'm not ready to do all that yet. We still haven't found a family doctor we like. We will but I am not in any big rush to put her in school. I like our quiet days together.
I just thought about it... I call her Mia because that is what her brother always has called her. She insists upon being called Amelia. Not Millie, Mia, or anything else. Oh, I do get away with calling her Whistling Pete when she whistles a lot. She taught herself to whistle and she walks around whistling tunes all day. She has a crazy sense of humor too. She loves a good knock-knock joke and right now is sure into the poop, fart, and toilet jokes. Not thrilled about that but it will pass. I hope.
She is very into the pink and princess stuff. And sparkles. She loves her sparkles. Makeup and fingernail paint. Dresses and purses. At least despite loving all that she has no qualms about dressing up as pretty as she can and going to visit the chickens or playing in the sandbox. I'm not sure how I ended up with a girl that is so girly but I did. I love that she is girly but tough. She does a great Hulk impression too.
Yep, love my kiddo with her crazy personality. I am so glad that I get to stay home with the kids now. I get to see all these little quirks and fun games.
She was so tiny. Especially compared to now. I keep trying to add a photo of her yesterday and it isn't cooperating with me. Not sure if it is my computer or Blogger. Doesn't matter.
Three years sure has flown by. When we moved she was only a year and a half, still in a crib, still in diapers, and barely talking. Now she is totally potty trained, been in a big kid bed since right after our move, talks non-stop, and talks about going to school. She is dying to go to school like her big brother. Because he is a great teacher she knows her alphabet song, counts to 10, and tries to do everything he does. I think with just a little time put in she'll be writing before long. I am not sending her to pre-school until she is four. Mostly because of two things. I don't want to pay for it and I don't want to have to drive to a second school just yet. Plus, she is going to need more shots etc. in order to enroll in school. I'm not ready to do all that yet. We still haven't found a family doctor we like. We will but I am not in any big rush to put her in school. I like our quiet days together.
I just thought about it... I call her Mia because that is what her brother always has called her. She insists upon being called Amelia. Not Millie, Mia, or anything else. Oh, I do get away with calling her Whistling Pete when she whistles a lot. She taught herself to whistle and she walks around whistling tunes all day. She has a crazy sense of humor too. She loves a good knock-knock joke and right now is sure into the poop, fart, and toilet jokes. Not thrilled about that but it will pass. I hope.
She is very into the pink and princess stuff. And sparkles. She loves her sparkles. Makeup and fingernail paint. Dresses and purses. At least despite loving all that she has no qualms about dressing up as pretty as she can and going to visit the chickens or playing in the sandbox. I'm not sure how I ended up with a girl that is so girly but I did. I love that she is girly but tough. She does a great Hulk impression too.
Yep, love my kiddo with her crazy personality. I am so glad that I get to stay home with the kids now. I get to see all these little quirks and fun games.
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