Restless Prairie Farm

A story for a cranky little girl

2012-01-24T14:27:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl who loved to run and play, sing and dance, color and paint, laugh and talk, twirl and whirl, and of course the little girl LOVED to hear stories. The little girl was always happy and smiling. She was always SO happy and smiling that all the people around her couldn't help but be happy and smiling too.

The little girl had lots of friends that she loved to play with. One day the little girl got to go over to her friend's house for the afternoon. She was so excited and her friend was too! The little girl's friend couldn't wait to show her all of the wonderful things at her house. They went to the bedroom and turned on the t.v. There were so many shows to watch that the girls couldn't decide which one to watch first. So they closed their eyes and picked one.

When the show was over they ran to the kitchen to find something to eat. There was ice cream waiting for them. Ice cream with lots of yummy chocolate poured on top. When they finished their bowls they left them on the table and went in search for the Halloween candy that was stashed in the closet. With their shirt fronts full of candy they went back to the bedroom to watch the next show.

The candy was gone by the time the show was over. The girls then went into the family room and asked if they could play the video games. OF COURSE! So they played and played and played the video games. They started having a hard time getting along as the afternoon went on.

There were tears because one girl beat the other one.

There were tears because one girl laughed when the other fell down.

There were tears over which game to play.

There were tears over whose turn it was.

There were tears and tears and tears.

The mommy told the girls that it was time to find something else to play if they couldn't get along. So they stomped off to the kitchen to find something to eat. Chocolate Milk!! They poured chocolate syrup in their glasses until it was hard to tell which was the syrup and which was the milk. They decided to have a race to see who could drink their milk the fastest.

The little girl won and her friend burst into tears. The little girl got mad that her friend wasn't happy for her so she burst into tears and screamed, "I HATE YOU!!!".

There was a knock at the big front door. The little girl's mommy was here to take her home. The little girl threw herself down on the floor and started kicking and screaming. She didn't want to go home! She wanted to live with her friend and play video games and watch tv and eat ice cream and drink chocolate milk FOREVER.

Mommy could see that she'd had a very exciting day. Maybe a bit too exciting. She gathered up the little girl into her arms and carried her to the car. The little girl didn't want to go and she was screaming and crying the whole way there. Soon her mommy had her buckled into her seat with a blanket tucked around her. Mommy handed the little girl her unicorn and then shut the car door.

As the car pulled away from the curb mommy started to sing. The little girl was still crying and she cried almost the whole way home. She was angry. She was tired. She was cranky. She was crabby. Her tummy hurt. Her shoes hurt. She hated her shirt. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want to laugh. She didn't want to sing. She didn't want to play or run. She didn't want to laugh and talk. She didn't want to twirl or whirl, and she definitely DID NOT want to hear stories!

Mommy carried her into the house and shut the door. Humming quietly, mommy set the little girl down in the bathroom and started warm water running into the tub. Mommy took off the little girl's clothes and placed her into the warm water. The little girl watched the water running into the bath. She picked up the cup and started filling it with water. Mommy started washing her back with a soft cloth and some lavender soap. The small bathroom started to smell sweet and good.

Soon the tub was filled up and the little girl played with her boat and cup while mommy washed the sink and rearranged the cabinets. Mommy got the little girl's warm jammies all ready for her and placed her special towel on the sink. The little girl stood up and pushed the plug over to let the water out. She giggled when it made it's funny sucking noise. She stepped out of the tub into the warm towel that mommy had waiting for her. She started chatting about her afternoon while mommy dried her off and helped her into her jammies. The little girl took her dirty clothes to the hamper by the washer. Then she came back and turned off the bathroom light.

She went to sit on the couch with her mommy. She smiled at her mommy because now it was time to hear a story. But first mommy had a surprise for the little girl. Mommy had made her some oatmeal with butter, cream, and bit of maple syrup! She ate it all up and drank a tall glass of milk. Then she followed Mommy into the big bathroom where the special oil lives. Mommy put a drop behind both of the little girl's ears. She smelled so sweet and good.

The little girl ran and got her blanket and unicorn. Then she ran to the couch and tucked her blanket all around her. Mommy sat next to her and cuddled her up close to tell a story.

The little girl couldn't wait to hear all about it.

The Epicenter

2012-01-24T08:59:00.001-06:00

The Adventurer

I loved the ladders of these grain bins when I was a child. There was something so exciting about being "Up, UP, UP so high I could touch the sky". The backside of the roof was a favorite hiding place for hide and seek. These ladders were portals into rocket ships or castles. An exciting tangible portion of our pretend play. They were also a link to an adult world that I wasn't allowed in. Sometimes I would pretend that I was working with the hired hands to fill the bins up with grain for the winter. Little House on the Prairie provided a lot of inspiration for me.

They were so blissfully HIGH.

High is a world that children don't often get to visit.

"Get down!! Be careful! You'll fall! Do you want to break your neck?! You gave me a fright! Are you trying to kill yourself?! Do you want to give me a heart attack?! GET DOWN!!!!!"

Those are phrases I heard a lot as a child. :o)

They're phrases that I've tried not to use unless they were absolutely needed.

Testing the limits of their bodies and environment is the work of children. We are here to guide that testing so that they have a more experienced head than theirs as they make their choices. (For instance, I know that you can easily jump from the second rung of this ladder. You CAN jump from the third and it only hurts a little. But if you jump from the fourth rung your ankles hurt the rest of the day....which kinda ruins the fun. {and it lets the adults say "I told you so". also no fun)

We are the epicenter of their lives. They want us to be involved in everything they do. "Watch this." "Come see!" "Will you help me?"

It can be frustrating sometimes to fulfill that need. A frustration that I constantly fight against because I know how important I am to them. I know that they need me. My energy, my guidance, is just as important as the food they eat and the air they breathe.

Children need us to be available. They need to be able to run up to us at any time during their day and borrow our calm. They need our reassurance that everything is safe. They need rhythm. They need our constancy.

Then they can run away again, as fast as their little feet will carry them to continue their explorations. When their port is compromised then they are uncertain. They become whiney. Clingy. They try to desperately grab what they need. They insist in ways that are so abrasive to us that we want to push them away and stuff them in a box (or turn on a show) just so they will leave us alone. (at least that's how I feel when my children are out of sorts)

Shoving your children away when they need you never works out as well as we'd like. They are genetically programed experts at getting our attention.

(Isn't survival an amazing thing?)

My children just spent a few days in Oklahoma with my family. They LOVE it there. It's a circus full of ice cream EVERY day! Who wouldn't love it?

When they come back they are always sleep deprived, over sugared, over stimulated, and just plain worn out. It always takes a few days to even things back out. Yesterday evening Kiska started sobbing every time I took a step away from her. It had been a very long busy day for me and I was exhausted. I was NOT feeling much like giving her anything of myself.

I honestly didn't think that I had that much to give.

After 15 minutes of letting myself be INCREDIBLY annoyed by her behaviour I gave up and embraced her needs.

I held her while she finished her cry. Then I focused ALL of my attention on her.

Her sweet little cheeks, the shape of her mouth, the twinkle of her eye, the way her hair fell into her eyes, the softness of her hands, the weight of her in my lap, her smell.

We sat and breathed together for a bit.

Then I decided to get some lavender oil and give her a little massage.

I started to move her to the couch for a moment so I could get the oil and she wrapped her arms around my neck hard as she could and cried, "No Mommy!! It hurts me when you're away!!!"

I'm proud for her that she can articulate that.

It was a shocking thought. Shocking in the intensity, and conviction.

As much as my children need to roam. As much as they need to wander. As much as they need to explore. As much as they need adventure........

They need me to be there for them to come back to. Welcoming them home with open arms, and heart. Watching them from afar. Reveling in their roamings, wanderings, explorations, and adventures.

How else can they go again?

Life, Love, and Woolie Tragedy

2012-01-21T10:55:00.000-06:00

Kara loves her "new hat"

We have now managed to felt two pairs of ruskovilla wooly pants, one ruskovilla wool/silk shirt, and this gnome hat.

The woolies were bad enough, but I seriously almost cried when this hat came out of the washer.

I spent 17 hours making this hat!

It survived almost 3 years in this household...which is like saying a person lived to be 147.

I'm trying to work up the gumption to cast on hats for the littles. But first I have to get the sweater that I've been working on for over a year OFF MY NEEDLES.

This should have been a 12-14 hour knit.

I have been on a sad craft free spree lately.

It's amazing how much energy comes from creating. It can absolutely power an entire day. Seeing your children living in clothing that you've made with your own hands out of a ball of string is such a boost that it just help keep you going. It allows you to see promise everywhere you look.

It's amazing how much energy it takes to create. When something happens that knocks you out of that cycle of "Yay! look what I made!.....Yay! I'm gonna make some more!" it's seems impossible to get back into it.

But I'm all about the impossible. ;o)

4oz of yarn that took me 50 years to get off my wheel.

By September of last year I was completely useless. The relentless heat was a nightmare. I was watching my dream go up in flames as if it were the bone dry Texas countryside ignited by a careless spark. That tossed me into a deep depression that I'm only just now pulling out of.

I am working on accepting that this summer may very well be the same as the last.

I'm hoping that if it is, it doesn't affect me in such an extreme way.

I'm trying to find my way back to the things I love.

I'm not worried though.

Because I know that when you Work, Try, Accept, and above all Hope....then you're already living the dream even if it doesn't always feel like it.

Am I thrilled that Kara has a new hat?
No, but the children are.

Happy Creating!!

Busy Mornings

2012-01-20T03:04:00.000-06:00

Hurry!! Hurry!!!

Come ON, MAMA!!!

I can get it!

Told ya!

I can pour it.....it's not too much!

Boots LOVES me, 'cause I feed her!!

Yes she does, sugar bear.....and so do I. :o)

A Thanksgiving Tradition

2012-01-19T10:02:00.002-06:00

The Blessing Tree

We've always spent the days leading up to thanksgiving talking about what we're thankful for. This year when I found these leaf cut outs at the craft store I decided it would be fun to make a tree to keep our blessings on so the littles would have a visual of how many things we had to be thankful for.

Some of the things we were thankful for were.........chickens, goats, books, God, Jesus, Church, everybody, houses, vegetables, flowers, microsoft, computers, homeschooling, learning something new, family, this meal, Ronan, Kiska, Tyler, Auri, Mom, Daddy, doctors.

I especially enjoyed Tyler starting off the "grateful for each other days". We had a bad scare with Ronan. He had a seizure in the middle of the night and the next night Tyler said he was grateful for his brother Ronan. Before that Tyler had been grateful for lots of selfish young teen things and was driving me nuts with his answers. Halo, tv, pop music, the color black...things like that. I was encouraged to see that he COULD be mature and caring when there was something important.

He's a good kid. He just makes me crazy....although I hear that most 13 year old boys make their parents crazy. :o)

We weren't as faithful with it as I'd have liked. The children spent a lot of time visiting friends or we would be running late for bed. (This was during our foray into the private school life. All we did was rush around...at least it felt like it.) But it was a good start. We enjoyed doing it and I know it will be something we keep.

I had already started removing things when I took these pictures, so the tree is a little bare. We're also missing the pumpkins that I had placed at the base of the tree with our family names written on them.

I believe the total cost for our project was around $12. Well worth it. :o)

Hopefully I'll get better at making trees as the years go on.

But my children didn't care. They LOVED it!

October Pond Wanderings

2012-01-16T11:51:00.001-06:00

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.

John Muir

September

2011-12-20T07:22:00.000-06:00

Tyler working the Kell House Museum.

September was a crazy month for us. We started our school work and had tons and tons of activities we were driving to every day. I got burnt out very very very quickly.

Tyler at one of his football games.

I was driving Tyler into town every day for practices and having to hang around for a couple of hours. That in addition to all of the other things we were doing made me make one of the stupidest decisions of my life.

Ronan at his first football game.

I decided that I could serve my children better if I put them in school. I thought that the school would provide them with all of the activities that I was driving us to all the time. And I thought that the babies wouldn't be in the car as much. I was seduced by the idea of a clean house and some free time. I imagined that my children would lose nothing and gain much.

So I spent a couple of weeks getting them accepted to the local Catholic school. I imagined that the school would be able to provide them with the same traditions that we worked so hard to hold at home. I was delighted with the focus on faith. It all sounded so good!

Then we started school and I was disillusioned very quickly. Our family dynamic changed so completely that I didn't even feel like a family anymore.

The school became my children's family.....and I was just the person who got them dressed and carted them there.

We had lots of other problems that I could have never imagined we would encounter. Things like my four year old getting kicked out for her inappropriate use of imagination.

We were turned into CPS for the aforementioned use of imagination. (That was scary, but the worker declared the accusation unfounded. Turns out she's not the first four year old to say her big brother is mean to her.....who knew?!)

We were having to argue with my oldest about his school work for the same amount of time when we were homeschooling...making me wonder what we were spending our money for.

But worst of all was that my children no longer had time for their passions.

Auriana didn't draw anymore.

The children didn't make plays.

The olders no longer read books to the youngers.

None of them cared anything about the stories that we loved.

It was like someone had stolen my children.

Or at least stolen their LIGHT.

I only managed a month of them being away before I brought them back home. I learned a lot of lessons, and I feel more secure in my homeschooling than I've ever felt.

And that makes the decision worth it. :o)

Auriana cheering at her football game.

We loved football season, but we didn't have time for it once we started school. Next year we won't have to compromise. :o)

A story for a sick little boy

2011-09-07T07:57:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time there was a little boy who lived in a small village at the bottom of a tall mountain. This little boy was friends with everyone in the village and he would visit his friends each day. First he would stop by the stables to say hello to the horses, the stableboy, and the cats who patrolled the stables. Then he would make his way through the village with his smiling face and greet each person he would see. He said hello to the miller who ground the wheat into flour for his Mama. He said hello to the Baker who created the special muffins he had on Sunday mornings. He said hello to Father at the church and he had a cheery hello for the ladies as they worked on the flower beds.

He made his way to visit the cows, sheep, goats, and farmers that lived outside the village. All the farmers had dogs that the boy loved. And the dogs loved the boy. They would race through the fields and then stop and watch him when he had to leave.

One day the boy decided that he would climb a little higher up the mountain so he could look over the whole village at once. So he climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed and he climbed. Then he turned and looked.

He could see his house from here! He could see the miller and the baker, and the church, and the cows, the sheep, the goats, and the farmer's houses from here! What a lovely view. He enjoyed the picture for a while and then he saw the sun was getting low in the sky so he started to climb down.

The sun dropped faster than he could climb and it began to get very chilly. As he walked across the farms he wished he had his woolies and he thought that summer must be coming to an end. Soon he would be warm and safe at home.

The walk home seemed so much longer than the walk up the mountain had been and he was very happy to see his home with the warm lights in the window. The wind had picked up as the sun went down and he felt like it blew him the rest of the way home!

He opened the door and closed it behind him quickly. The warmth of the fire called to him and he quickly took off his boots and made his way to the special chair that sat beside it. As he sat down he sneezed, then he sneezed again. His mother came through the kitchen to bring supper to the table and she quickly came over to the boy. She saw that his nose was red. She saw that his cheeks were red, not the lovely glowing red of good health, but the too bright red of a little boy who'd gotten a chill. She placed her hand on his forehead and said, "Oh little one! What have you been up to?"

He was very happy when she cuddled him up and got him into a warm bath. She helped him into his woolies and tucked him into bed with a yummy mug of medicine tea.

He didn't feel well. His ear ached. His head ached. He was tired and very cranky. His mother sat down by the bed with her knitting and he fell asleep to her lullaby.

The next day was the same. But his mama knew what to do. She told quiet stories when the little boy felt cross and she fed him special broth and kept him warm and cozy. He slept and slept all through the day and through the night. When he woke up he felt better and he heard a knock on the door.

It was the miller and he'd brought a loaf of bread for the boy. He patted the boy on the head and told him that he hoped he felt better soon. As he was leaving the Baker came in and he had brought some of his best molasses muffins JUST for the boy. He kissed the top of the boy's head and told him to rest up because there would be blueberry pancakes at church this week! The baker left with a happy good bye because he could see that the boy was getting better.

Next came the stableboy. He had carved a little wooden horse and a small cat for the boy. He gave them to the boy and told him that the horses and the cats were missing him. They all hoped to see him soon.

The boys were playing with the horse and cat toys when the boy's mama came in with his medicine tea and she shooed the stableboy out with a warm smile. Mama told the stableboy that the boy might be able to visit tomorrow, but only if he got some sleep.

The boy took a nice nap and felt EVEN BETTER when he woke up. He could hear voices in the living room and when he called for mama she didn't come alone. ALL the ladies of the church came in too. They had brought the boy a plant to sit by his bed. The plant smelled good......it was lavender! The Priest had come with them and he gave the boy a happy smile and a special blessing.

That evening the farmers all came with their dogs to visit the boy. The dogs sat politely and wagged their tails as they watched the boy. They looked as if they hoped the boy would jump up and go running with them. He couldn't, of course, because he needed to stay in bed until tomorrow.

That night he lay in bed with his tummy full of good broth, fresh bread, molasses muffins and medicine tea feeling very happy that he had so many friends and thinking of the sweet fields he would visit tomorrow if his mama said he could get up. With one last sleepy yawn, as his mama sang him a gentle lullaby, he decided that he would put his woolies on as soon as he woke up and visit all his friends.

In busy busy August

2011-09-01T07:32:00.000-05:00

We fell in love with Sailing.

We served at Church.

We got a blessing for the new school year.

We turned 4 years old.

We turned 13.

(Really? 13? When did that happen?)

Water+Boat+Tube=Texas Summer Survival

2011-08-04T08:18:00.000-05:00

Our Captain.

Kissy loves to splash in the water.

She also LOVES to ride the tube with her brother.

You can't see it, but Ronan is grinning like a fool.

Kinda like this.

Park Play

2011-08-03T07:39:00.000-05:00

Kiska's "Tree House"

Auriana is attending another sewing camp this week which means the littles and I have been heading to the park after we drop her off.

They love it.

We rarely go to the park and so going every day of a week is a HUGE treat for them.

The fun thing is that they seem more enthralled by the sand than anything else.

Except the monkey bars. Ronan is a monkey bar lovin' fool. He is SO proud that he has mastered them.

Our Mushroom Village

Kissy enjoys jumping off the sidewalls of the sand enclosure and digging. I am working on gathering the materials for a natural playground on the farm.

I know what you're thinking.....the whole farm is a natural playground. :o) And you're right. But we don't have swings, which my children love. We're also missing a sandpit. I still don't know how I'm going to work that because of the ants. I'm also hoping to add some oak trees so we can gather acorns from our own place instead of making a trip to the park to replenish my stash.

Kiska spends most of her time creating and destroying little worlds with the acorn caps.

I'm glad that her play, even at this very traditional and commercial playground, revolves around found objects and the natural landscape outside the enclosed area.

It shows me that even though the lure of the brightly colored spaces away from home is there, the pull of the natural world is a part of who she is.

It's Raining!

Lammas 2011

2011-08-01T16:51:00.000-05:00

Today is our first harvest,

there is no time for rest.

So grab your flail and get to work,

your wheat will taste the best.

Later when we've winnowed,

then we'll grind up our grain.

And bake a loaf to feast on

'fore the sun comes up again.

Waldorf Storytelling

2011-07-28T10:55:00.001-05:00

A truly helpful book.

Storytelling is an art that most of us weren't taught growing up. At least I wasn't. Stories were found in books, not people.

Except for one relative who would visit every now and then and give all the children at my grandmother's a delightful memory in the form of a made up story just for them.

I remember sitting spellbound on the porch as Uncle would craft his stories using us as the characters. How amazing it seemed that the wind in the story blew JUST LIKE the wind through the tree behind us! I couldn't fathom the coincidence. :o)

Those few stories that I remember fondly were never something that seemed possible for me to do. I thought you had to have a Great Talent and I knew I didn't have that so I spent my time finding the best storybooks I could for my children. There are some lovely stories out there just waiting to be found and read.

And I read those lovely stories to my children often. We delight in the artwork, and have built some of our favorite traditions around them.

But there is a passion and depth in a story that comes from the soul of the teacher that can't be matched by something in a book.

Think about the last time you listened to a speaker who knew their subject and was passionate about sharing it. It was probably a lot more interesting than the speaker who was reading from their notes the whole time.

Storytelling works that way too.

I became determined to master this for my children. I tried to find a "how-to" but most of them just spoke of jumping in there and telling a story as the only way to learn. I don't know why it was such a scary thing to do. Children are the most forgiving medium there is. Sing to a child. They don't care if you're off key. They will love you for sharing your voice with them!

I borrowed the book above from my library via intralibrary loan and I knew instantly that it was one I needed to purchase as soon as I could. It arrived yesterday and I'm excited to have a book of my own that I can bookmark and highlight. I'm dedicated to using Steiner's three day rhythm with the things I'm studying now. I've discovered that there is a difference in how quickly I absorb the information using that method.

I didn't need the book to start storytelling though, and neither do you.:o)

It was winter when I began and we were focused on warmth and home. So that was my theme for the story. I brought into it everything that I wanted my children to have and experience on a blustery day.

I did nothing more than describe the house that a little girl was walking towards and what she found when she came through the door. I told about her process of preparing for bed and we ended it with her closing her eyes in sleep.

The children begged for the story again and again. Everything just went from there. I started creating more stories based on what we were going through. Then I discovered that I could address behaviors that I had noticed during our day.

The children never noticed that I was pulling from THEIR behavior, but they always saw what shouldn't have happened in the story.

Susan Perrow addresses this in her book. I don't know enough about it all yet to know WHY it works. I just know it did.

So jump out on that limb and start story telling. You can retell a story you know, or make one up about the little boy whose cracker fell on the floor.

Your children will LOVE it!

Jump into books Giveaway!

2011-07-27T06:51:00.000-05:00

From Peter in Blueberry Land by Elsa Beskow

Jump into a book is hosting the most amazing giveaway. 19 Elsa Beskow books will go to some super lucky person. Swing by and enter if you have time. The giveaway ends on the 31st.

I was just shopping for more Elsa Beskow last night. They are our favorites! The illustrations are all so sweet and the stories are and entrance into a world of wonder.

Good Luck!

Waldorf Handwork Planning

2011-07-26T15:30:00.000-05:00

The contents of Auri's Handwork Bag

I've been working on my planning for next year. I'm determined to have an easy year. One without me having to scramble for what we're supposed to be doing. I've actually followed Melisa Neilson's (A Little Garden Flower curriculum) advice and am laying every bit of it out.

It only took me 8 years to apply practical advice.

I think it may be a record for me!

(I plan to address the Will and how to work on it in another post this year. In case you can't tell, I need a lot of work developing my Will.)

Last year handwork was the first part of our homeschool day to get tossed out.

And it shouldn't have been.

I consider handwork a vital part of my children's education.

So this year I'm working on a definitive curriculum for it. I asked Auri to select some yarn and needles from the shelf and she chose these. If you knit at all then you can see that we are going to have some problems. The needles are far too big for the yarn.

It illustrated to me just how much work I have to do in this arena.

And it pointed out a recurring problem I have.

I give my children too much choice.

I should have never sent Auri to choose her own yarn and needles. I should have thoughtfully packed her handwork bag with the appropriate yarn and needles for our first knitting project.

I am working my way through Steiner's Handwork book and I'm finding it fascinating. It's also empowering and exciting. But I've allowed my excitement and passion to translate into errors. I didn't apply enough thought or preparation before I acted.

It's a lesson I'm carrying into the rest of my work with my children. :o)

Now, on to my tentative handwork plans for the year.

Auriana is in 4th grade this year. She knows how to knit, but she's shaky in casting on and casting off. We are going to strengthen those skills before we move on to purling. She is going to make a pair of wool slippers for herself. I found a pattern that is just a rectangle and then sewn together and felted. I think she will have a great time with it.

Our next project will involve cross stitch and the lovely wool felt I just ordered. I can't wait until it arrives. I intend to use it to prepare our nature table for Autumn too. Delightful harvest colors just waiting for my crafting table.

Ronan will begin finger knitting this year. I also have some wet felting plans for him.

Does anyone else have their handwork planned for the year? I'm still looking for ideas for 4th grade and kindergarten! Send them my way and when I get finished with my planning I'll post the schedule here.:o)

Sewing Camp 2011

2011-07-24T18:10:00.001-05:00

Auriana's First Creation

I was thrilled when my friend Julie (the cat herder.......I mean owner/manager of the Alley Cat Collective) told me about the sewing camp that a fellow crafter would be teaching.

Auriana loves to create and I feel like I never have time to teach her everything she would like to learn. Sewing also happens to be one of those things that I'm not fantastic at. It requires so much attention to detail and in the past I've gotten bored with the project before I could complete it. Auriana is the complete opposite of me in this respect. She has such patience and she's very particular.

This makes Auriana and sewing a GREAT fit!

I'm enchanted by the pocket detail.

I saw an example of the project they were doing and jumped at it. What could be cuter than an owl backpack/hobo bag?

An owl bag made with vintage fabric by my daughter of course! ;o)

What a sweet handle!

I am in awe of my daughter's mad skills. I can't believe that she made this bag. It is so perfectly done. So professional. That class was SO worth the $50 tuition. And Auri picked up skills that she's already put to use here at home. She is completely comfortable with my sewing machine. She is making her own patterns and appliqueing without assistance. She is prepared to conquer the world of sewing, and I have no doubt that she will.

She's already talked one of the ladies at church into giving her some patterns.

I enjoy my daughter for so many reasons.

She's a wonderful friend.

She's helpful and kind.

She's thoughtful and considerate.

She's goofy and funny.

She's creative and always willing to learn something new.

This bag is more to me than the product of a fun week of sewing.

It is a beginning.

And if this is the beginning, I can't wait to see the end.

Ready to tag along on Adventures.

Farm Store will open August 20th!

2011-07-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

Remember the tiny little goats?

The dairy is almost finished. Now that the back rooms are painted we only have to install the sinks and hot water heater before we have the inspector walk through.

I'm still giving us a bit of leeway though. After months of "two weeks" I think I've learned my lesson.:o)

Our goats are wormed with an herbal wormer that is safe for humans...(I dose my family with it too.)...and I'm happy to share the ingredients with you if you'd like.

I mix my own feed for the goats and it contains only oats, barley, black oil sunflower seeds, and a bit of molasses to bind it. I also use sea kelp as a supplement for the goats.

The goats have free choice coastal hay from a local source who practices hand weeding and who fertilizes by injection when they have tested and see that the soil needs it.

The alfalfa is also from a local source, but they use conventional farming methods. I've yet to discover a farmer who grows alfalfa without chemicals.

(If you know one, hollar at me. I would be thrilled!)

I treat my goats the same way I do my children. We try every natural method we can find before we use a chemical to treat an illness. We work hard to prevent problems before they happen. And so far it's looking good.

We expect to be selling our Grade A Raw for Retail goat milk by August 20th. If you'd like to be placed on the wait list then email me at www.restlessprairiefarm@yahoo.com .

The chickens are coming along nicely. It won't be long now before our egg production is high enough to share on a regular basis. The chicks are moving to free range just like the big guys. They have kept the grasshopper population down in the garden, now they will be moving to see what they can do with the rest of the property.

The Holy Cow Beef Co-op is up and running! Our first delivery will be August 1st. Email me for the order form if you are interested in some of the tastiest grass fed, grass finished beef that can be found within 60 miles of Wichita Falls. :o)

I am fighting the heat to get the landscaping done. It seems that the small window I have in the morning keeps getting smaller. The fall garden should be in next week.

If conner will leave it alone. That goofy dog LOVES to dig up things I've planted.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call or email me!

Stay cool and pray for rain.

I've lost my boy to the Scouts.....

2011-07-10T16:58:00.001-05:00

The Boy with his pack.

My son left yesterday for his first Boy Scout Summer Camp. 9 whole days in the mountains of New Mexico. He's signed up for everything from orienteering to first aid and they'll be going whitewater rafting on Wednesday.

I'm jealous. ;o)

Last minute instructions.

I always like to watch him listen. You can almost feel him taking it all in.

Headed to the van.

I don't think he's ever been this excited. I know he's going to have the time of his life. It's hard to not be there to share it with him.

To see his face light up when he boards the raft.

To watch him absorb the techniques he needs to find his way in the mountains.

I really want to watch him carry that pack to their campsite.

I want to delight in his capability as he sets up camp.

Laugh as he teases the other boys into helping him carry something heavy.

He's grown up too fast.

It won't be long before he's out in the wide world all by himself.

It's a hard transition for a mother.

Even though I've done my best to teach him to be a capable young man....I don't REALLY want him to go off on his own. I want to share his life like I have since he was a tiny little guy who fit in my arm.

And I will.

But it's different.

And more than a little scary.

Ready for anything.

He's a good boy.

Strong willed.

Smart.

Funny.

Sweet.

Kind.

Sensitive.

Giving.

Caring.

Of course he has all the normal stuff that rears it's ugly head from time to time.

The selfishness that only a child can own.

He can be mean.

He can be irresponsible.

But for the most part he's just a really goodhearted little guy.

Well, not so little anymore.

He outweighs me by 15 pounds and he's almost as tall as I am.

Soon he'll tower over me.

I may cry a little.

Birthing a teenager is as difficult as birthing a newborn.

Only it's the heart that hurts, not the body.

Have fun, Tyler Marshall Dylan!

When the going gets tough......

2011-07-08T07:49:00.000-05:00

the tough go muddin'!

And then they get stuck. :o)

A recovery vehicle is selected.

The ever ready tow strap is deployed.

And we decide that maybe another week is needed before the "mud pit" is ready.

Conner goes muddin' every day.

No tow strap required. :o)

Remember this beautiful white puppy?

He's an official two tone country dog now.

We figure that we might as well enjoy it, since we can't change it.

Summer 2011

2011-07-01T12:35:00.001-05:00

The day I sat on the steps and cried over Rain.

The picture above shows two storm systems that were to the north and the south of us. See the blue sky in between? That only extended over OUR land.

I sat on my steps and smelled rain. I could hear it. It was only about 200 yards away. I could taste it and the air was thick with moisture. But I only felt 9 drops of rain. When it became obvious that those storms weren't going to move over us I started crying.

I have never cried over rain before, but I'm sure it won't be the last time I do. I'm coming to understand weather in an entirely new way. People who live off the land have always had an incredible connection to the seasons and weather patterns.

I pray for rain.

I pray for rain with a fervor and desperation that I've never experienced before.

So much depends on the weather.

Feed costs. Water costs. Availability of both items. Can I water my garden? Should I?

Then the fires that threaten everything.

My world is one big 10 acre ball of highly flammable tinder just begging for ignition.

Makings of a Fire Pit

I was looking at these materials this morning and I got to thinking.

Why am I building a Fire Pit over there? I might build it and NEVER get to use it.

Those stones might become a flower bed instead. :o)

It's June, we've had 1 inch of rain this year. Yep, definitely a flower bed.

The girls heading off to the hole.

I was in the house this morning getting a glass of water and the girls came in.

"It's hot! We're going to play in the house.", they said.

"HOT?! It's only 98 degrees outside! Go play before it actually gets hot, I'll call you in at 9.", was my reply.

When they headed back out the door I stopped for a moment and thought about how ridiculous that statement would have sounded to most people.
But here it's true.
We stop working at around 10 or 10:30 and don't venture back out until after 7 or 8. It's often 95 or warmer when I step out the door at 6:30.

And it feels cool.

I know that it will reach towards 110, or higher, within a few hours, and work as fast as we can to get things done before it does.

If I didn't keep them out until 9 or 10 then my children would have no outdoor time until October or November. (Except at the lake. We spend a LOT of time at the lake.)

This heat has baked the earth. The grasses crunch underneath my feet as I walk to the pond to say goodbye. Last night it was only 6 inches deep with lots of mud.

I wonder if it will last the week.

This drought has given me such a HUGE appreciation for the hated Mesquite tree. They are still green. They're green AND they've produced their flowers and beans. The longest recorded mesquite tree taproot is 190 feet. With seasons like this I can see why they'd need it.

So on we trudge.

Praying for rain.

Preparing for a fall garden.

Researching shade cloth and extreme mulching techniques.

Possibly reducing our goat herd to something we can support with these conditions.

Even with these extreme conditions I have HOPE.

(Actually, it may be all I have at this point...lol. But at least I have something.)

Auriana's Morning Theater

2011-06-10T10:22:00.000-05:00

The Puppet Show

The Good Fairy gets onto Little Bunny Foo Foo

Curtain Call

The Wood Rats in the green room after the show.

I had a backstage pass and got to meet them in person. :o)

Just so you know, Little Bunny Foo Foo is actually a very nice bunny in real life.

So don't believe every song you hear.

Farm Kid Apprentice Day Camp

2011-06-06T09:55:00.000-05:00

Farm Kid Apprentice

Ages 4-12 $50

This is a one week day camp where your child can come out and live out their Farm Kid Dreams.

Some of the things that are included in the Apprentice week....

Goat Milking

Goat Feeding

Chicken Feeding

Egg Finding

Egg Washing

Pen Cleaning

Floor Sweeping

Flour Grinding

Baking with their Fresh Ground Flour

Cooking up Snacks and Meals with Farm Fresh Ingredients

Nature Walks

Nature Crafts

Garden Planting

Garden Weeding

These are just a few of the activities that we will be doing in our mornings together on the Farm!

We will run from 8am-12pm Monday - Friday

Extended Care Available for $30 a week

June 20th-24th

June 27th-July 1

July 11th-July 15th

Call me at 940-636-5660 to make your reservation or to ask any questions you may have.

The Pirate Ship

2011-06-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

Real Life Pretend Play

I walked by the children's room on the way to my office the other day and this caught my eye. I grabbed my camera to capture it and when they saw me take a picture Auri explained, "We're dangerous Pirates sailing to the Island where we've hidden our gold!"

Sounds like fun.:o)

I went through the few photos I'd taken and I was disappointed at the everyday disarray. Their beds rarely stay made. Not if they spend any time at all in their room playing. They use the bed for a thousand things.

Pirate ships, for instance.

Caves....Mountains.....Tents.....Castles......Apartments...

The list is limited only by their imagination.

We don't have lovely wooden beds and shelves. (Not yet.) Our beds aren't covered in handmade goodness. (I'm working on it! I promise!)

Part of me doesn't want to post this picture because it's so very ordinary....not to mention that the lighting isn't great.

But it was such a perfect moment. A moment of extreme ingenuity on their part. I LOVE the sail. I have no idea how they thought of that, but I love it.

I am so pleased that they PLAY.

Constantly, and with complete abandon.

It's a good reminder that the trappings of Waldorf that I love so much are only trappings. That handmade is best, in my opinion, but not vital.

If you set children free to use their imaginations then it doesn't matter if they have a complete set of Ostheimer or a small box of legos.....or a large playsilk, a fan, and a clipboard for the wheel.....they will create worlds that are so rich that we cannot understand how they do it.

Children are amazing creatures.

And I am delighted that I have the opportunity to learn from them.

I thought I was over my Snakey Fears.....

2011-06-02T21:41:00.000-05:00

Then I saw this bad boy at the pond.

Meet the Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin.

When Scott, Conner, and I walked up to the pond this evening Conner spotted a snake. My first thought was, "Conner!! Leave my sweet little snakes alone!!!".

(You know, because I've all but kicked my highly irrational fear of snakes. I kind of like seeing my little pond snakes. Kissy found one the other day under the wood pile and they all came and got me to see if he was a snake who would be sharing the woods with us....or if he was going to meet the business end of the shotgun. He was just a little pond snake who will continue to share the land with us.)

Then I caught sight of the actual snake. I didn't really see anything but his body and I went into FULL PANIC MODE!!!

(That means that my heart began to race and I felt like I was going to throw up.)

One of the cool things about the Master Naturalist class was that I learned a lot about snakes. A lot of it I knew. Things like their valuable part in the ecosystem and such. I also enjoyed learning the things that you should look for when you are identifying a snake and the information about their behaviour.

The knowledge has really helped me to OBSERVE the creatures instead of just freaking out.

When we talked about the poisonous snakes I found out a lot of interesting tidbits. Things like.....they usually aren't aggressive.....bites are pretty rare......when people do get bit it's usually guys in their 20's and they are bit on the hand because they were jacking with them.....you know, good info. CALMING info. Information that allows me to step outside my door without freaking out. :o)

But actually seeing the heavy body that we'd talked about in class threw my survival mode into full gear.

(BTW, my survival is usually much more about FLIGHT than FIGHT. Call me a girl, I don't care. Call me a wuss....nope...doesn't bother me. Just come kill the snake for me so I don't have to watch it slither or take a whack at it myself. Because when I see the icky icky BAD snakes......{by icky icky BAD snake I mean the cottonmouth feasting on bird at my pond}............I want to do my trademark backwards high step with sobbing squeals until I'm far enough away that I feel safe. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 feet usually does it.)

This is not a snake that gets to share the woods with my knowledge. This is a snake that has to go the the happy snakey place in the sky where God has provided lots of lovely birds for him to eat and ponds that don't frequently have children, dogs, and ME running around them.

I know poisonous snakes are people too. But they just can't be people in my backyard.

Some tips to identifying cottonmouths.

They have a heavy body.

They will vibrate their tails when they feel threatened. This is try and convince you to eat the wrong end.

If they feel they can't escape they will coil up with their head in the center of their coil. If they do this......LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!!

(Leave them alone anyways. Don't become one of the statistical goobers who gets bitten on the hand.)

They have a triangle shaped head. I believe all pit vipers do. (I knew it was a cottonmouth because of it's body. Scott knew it was one because of the head shape. I didn't even think of head shape at the time. )

Always remember that snakes can be dangerous, but they're not mean.

Remember that snakes can be dangerous, but they're not mean.

Snakes can be dangerous, but they're not mean.

(That will be my mantra tonight when I wake up from the nightmare where the giant cottonmouth slowly eats my house while eyeballing me to let me know that I'm next.)

Maybe one day I can see a poisonous snake and not have a ball of fear develop in my stomach.

But probably not.:o)

A morning of gardening.

2011-05-31T10:19:00.000-05:00

Planting Sunflowers is HARD WORK!

I gave up my dream of keeping everything on the farm native to Texas. I just can't wrap my mind around how to landscape with them. If I ever actually learn enough to do it then I'm writing a book about. One is ABSOLUTELY NEEDED! (Now that I've said that I'm sure that folks will point me in the right direction. You know, since I've already planted a slew of non native sunflowers, and such.)

It's not like this year was going to be a perfectly landscaped year anyways. I think it may take about 3 years or so before I'm happy with the way things look. Or 10 years. Or 20 years.

Kiska shares her step with her Bubba.

I knew that if I didn't go throw some things in the ground that we would have NOTHING. I get caught up in that perfectionist thing that wants everything to look just right. (You would think that by now I'd know myself well enough to know that I don't do things that way.) I just hope that all the seeds that the littles planted make it up. Some of them looked a little deep to me.

Ronan assured me that they would be just fine.

Comforting.

Conner and Auriana preparing their Mammoth Sunflower beds.

Is it best to garden with a plan?

Yep.

But if the plan gets in the way of actually

GROWING something....

all by YOURSELF....

Then forget the plan.

Grab a shovel and some seeds and get to work.

(I PLAN on saving the seeds so that I control what goes where. HA! We'll see how that goes....see above mentioned inability to stick to a plan.)

I can't help it though. I think that even if the place were taken over by morning glories and sunflowers it would still be better than the rotten stickers we have around the house.

Tyler is trying to thin out the stickers.

(disclaimer.....I know that it seems like I'm belittling native plantings...I'm not. But I finally decided that if I could plant non native tomatoes, herbs, potatoes, and pumpkins in my garden then why not sunflowers too?)

Dirt Bikes

2011-05-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

Ronan is getting some last minute advice.

His Pit Crew had to make some minor adjustments.

Auriana was happy to be back on her dirtbike.

Tyler was happy she shared with him.

Ronan thinks he's ready for the Big Time.

With tricks like these, maybe he is.:o)

Scene from Saturday

2011-05-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

Kiska found me flowers...but lost her shirt.

Morath Orchard CSA Week 1

2011-05-28T18:28:00.000-05:00

Just the beginning....

I should have moved the kholrabi. There's a slew of onions and potatoes there.

Even a sweet bag of peaches!

This will be a fun food week! What an adventure!

Nature at Noon

2011-05-22T07:33:00.000-05:00

Using our Maps.

We had a great time yesterday at Lake Arrowhead. The Texas Master Naturalists maintain a nature trail out there and they staffed each marker with a naturalist in their first Nature at Noon program.

We saw soapberries on the tree.

We use soapberries in our wash, so the kids were particularly excited to see them on the tree. I heard plans to search our property for a tree so they could harvest their own berries.

Cute little bugs in the Dead Snag.

Kissy and Ronan fell in love with the Magnifying Glasses.

Here they learned all about the Prickly Pear.

We are going to harvest the cochineal beetle from our prickly pear at home and see if we can dry them out, grind them up, and dye some wool with the results. It should be fun.:o) We are also going to give eating it a try.

Hackberries that we will be trying to make jam from with our new recipe.

It will take a LOT of berries to make a pot of jam! But I think we can spend a morning picking them and we should have enough. Those kiddos can be pretty motivated when they choose.:o)

Kissy's new grasshopper friend.

That little turkey wants to bring home every critter that she meets! I assured her we had PLENTY of grasshoppers at home. (A fact our decimated garden can attest to.)

Wild Bird Rescue's Educational Owl "Trooper".

So much FUN! Well, so much fun until Kiska realized she couldn't pet "the little owl". Then she threw a monumental fit. (It was naptime and she was already cranky.) I think that she had that in common with the owl. They both wanted to be asleep. I got to carry her from this point. The turkey child, not the owl. ;o)

Tyler plans on trying to make soap from some of our Yucca.

I learned a lot about the Yucca that I didn't know. This should be a fun project for us.

Tyler liked it too, he took a thousand pictures of the information board. But not one of the whole board...lol.

They got the plans for building a bluebird house. Scott will have to get in on that.

The park ranger and his family had the bluebird display. They had a great little book that does the bird calls. We are going to HAVE to get one of those! So cute and the littles were fascinated that the book would make a sound.

Then we sat down in the shade and made some spider friends.

The spiders were played with all evening in games of hide and seek and just regular pretend. Kiska shared her supper with hers and they all slept in a bed inside the dollhouse. They also made pine cone bird feeders that were hung in the tree as soon as we got home. They are hoping to reuse the pine cones and coat them every time they are empty. LOT'S more fun that just filling our bird feeders.

Of course, now Kiska thinks she needs a "sweet little turtle".

We got to visit the black widow spider and brown recluse, they were visiting the park from Riverbend. The park ranger had found these red eared sliders just that morning and he brought them to the pavilion so folks could see them. Kissy fell in LOVE! She didn't want to leave them. I love turtles and these were super cute.

I wonder if Scott would be happy if we added some to our family. ;o)

There were many things we didn't get pictures of because my cameraman was too interested in what was being said to capture photos. Each station was amazing and we got to see some lovely mesquite flooring, learned that the lotebushroots were used for soap, saw a wonderful example of how the honey locust tree reproduces, and MUCH MORE.

Thanks Texas Master Naturalists and Lake Arrowhead! The kids can't wait to come back!

Hypoglycemia and Changes

2011-05-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

We discovered a couple of weeks ago that I am hypoglycemic. I have to admit that I am happy that there was something wrong with me other than Alzheimer's. I had decided that I must have some sort of super early onset or something.

I kept getting lost when I was driving places. Or driving somewhere and having no idea why I had gone there, then trying to drive home and finding myself at another store. With no recollection of the drive, or the reason I was there.

I keep forgetting what I was talking about. Holding onto a thought process was/is impossible. If I get even slightly interrupted I can't regain what I was saying or thinking. I'd tell Tyler to "Take out the trash, please." Only what I had actually said was, "I'm going to the bathroom." Then I'd be frustrated because Tyler didn't do what I'd asked.

Then I started the super lightheaded thing. I'd almost pass out, and I'd sometimes feel sick to my stomach. Then the almost passing out got worse and worse. On Easter Sunday I had to leave the communion rail in the middle of communion because if I didn't I was going to have to lay down right there. I barely made it out of the church in time. Everything went black as I sat down, but it didn't last long. I was shaking like crazy and my heart was pounding.

It was almost like a panic attack....but I've had those before and this wasn't it. I felt AWFUL. Crazy awful. Scott had to go to work right after church, and I had to pull over three times on the way home because I didn't think I was going to make it. I almost put Tyler behind the wheel to get us home. And if we'd had back roads to our house I would have.

Monday was worse. I could barely get out of bed. And if I stood up everything went fuzzy or just straight black. I managed to milk, but that was it. It felt like I was moving in water and hadn't slept for days. My head buzzed, my hands shook, my heart pounded, I could feel my blood moving thickly through my veins, and I was getting really really scared.

Cripes! What is happening to me?! Am I going to croak here at 33? Is this some kind of heart issue? What is going on!?

I decided that I'd feel better the next day, but I didn't. I couldn't even get out of bed that day. If I lifted my head my heart pounded so hard and everything would go black. I managed to milk. Sitting down 7 times in the 30 yards it takes to get to the barn. I decided that I was going to bite the bullet and go to the doctor. Yuck.

I told them what was going on and was asked if I had panic attacks or was under stress. I told them of course I was under stress, but nothing unusual and they couldn't be panic attacks because I'd had those before and this wasn't it. I was really not feeling well, and the doctor told me that they were going to check me for anemia because that is usually what makes women feel tired. I told him I doubted that was it because I eat a decent amount of iron rich foods and cook in cast iron, but he wanted to do it just in case. I was about to walk out of the office and he saw me shaking and walked back in and shut the door.

"Do you drink?" he asked. I laughed. "About twice a year, almost half a beer.", I said.

He sent me on my way to the lab.:o)

The test results came back and my levels were above average. I was starting to feel a little light headed and he said he wanted to try something else before he sent me to get the expensive labs done. So his nurse came in and took my blood sugar. It was 36 and I'd eaten about an hour earlier.

So. Problem solved! It's a blood sugar issue! Yay! Now I know what to do.

Only......I really didn't want to. I had managed to kick the vast amounts of Mountain Dew I drank every day about 8 months ago when I couldn't sleep. That was hard, but I just switched to sweet tea and it wasn't a huge deal. I had tried to cut back my caffeine intake back then, but that was harder than I could deal with at the time. So I drank decaf after 7pm and left it at that.

But now I needed to kick the sugar habit entirely if I wanted to give my liver a chance to cure me. So I made the move to stevia sweetened tea and avoided fruits and fruit juice.

Within a day I was ready to kill for a box of whoppers. (maybe not...but I really really really wanted them) Within two days, I decided I was starving. It didn't matter what I ate, or how much of it, I couldn't get full. I ate vast amounts of chicken. I ate several frozen meals a day.....not realizing how much sugar those contained until later. I ate so much salad that I should have turned green. Pounds of nuts. My body was STARVING!! And it was getting hard to care about this whole hypoglycemic thing.....I still felt awful. I slept 9 hours on Scott's day off and still went to bed at 9 and slept the night through. I was exhausted and weak....and hungry.

Then I started to feel better. I'm not sure how many days it took to adjust, but I did. This is when I started to notice how many things have a ton of sugar that I didn't know about. Because I felt awful Scott had picked up a lot of premade food at the grocery store. Anything to keep me eating and the kids from making things difficult for me. (He's such a sweetie.)

I quickly learned that I couldn't eat most of it. I would take a bite and get a huge sugar rush within moments and then feel awful for hours. I tried a drink of fruit juice and did the same thing. Regular fruit doesn't seem to affect me that much, other than tasting a thousand times better than fruit has ever tasted.

Once I got free of the sugar, I started working on the caffeine. I'm in day three of that and I still feel pretty bad although I'm hoping that I don't have a headache today. But if I do, I know it won't last more than a week.

I've always worried about my children's diet. I've always worked hard to keep their sugar way down and their food as fresh and natural as possible. But I never worried about me...until things went wrong I just ate what I wished. I enjoy good food and tons of veggies so I didn't think that I could get caught by something like this.

The "at least 2 cups" of white sugar everyday proved me wrong. Which is a good thing, I think. I'm on my way to a healthier me. I'm on my way to a much better example. I'm on my way to a lower weight......(I hope, I mean....I've cut out at least 700 calories a day so that should do something, right?)

I'm working on easing the load on my liver to see what I can do to reverse this. The lemonade I'm drinking will help. The vast amounts of water I can drink now will help. (Who knew that water tasted sweet?!) I'm excited about the coming farmer's market season, I know that those super fresh veggies will help.

I'm grateful that I've been given this chance to enjoy food as it was meant to be enjoyed, even if it did come about in a more dramatic way than I would have liked.:o)

An Afternoon at the Pond

2011-05-06T18:46:00.001-05:00

Milkweed

Red Saddlebags Dragonfly (I think)

Common Pondhawk Dragonfly (I'm pretty sure...)

Female Cardinal

Bullfrog

Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake (Thanks Honey!)

It is amazing what you can see once you tune your eyes to look for it. The Spring Texas Master Naturalist Class of 2011 has shown me how to see.

Now it's up to me to learn about what I'm lookin' at.

This is ABSOLUTELY the best thing I could have done for myself and my children. Search out your local ag office, or wildlife office, or state park and find out if they have something like this.

It will change your outdoor time for the better.

The Ineffective Alarm Clock

2011-05-04T20:26:00.000-05:00

This is Charlie.

He's a young rooster, so I suppose we have to try and be understanding.

But I wish he would learn that 2am is not sunrise and act accordingly.

Sunrise is a perfectly respectable time to get up.

2am.....not so much.

Artistic Endeavours

2011-04-26T14:32:00.000-05:00

Auriana's Studio

Auri decided that she wanted a more official set up today. This is what she came up with.

It has everything the budding artist needs.

A backdrop.

Crayons, stamps, pencils, and paper.

A place to sit.

She also set up various scenes and tried her hand at still life.

An example of the morning's work.

She used our wooden trees, lake, and gnomes to set this scene. She used a tish of artistic license of course. But over all it's spot on. :o)

Ronan becomes her Subject

Auriana roped her brother into her project. She quickly learned that it is more difficult to draw a moving subject.

Ronan's Portrait

She found that it was a lot harder to draw on a vertical surface than she thought.

But she had fun, and she tried something new.

I like it when the kids decide to shake things up.:o)

I think we may spend the next few days in our crayon boxes, and see where it takes us.

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T20:40:00.000-05:00

The Hooligans Semi Cleaned up.

Tyler lighting the candles before the Service.

Off to hunt eggs in the Parish Hall.

photos by Scott

The children had a great time. The littles were very excited to put the flowers on the cross at the beginning of the service. Auriana enjoyed singing in the choir today, and Tyler got to acolyte.

Happy Easter!

Farm Blog Archives: Build it up, Tear it Down

2011-04-23T15:49:00.000-05:00

Feb. 5, 2009

I was noticing today how much my life is like a child's afternoon of block play. My children always lay a sarong or silk down, to aid in cleaning up later. Then they dump the blocks out, no half measures here...nope, they go all in. Sure, they could just take out the ones they want to use. Or they could even organize everything into different sets and sizes, to better facilitate their designs. But they choose to dive in with the assumption that they can make sense of it all.
And they do. The make sense of it all. It becomes a beautiful village surrounded by trees. A castle complete with damsel. A forest and river that has gnomes crossing in little wooden boats to find the best mushroom for a new house. They make sense of it, they change it, they laugh, they argue, they tease, they build, they destroy. Then they clean it all up with their handy dandy basesheet, and do it again the next time. And even though it will be the same, it will be completely different.
I do that. With my life I mean. Even now I do it with the house. I build our home, then I get bored and have to change it. If I don't have something going on with it constantly then I can't stand to clean it. If I'm not working on something new then I can barely stand to breathe.
How can people manage to do the same thing day in and day out? I understand it must be done. I do it too, I mean....that's what dishes and laundry and such are....repetitive....neverending. But how do you just lose yourself in the sameness of your days?
I am very frustrating to my mother. Things just got calmed down a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm getting ready to change it up. And you know what? It's awesome! I feel alive when I think about it. I can feel the adrenal glands kicking in at the prospect of a new frontier.
Can I do it? I have no idea. Living with minimal water, minimal electricity, reclaiming a place I've loved and been a part of since I was born, and doing it all with four children......freaks me out.....but that's the excitement. I know that it will be hard work. (Let's not forget that I am the woman who can pack up and move 6000 pounds worth of household goods in 3 days....I do understand work. Although I tried to pick up one of the boxes that is still packed up the other day and couldn't understand how on earth I had moved 80 of them that were just as heavy. And that was just the books!)
I can't wait to take apart barns and sheds that don't work anymore and turn them into usable buildings. I'm excited about the thought of reclaiming the yard and researching different low water, edible landscapes. What can I do to make the Farm more magical than it already is? Make it so that it will speak to my children in the same way it does to me? How will I make it work?
The puzzles and problems are so invigorating. Even though I use the methods every day in everything I do, it is awesome when I get to apply it to a new task.
I had planned on doing the Polar Bear swim in Medicine Park on Saturday, but I'll be out of town. I'm okay with that though, first because they are totally getting off easy.....it's supposed to be 70 degrees on saturday, how is that polar bear swim? shouldn't it be called off on account of good weather?.....and second, because I'm taking a new plunge of my own.
Breathe deep. Walk slowly. Find your center.........then create something. That seems to be my theme lately. And that's very appropiate for this time of year.:) Brigid is doing her thing.....lol.

Farm Blog Archives: Heads Carolina, Tails California

2011-04-23T15:48:00.000-05:00

Feb. 8, 2009

This is totally random, just some thoughts from the drive.

I know that Tim remembers the Heads Carolina thing. I was thinking the other day as I headed out with my mandatory one backpack that I packed in about ten minutes.....that I could still do that. I've always enjoyed it. I do like that I've settled down, I like that I'm about to have a "forever home"(you know, like a stray dog...lol), I'm thrilled that I have such an amazing family.

I just also like the fact that I could pack us all up in about 15 minutes and hit the road to anywhere.:)

I may not drive to Cincinatti anymore just for Skyline. But I'm still a Gypsy, just a Gypsy Mama. Same feel, different ways.

Those were some interesting days though. Oh, hey....Tim....Was that you and Z who wound up stranded in the Keys? or Z and Mullholland? i was thinking about that too, but couldn't remember who the players were.

Remember Togiola's daughter and the tummy ache? I know that Gerald would probably not even remember who I am, but I will never forget the several trips we made making the winnabago face everytime we passed one.....and sometimes when we didn't.:) Oh man, and the runs to a wet county for beer. It still fascinates me that there are places like that.

I still find ways to be goofy. Now though it's usually not possible for outsiders to tell that I'm all that strange.

There is little hysterical laughter, okay, so there's still hysterical laughter....just for different reasons. I don't stumble out of cars in my pj's and big fluffy slippers. Oh, wait...yep....I still do that. Only now I have four little ones in pj's and fluffy slippers following me to the bathroom. While everyone else on the road is beautifully dressed with their hair perfectly fixed we're the ones wiping drool off of our faces and walking on all the parking blocks.

Hmmmmmm, maybe they still find me strange. And probably incompetent.

But that's okay. Because we're also the ones likely to be sitting in the sand to watch the sun rise at our destination. The ones who are all gathered around to see the little teeny fishes. The ones who are really looking at the turtles. We find the cool leaves, the broken bottle, the old key chain, the magic shell, the fountain of youth....oh wait...wasn't supposed to let that secret out.

I guess my point is that I enjoyed those formative years. I was thinking that missed those days. Then I realized that I still have them.

It's still ice cream, just a different flavor.:)

Farm Blog Archives: How my Birthday is Always....

2011-04-23T15:45:00.002-05:00

Feb. 8, 2009

wierd? off? different? strange? wacky? unpredictable?

Hmmmmm.......oh...I know, CURSED! Yep, that's the word I was looking for!

Okay, here's the thing. For probably the last 6 years or so, something (fill in the blank) has happened on my birthday.

I always either have an arguement, have my husband gone, have something outlandish happen (like the food being awful and getting everyone sick), catch the cake on fire, or get into a car wreck on the way to the celebration.

I no longer celebrate my birthday. I just kind of note that it's here. The kiddos and I share a cake, and we move on. I don't experience the "oh yay! It's my birthday!" that I once did.

Here is what happened for my 31st birthday. I should probably try to remember the exact events for my other ones. I think that I might get a kick out of it as the years go on.

I woke up early this morning so that I could get in line to be searched to get in line to wait, to get in line to wait, to sit and wait. In the hopes that it would only take 3 hours and not four to get in and start my visit. The theory was that I would get in and be able to start the visit by 10 so that I could be done with it by 2 and home by 7. This was important because I had told Ronan that I would be home before he went to sleep on Sunday.

The gates don't open until 8, but the line starts forming up at about 7.

Okay..so...I'm really trying to leave early because I have to stop and get gas. The day before while I was waiting in line I noticed I was on empty...and started hoping I wouldnt' run out while I was in line. That would have sucked. When I left my visit I had planned to stop at the gas station in the little town where I stay. However, it was really busy. Since it's only about a half mile away from the house I decided to just hit it up in the morning. ( I mean, even if I ran out of gas, it's within walking distance...ya know?)

I manage to wind up leaving 20 minutes after I had intended on leaving. (and here I always thought it was the kiddos who made me late...go figure.) I get to the gas station, and pull in. As I'm getting out to pump my gas, I notice that there are no lights on. No way to pay at the pump. Nothing. There is also no other gas station in town.

I call the house and ask where the nearest gas station is. Oh, not far. Just seventeen miles! Crikey! Okay, come on truck, we can make it! 3 miles later, the truck says, "screw you lady." and dies.

So I call the house back, and the nice man comes and puts some gas in my truck. I drive the fourteen miles and fill up my tank. Then head back to visit. It is now 8:30.

This is when I get my first birthday present.:)

The line isn't that long, they get me through, get me searched, get me in, and get it started .....get this....by 9:55!

Sweet! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to Wendi! Happy Birthday to me!

Okay, now my weekend is over and I need to head home. The drive wasn't bad. Did a lot of thinking and planning. Kinda nice really, to have my mind to myself for a while. :) I come into Oklahoma, go through the toll and I look at the McDonald's there and think that I should get something to eat. Decide that, "nah...I'll just have an Amy's when i get home. Oh, but I guess I could go to Sonic and get a slush because I need to fill up the tank for mom." I'm driving past Mickey D's and the Phillips 66 as I think this. Then I look down at the gas gauge.

It's on Empty.

Because you know, Why not?

So I go through the whole, "Come on truck, you can do it!" thing again. And once again, it starts to tell me to piss off. But it can't seem to make up it's mind. "eh, I guess I'll get you to a gas station.....no, I say NO for you!......well, maybe if you talk nice......wait a minute...aren't you the one who did this to me this morning? Feed me lady!" As it's doing this, I notice flashing lights up ahead.

This is where I get my second birthday present.

The truck dies, but I was going almost 90mph, so it continues to coast. And it coasts, and coasts, and coasts....and then it comes to a stop.

10 feet behind a tow truck. :)

So I get out and explain myself to the very confused looking group who were watching their car go up on the truck, before I so rudely interrupted. They laugh, of course. How could you not?

I'm pretty sure that I am one of a very very select group of people who can manage to run out of gas......twice....on their birthday. Then have it arranged so perfectly that I the second time, it happens ten feet behind a tow truck.

The mechanic backed up and hooked me up to the truck too. Took me to a gas station where he (at no charge) did a quick demonstration of how to utilize those wierd looking things they have at the place where I get my candy and Mountain Dew.

He also didn't charge me for the tow. Since it was my birthday and he was "going that way anyways".

Maybe the curse has lifted?.....We'll have to wait and see what happens next year. But it looks promising!

Farm Blog Archives: How to Break an Arm

2011-04-23T15:42:00.002-05:00

Feb. 8, 2009

First, own a skateboard.

Next, recieve a really really cool ramp and rail set. Have an adult decide that you should only use it on the porch instead of in the street.

Then you need to be a 10 year old boy.

After that all you have to do is add in three little girls to show off for.

This recipe is almost 100% guaranteed to result in a broken bone. To make the outcome more likely, you should not use the skateboard for at least 7 months before you attempt this.

Oh, and don't forget to do it while your mother is gone. That way you're stuck with the unsypathetic one who tells you that you're fine, shake it off. This will help to make the break worse. If you have a really really unsympathetic person in charge of you, you might even be able to pull a surgery out of it.:)

Lucky for me, my birthday luck seems to be holding and all it's going to take is a cast after the swelling goes down.

Tyler is so thrilled. He thinks he's going to get a camo cast. What a goon. I'll post pictures once I get them.:)

Oh, and I decapitated a spiderman pinata today. That was cool.

Farm Blog Archives: Reactions

2011-04-23T15:40:00.000-05:00

Feb. 15, 2009

It's funny what happens when you walk into a store with four whiney children and ask to see their chainsaws.

Some laugh.

Some look at you sideways and try to explain the differences between the different saws while the children mime scenes from the Texas Chainsaw masacre in the background.

The reactions when you walk into the store minus the children are just as interesting.

Most salesmen assume it's for my husband and try to sell me something he would like. Others look a little dumbfounded when I explain that it's for me. I like to confuse them further by saying ridiculolus things like, "Can I paint it pink? I think it might be easier to cut with for me if it were pink. A little less threatening than the black with the killer saw motif. Where I can I get a pink one? Or maybe lilac with cute little flowers. What? You think I should hire someone to do all my cutting? Why? Just because I'm terrified of power tools doesn't mean I can't use them!"

Yep, it's been different.

I have to actually make a purchase tomorrow. I've been waiting for the lawn and garden center to open up because it has been recommended that I get a 14 inch Stihl. They are supposedly the lightest and easiest to maintain. That is definitly what I'm looking for. Not that I can't figure out how to put the chain thingy back on...or where to put the oil and such. It's just that I'm all for "ease of use". Once I finally have the stoopid chainsaw the yard will look MUCH better.

I got most of the fence pulled down today. Got another closet cleaned out and ready for shelf paper. Figured out where I'm going to put the chickens.(that part is super fun!) Discovered that I'm pretty sure there is enough scrap wood and tin to repair the barn to usability. That means that my wicked cool Austrailian Merino sheep will have a home soon.

Things are slowly coming along. I have most of my supplies ordered and they should arrive before next month, which is cool. I found a stove and fridge I think I'm going to get. I still want to go off the deep end and get the fridge on top model, but I can't find one used and I really don't think it's important enough to waste the money on.:) But I want to.

Hmmmmm, what else? Nothing that I can think of tonight. Oh, it's crazy.....if you turn off all of the lines the electrician ran that are new then all of the old ones work. Somehow I'm thinking that's not right....I'm going to find someone to come out and check it out.

So, I'm off tomorrow to buy a pink and purple flowery chainsaw. It should be fun.:)

Farm Blog Archives: Things I've learned.

2011-04-23T15:38:00.000-05:00

Feb. 17, 2009

1. A 300 hundred pound desk doesn't care if you sweet talk it, or cuss it. It will refuse to get lighter.

2. 50 head of cattle can get a look in their eye that makes you think they might have chosen today to begin their uprising against humankind.

3. It takes a 112 pound woman 37 minutes to move a 300 pound desk 15 feet.

4. It takes the same woman 20 minutes to carefully try to empty her last vacuum cleaner bag to reuse even though they aren't reuseable.

5. A vacuum cleaner bag will rip just before you finish emptying it.

6. Snakes like the top of the closet.

7. Snakeskin doesn't have to have a snake in it to be scary.

8. 13 years worth of dust will not come clean in one day.:)

Farm Blog Archives: April 2, 2009

2011-04-23T15:31:00.000-05:00

April 2, 2009

I know they're there. The less obvious things that make men and women different creatures. But I've been having some interesting points driven home to me since I moved to the farm.

I am a great helper.:) I can fetch tools, haul lumber, pick things up from the store, cook, bring lemonade, hold things, find things, entertain children, and help in any other way that is needed to get the job done. But when it comes to the actual job, I suck.

I can make the house pretty, but I can't make the house. I can plant the garden and make it grow, but I can't erect a fence to keep things out of it. I can feed and exercise and care for animals, but I can't build the fence to keep them in.

In essence, I'm a great nurturer....not so much on the protecting front. If the dog barks, I don't want to go see why....I want to call someone to go see.:)

I find it interesting because although these are things I've known are hardwired into us, I've never had them illustrated quite so well for me.

Can I build a fence? Yes. But it takes me about 20 times longer than it does the guy who wanders by and takes pity on me. Okay, actually he managed to complete the whole thing in the same time I took trying to get the damn posts over to where they needed to be. (Those things are heavier than they look!) I work from sun up to sun down and still have almost nothing done. It's pretty frustrating.:) But at least I'm having fun with it.

The farm is more than I thought it would be. I knew the sunsets were amazing. I knew that I loved it there. I knew it was mine. What I didn't fully understand was that this small piece of land owns me more completely than I can ever own it. I get the most amazing sense of satisfaction when I look and see what is becoming and what will be. I'm learning a patience that I've never had. Although I want it all done, (NOW!), I know that if I take my time it will be great and mine.

The prairie has always had a special voice for me. I think it's because it is the one place that I can almost see the covered wagon trains crawling along. The chisolm trail went through here, Plains Indians followed the buffalo over my land. The history has always fascinated me, it's why all history can seem so alive for me.

My family lived what I've read about in the history books in a place I live now. With every bucket of water I draw, with every step I take, with every sky I watch for weather I follow their steps. When the dust blows I get a taste of what drove people from their farms in search of a life during the dust bowl. A couple weeks ago I watched the dust filter through the cracks of the same door that my grandfather would have watched. I can imagine how intense it would have been with a hard drought and no erosion control.

And I am amazed.

I stand in complete awe of those who came before me. We have all heard about the incredible people who settled the West. The men and women who left behind everything they had ever known in search of Hope, New Beginnings, The Future. Yes, the words are always capitalized inside my head. Those are such big things that there is no way to express them with mere words. They are ideas, and the best writers I've ever read can only brush against the edges of their meaning. But when you feel it, you know why that is.

Farm Blog Archives:Today a doorknob, Tomorrow the WORLD!

2011-04-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

May 19, 2009

The door in my kitchen quit working about a week ago. You could turn the handle as hard as you could and it wouldn't do anything. It sucked. Especially since I'm reordering the yard to make that the front door.:) When I went to Cart's the other day I decided that I should get a new knob and install it.

Sounds easy. Pretty straightforward. So why was sitting in my kitchen 4 hours later afraid to begin? I had the new package sitting on the sink by the door. The door was open. Screwdriver and drill on hand. Just waiting for me to start.

And I couldn't. I spent at least 15 minutes looking first at the door, then the package...and back again. Finally I took a deep breath, picked up the drill and added the phillips attachment....and began.

The drill couldn't reach the screw. Okay, no problem....We'll go the old fashioned way. So I grab the screwdriver.

Screwdriver is too big.

No biggie...find a smaller screwdriver. So I searched and searched......and searched and searched. Finally I come up with these little tiny flat heads that fit. But I can't get a grip on them to unscrew the screws. As I'm pushing and attempting to turn this marvel of modern engineering I slip and jam the screwdriver into my hand about a half inch.

This is when I learn why every man I know can scream obscenities for at least 10 minutes without repeating themselves. It used to be something that I admired greatly. I'm learning though that it's only because they've screwed up a lot in their lives but had to keep moving forward.

Keep Moving Forward. That's the phrase from the kids movie Meet the Robinsons. It's awesome. It seems that I'm finally getting that. I've had the suck it up and drive on down for most of my life. But there's a difference between driving on and moving forward. Doesn't sound like much of one, but there is.

I think I've been trudgeing, when what I should be doing is skipping.:)

Okay, so after I finish my little fit.....I mean....my masculine display of vocabulary....I tackle the door with vengence on my mind. This is when I learn that my husband may actually know what he's doing when he takes a hammer to something that isn't working.:)

So I get the doorknob in, a really really really long time later. And I feel so freaking proud of myself that it's pitiful. I recognize how pitiful it is at the same time I'm enjoying the feeling of walking around my kitchen pounding my chest and saying, "That's right b****.....fixed ya didn't I! Ha! Broken door, my a**! Nope, you're a fully functioning entrance into my do ma cile now."

(Yeah, apparently I do talk like that when a door takes my blood but I win.)

I've experienced this feeling a number of different times since I moved out to the farm. It's really interesting to me to observe myself as I go through these different little milestones and notice the ways that it changes me. I've spent my entire life so protected that there is much I haven't done.

Everyone worries about me....constantly....and about things I wouldn't even think that someone could worry over with a grown woman. And I love the way that feels. I like that I have so many wonderful people who want to take care of me and shelter me from so many things. It's awesome. I can't wait until I have my husband home to shelter me again. I love it when people come and help, or stop by and help. I'm woman enough to be able to accept it.

But it's cool to know that there are a lot of things that I CAN manage to do, even if I don't want to or think I can't. I miss being spoiled, but I'm not a hot house flower that wilts the moment the environment changes. Sweet. I like that.

So now I've got a few more things that can be added to my adventure resume.

I am independent.
I am capable.
I am still scared of the dark, but I have a big dog.

And a door knob is no match for that.;)

Farm Blog Archives: Electric Fence vs. My Mom

2011-04-23T15:24:00.000-05:00

I'm moving some of my old stuff from MySpace so I don't lose it.:o)

Since we all know that what happens at the farm stays at the farm I know that you are all aware that this is classified information and won't be sharing it with anyone.;)

My mother went to the farm today to care for my various critters while I was away. This is the story she told upon her return.....with tears running out of her eyes and the ability to breathe stolen from laughter that also removed most of her speech capacity.

She was trying to get the dog watered when she discovered that Kiska had a dirty diaper. Since every animal on my farm comes running when you lift a bucket she was followed from the well to the house by 6 chickens, 7 sheep, 2 horses, one dog and was carrying a stinky baby and a bucket of water. When she went to step over the fence to pour water into Sadie's pan the tip of her flip flop got caught on the electric fence.

I'm sure you can see where this is going....but I'm going to toss out details just for fun. And posterity....when I sell the secret memoirs of the Farm years from now I want to be sure I have my stories straight.

My mother released the bucket of water that went flipping through the air as she fell on her bum while trying to protect the baby. She protected the baby from the fall....but not from the water. Drowned rat is the phrase my mom used to describe the state of my youngest daughter.

After the first stage of shock wore off, kiska started screaming and slapping her head and mom...of course.....started laughing so hard she couldn't see or do anything. (Kiska doesn't like uncontrolled water on her head, it freaks her out.) The sheep scattered, the chickens came over to investigate, and the horses looked at mom like she was a complete lunatic while the dog licked her head, kiska screamed and she laughed. (This sounds like a number of the experiences I've had at the farm, maybe the place is out to get us for disturbing it's peace. Hmmmm, the Electric Fence and Flip Flop curse. Hey, it could happen. Well, it could to me anyways.)

So she finally got the animals away from her, Kiska calmed down, and then moved on to the chores at hand. Kiska soon had a clean diaper, the dog was watered and penned, and mom was on her way to put the chickens, sheep, and horses up.

To do this, she must step over the electric fence.

Now, I love my mother.

And I have had the dubious honor of repeating the same mistake within the same hour several times since I've been at the farm. It is for this reason that I will allow you to assume that she made it without further incident.

Everyone is entitled to some dignity.

Chores and Storytelling

2011-04-21T11:38:00.000-05:00

The Cave Explorers

Ever tried to force a 3 year old to pick up her room? Not much fun, and it usually results in a power struggle that no one is going to win.

At least for me.:o)

Ronan and Kiska love to help.......when they WANT to help....the rest of the time is a screaming, stomping, fit throwing with lots of "It's not fair!" and "I HATE this ROOM!"

So sometimes I have to be sneaky.

Instead of saying "Ronan, I need you to go to your room and push your mattress under the bed so we can get Auri's bed made."

(Something that is likely to result in the turkey throwing a fit.)

I'll say, "Ronan, I need your help pushing the mattress under the bed. I just don't think I can get it by myself. Do you want to play with your marbles later? Or are we just going to draw today."

It's pretty close to the first statement. But this one has us working together which fosters more of the "we're all in this together" mentality that we're striving for. I've made him important to the task. And, perhaps most importantly, I've moved the topic onto something he likes to think about as I walk to the room with him. Moving on doesn't give him a chance to think about how frustrated that he is that he has to get to work. He's thinking about marbles and drawing.

The tight spots.

When we began pushing the mattress in it became apparent that it wasn't going to go in all the way. Something was BACK THERE.

(Surely not! Toys, clothes, and books shoved under the bed! That NEVER happens!)

At this point I could complain and become irritated by the fact that the hooligans didn't puth their things away properly. I could start griping and handing out punishments or threats of punishment if they didn't keep their things put away.

If I do that then I invite the children into the blame game. I invite them to transfer blame. I invite them to argue with me. I invite them to cry and pout. I invite them to witness the "unfairness" of the world if they have to pick up something that they didn't put there.

Or I can invite them into a caving expedition to extract unknown artifacts for research and classification.:o)

After a quick lesson on caving safety..... ( Okay, it's dark in there. And we've never mapped this cave so we don't know where it goes or what's in there. Keep close, climb careful, and if you get into trouble then hollar and we'll find a way to get you out....I haven't lost a man yet.)

And a nod to what we were looking for......(I want you to bring back ANYTHING you find. It could all be important. The smallest item can tell us something.)

In the explorers went.....

First, the Grand Adventurer Ronan found a flashlight that he declared would come in handy in the dark.

Then the Grand Adventurer Kiska found a penny that she declared was treasure.

When Ronan found a stinky sock, Auriana declared that there must be Trolls down there! So be EXTRA CAREFUL!!

They cleared everything out from under the bed. And with each item I came up with something to say about it.

The trash indicated that it MUST be Trolls because they're the only creatures rotten enough to throw trash on the ground.

We found an unknown species of cave dwelling sheep.

More treasure, perhaps Pirates had been here before.

Books! Trolls and Pirates don't read books! They must have stolen them for toilet paper.

The yellow playsilk was Sunshine, Ronan had found a shaft that reached the surface!

The sword must be magic!

The artifacts.

I think it took us close to 10 minutes to get the bed cleaned out. That might seem like a long time to some. But I had fun, the children had fun, they did all the work, and I managed to sow the seeds for their creative play and storytelling for the rest of the day.

It was MUCH easier than spending 10 or more minutes arguing with a 5 year old over cleaning. It also made the next thing I needed him to do easier to accomplish. If you fight over one thing, then the next thing you ask is also going to be a fight.

I prefer for the momentum of our days to be based on cooperation and imagination.

Bed put away? Check.

Adding storytelling to your day is easier than you might think, and children thrive on it.

Have you done this? What do you use as your inspiration?

Alpaca Love

2011-04-20T16:17:00.000-05:00

Kiska's "New Best Friend"

Last week we drove out to Burkburnett to get a glimpse into the exciting shearing day at River Ridge Alpacas. It was a very busy place, and the children have a new understanding of how we get the delicious fiber off the animals and into our hands.

Kissy was absolutely IN LOVE with this sweet little baby.

She keeps asking if we can get her a "lil' baby 'paca to keep in the yard." because....."I'll take it on it's walks and bring it water and pet it and pet it and pet it."

Not anytime soon, Sugarbug. :o)

Thank you River Ridge! The kids enjoyed it!

Fossil Hunting with the Master Naturalists

2011-04-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

Can you see the Fossils?

There are more than 10 in this picture.:o)

I had a great morning near Jacksboro hunting fossils with the Texas Master Naturalists. I can't believe how much fun it was! It also amazes me that you can walk around and find some neat little bits of history to take home with you.

(This is an area that is approved for fossil hunting/taking. Not all areas that contain neat things are. Always check with your local authorities before you go diggin' dinosaur bones out tha' ground.)

Lot's of different snails and such.

Lot's of different clams.

Neat shell reliefs.

I never did find out what this one was, probably a leverite.

You know, as in "Leave 'er rite there". That's the Geology Prof's Joke, btw. ;o)

This is a small piece of a really cool, neat spiral thing that I can't remember.

I'll find it and label it later.

Crinoid Stalks and Segments.

Bryozoans and Unidentified corals

Lophophyillidium Proliferum and Lophophyillidium Spinosum

This trip really brought home to me how important it is to get some hands on when you're trying to learn something.

I can't wait to take the children!

Discoveries

2011-04-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

We discover snail shells.....

We discover that mama will let us wear white to the pond...

We discover that the pond level is lower than yesterday...

We discover we can't reach the beached goose decoy....

We discover that the mud is stronger than we are.....

We discover that mama knows how to use a stick to break the suction....

Now we know what suction is....We've experienced it.:o)

We discover that there is a line between firm and soft ground.....

We discover that there is a Cathedral in our woods....

Where the birds are the choir and the light beckons us....

We discover that we can use the dirt to sculpt....

We discover that smiles happen more when we're outside....

WHAT we discover isn't always important....

But Discovery IS.:o)

Consider joining in the Green Hour.

Consider learning more about No Child Left Inside.

Because if we want our children to learn how to think outside of the box.....

First they need to see that they're in one.

Getting Closer!

2011-04-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

Scott and Ronan putting in the water

Every day we take another step forward.

The Electricity and Water are almost done. Once we get that in then the guys are going to come back and install all the sheetrock. It's very exciting.

But it's also very time consuming.:o)

I had no idea that construction could eat so much of your time....I mean, it's not like I'M doing any of it. But it has. Heading back and forth to get supplies, figuring out where I need things to go. Sheesh, I think I dream about the building...lol.

We did get back on our schooling track today. So I'm hopeful that things are coming to our new normal.

Soon, soon......I hope soon, we'll be in business.:o)

Real Food

2011-04-06T17:48:00.000-05:00

Raw Milk from our Goats and Eggs from our Chickens

I can't begin to describe how wonderful it feels to feed my family and not have to worry about it. It is such a FREE feeling.:o)

I love watching my chickens search for food. Hunting up insects and bits. I also like watching them run to me when I hollar "Chick, chick, chick......Here chick, chick, chick." They know that when I'm yelling there will be fresh grain scattered on the ground for them.

I love watching my children gather the eggs.

I love watching them wash them and put them away.

I love the care that they are showing for these amazing creatures who feed us.

The goats all come running when I step outside too. The know that there is a hand to scratch behind the ears, even if the hand holds no food.:o) Kiska walks with them all around the pasture as they browse for the next tasty nibble.

I love that my children help me mix their feed.

I love that the children enjoy watching me milk.

I love that my older two can already hand milk our goats just like me....it

makes me feel connected to the generations before me who might send the older child out to collect the milk for the day.

I love that we know EXACTLY where our milk comes from.

Fresh Milled Organic Flour Soaking for Tomorrow's Bread

I've been reading about soaking grains for several months now. I just hadn't managed to incorporate it into our day. I don't know why, because now that I've started I see how simple it is.

I just measure out the flour I need, add the water, add the acid, place a lid on it and let it sit until I'm ready the next day.

I decide what I want to bake the next day......

Grind up the amount of flour I need....

Place the appropriate amounts of flour into each container.....

And then the next day I just crack it open, give it a stir, add my final ingredients and finish out the recipe.

Voila! Bread, muffins, pancakes, and just about anything else I can dream up.

This made the whole pancake process a THOUSAND times easier. I don't know why I hate to make pancakes in the morning, but I do. With this process I could see myself serving pancakes often with NO problem.

I just toss a few eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in and we are cookin' pancakes a few moments later.

Maybe it's because we don't have to clean up the inevitable flour mess......?

Oh well, it really doesn't matter.:o)

Everyone but Ronan liked the pancakes. I'm going to try using Lemon juice as my acid instead of vinegar and see how that goes.

I've also made the move to Real Salt, and we're LOVIN' IT!

It has an almost sweet taste to it. Yum.

Soaking Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a Ronan favorite. I'm hoping that he'll like the soaked oats too. But even if he doesn't like them soaked I'm okay with this meal. It packs a punch.

It contains Organic Whole Oats, Raw Butter, Raw Milk, Real Salt, Organic Maple Syrup, and Fresh Grated Organic Cinnamon.

He's happy, and I'm happy.

This Sweet Little Guy is one of the Reasons that Real Food is so important.

Raised Bed Gardening

2011-04-04T11:00:00.001-05:00

Our Free Wood Chip Source

I have often heard that you could find lots of places that would give away free wood chips. I never seemed to be able to locate any.:o) Then I stumbled across this gentleman.

He is WONDERFUL!!

He loaned us his truck to bring the full load of chips home and we get to do this every weekend until we don't need any more!

Thank you George!

The "Raised Beds".

This is the same spot that I put my garden last year. My reasoning was that it would be easier to fence off, since it had buildings on two sides. And the garden went pretty good. What I didn't know when I placed my garden here is that Scott had been spraying sterilizer on this spot for about 8 years. I found out when he mentioned that he was amazed that ANYTHING had grown there.

Sheesh Honey. :o)

Love ya.

So I decided that this year I would work on amending this soil and using it as a test spot for all of the soil building information I've read over the years.

We had the area plowed and then we set to work with our shovels. We dug "paths" through the beds and I'm still hoping to line the beds with wood that I'm scavenging from pallets. I've seen this frameless bed technique used quite a bit though, so I'm not too worried about that part.

We incorporated a truck bed full of compost from our local nursery. I think that it could have used a few more loads, but this is what we're running with this year.

Then we're layering wood chips over the whole thing to help keep in moisture and for weed control.

Last year I used straw. It worked great in the areas that the straw was thick enough. But we have really high winds here in Texas, and if the straw was dry it would blow away. With the supply of free wood chips I know that I can get the layers thick enough, and I'm pretty sure they will stay put.

I LOVE THE NO WEEDS GARDENING METHOD!!!

This will be the last year that we till up this patch. After this we'll just add compost and see if we can get this soil to come alive.

I'm going to be spraying a molasses mixture on the area and drenching the soil with it once I plant. I'm very excited about molasses! I had no idea that it could be so beneficial.:o)

Tyler did a good job unloading the chips.

He created Mt. Tyler.:o)

It was hard work yesterday. The wind was blowing hard and getting dirt everywhere. I'm sure glad that I had Scott and Tyler there! Those beds wouldn't have happened without Scott, and those wood chips wouldn't have gotten unloaded if it weren't for Tyler.

Thank You Boys!!

Conner "helped" too.

Alley Cat Open Mic

2011-03-31T08:38:00.000-05:00

Auriana and her Music Teacher David Thompson

The last Saturday of every month at the Alley Cat Collective is an Open Mic. How does this open mic have the traditional Alley Cat Flair?

It not only takes place from 2-6 in the afternoon, which makes it very accessible to families, but it is also literally open to everyone.

Can't play an instrument? Don't fret, bring your kazoo.

Can't kazoo? Don't fret, bring your pots and pans?

Can't bang on pots and pans? Don't fret, show off your ability to juggle with one hand.:o)

I will admit that the VAST majority of folks who participate in the Open Mic are amazingly talented. (But there's a place for us kazoo players, and the amazingly talented appreciate us just as much because they know how hard it is to get up on stage and do ANYTHING.)

Auriana has been taking piano lessons for almost 3 weeks.:o) David found something that she could do at the open mic and she was AMAZING!! She worked hard on her 20 second piece, she had it down pat, and she got to experience a room full of people clapping just for her.

How supportive of young artists is that?!

This hooligan also made her Debut.:o)

I've never been to an open mic that would take a 3 year old on stage to sing part of a nursery song. I like that we have a place where she can do that.

Kiska knows what it feels like to step onto a stage in front of lots of people she doesn't know. She knows what it feels like to hold a mic in her hand and hear her voice amplified.

She knows what it feels like to want her mommy to hold her in her lap while she performs because, well, it was just a little bit scarier than she thought it was going to be.

She knows what it feels like to overcome that fear and go on with the show.

The Sign Up Sheet

Such a great supportive environment. And ALWAYS fun.

The Alley Cat Singers

Next month I get to join these guys on stage.:o)

What is this?!

We'll call it a disappearing act.:o)

Tonight, in Downtown Wichita Falls is the Spring Culture Crawl.

If you're local be sure to come out and travel the streets to hear the amazing bands and check out the local shops. They'll be open till 9!

The last of the winter photos

2011-03-30T12:25:00.000-05:00

Scott and Kiska

Scott and I enjoy walking down to the pond every evening to check the water level and have a little time together before we have to get the hooligans fed and put to bed.

Kiska hijacked our walk the other evening. As I was looking through these picture I realized that they were probably the last of the "barren landscape" photos until next winter.

Isn't it funny how that happens. Brown and dead one day and bursting with color and life the next?

Gotta love Spring.:o)

This is the other Hooligan who hijacks the walk.

Conner is such a good puppy. He sticks pretty close to me and almost always comes when I call. When we get to the pond he just stands beside me and won't chase the frogs until I sit down and tell him to "go play".

Then he likes to get me muddy.

He runs like a crazy demon dawg back and forth and cuts as close to me as he can to see how much mud he can fling from his paws into my hair. Then he climbs into my lap.

I'm trying to teach him to come and sit by me.

He thinks I'm trying to teach him to eat my hand.

He likes to gnaw on anything he can. He's at that crazy teething stage. He doesn't hurt, but he still has to learn.

Shoving him away only works for a second.

Then he either tries to eat my hair or takes off on another of his crazy runs. He's a weird puppy.

He always runs and hides in the tall grass behind me.

He's just crazy enough to fit in here beautifully.:o)

Thank you Baby for my sweet, weirdo dawgie!

Building

2011-03-29T08:55:00.000-05:00

What happens when you leave my children unsupervised?

They build things!

One of the things I have notice more and more of as the years go by is that our children don't have much unstructured time. And the unstructured time that they seem to lack the most is unsupervised outdoor time.

Don't get me wrong. I understand that it's a different world we live in today. I know that there are lots of awful things that can happen. I know that some of us may have experienced some of the more unsavory aspects of being left alone too much and want to protect our children from that. I will even admit that there are times that I worry about how they're getting along out there. I'm sure that there is more arguing than I want.

But I'm only 200 hundred or so yards away. If they want to come tattle then they can.

That 200 yards seems to keep the unimportant bickering out of my arena.

That's nice.

I happened upon this structure on a walk. I know that the children play at "The Hole" a lot. I didn't know that they were building teepees. :o)

They have their own little play system out here.

It cost me nothing.

It took none of my energy.

It doesn't belong in the world of adults.

It uses only natural resources.

It took cooperation.

It took creativity.

It took creating a plan.

It took persistence to carry it out.

It probably involved several disputes.

But it also involved working them out.

Without ME.

I think that this is a sign that they're going to be alright.

They make me want to pull my hair out some days with their bickering.

But if they can pull together and BUILD something.....

without adults there to mediate and instruct.....

without a book to show them how.....

Then maybe I have managed to teach them something after all.

My goal has always been to give them the tools to do things for themselves.

It's the reason they have chores. It's why we send them out into the wilds to play. It's why we try to make them responsible for themselves, their siblings, and the animals we care for.

I may not have perfect children....but I think they're going to be awesome adults.:o)

The structure may be small....

But the implications are HUGE.:o)

Chickens!

2011-03-25T08:55:00.000-05:00

Easter Egg Hunts Everyday!!

Our hens don't use the nesting boxes exclusively.:o) We've found that they like the comfy tall grass. This makes it lots of fun! (Well, until they stink it's lots of fun...lol.)

Adults searching for eggs at the traditional Easter egg hunts are usually frowned upon. Which is sad, because I enjoy it. Now I get to watch the chickens AND I get to hunt eggs!

It's a Win=Win.

Until I miss some.

This is why I'm picking up some false eggs today to see if I can convince them that the nesting boxes are THE place to lay.

The Chicken Coop

Scott bought me this cute little coop. I love it! Not only is it absolutely adorable, but it's about the size of a dog house. These would work beautifully in a back yard homestead. Right now we have 5 hens and a rooster living in ours and they seem to love it.

I know that there are a lot of folks who are fighting to be able to keep chickens in town. It's one of the things that I've always hated about living inside the city limits. I understand that some people don't like the scratching, I suppose that I can understand if it winds up being stinky, but the thing I can't understand at all is when people complain about the noise.

Really?!

But I suppose I don't get a vote since I love the sounds of hens talking and roosters crowing.:o)

The girls early this morning.

I've ordered a batch of chicks that should show up in a couple of weeks. They will be surprise chickens because I chose to go with a rainbow layers variety. I hope a get a few greens and blues.:o)

But I'll really just be happy to have eggs.

The color of the outside doesn't affect what's inside.

"Ya know, like with people?" .........Tyler

Tyler pulling up to load branches.

He's a good boy.:o)

Why Parent's Shouldn't drink Soda Pop

2011-03-23T10:33:00.000-05:00

Scott's Hoolie Hooping Adventure

When I started looking at Alley Cat pictures for my post yesterday I spent the first few minutes cracking up at my wonderful husband. Scott was doing his VERY best to come up with ridiculous faces and actions with his hoolie hoop and he was HIGHLY entertaining. We were all laughing and taking turns trying the hoop, and I was taking pictures of it all.

Then I started looking at all of the other components of the photos. Seeing what my children were doing, making sure there were no unauthorized people in the shots, things like that.

Which is when I noticed Kissy holding Scott's Mt. Dew can. My first thought was, "Great, I'm going to have to add a disclaimer so that people don't think my 3 year old is running around drinking pop."

"Wait a minute!!! That little Turkey!!!" came shortly thereafter.

Scroll through the photos and have a good laugh at my husband's expense.....

Then scroll back through them and watch the Super Sneaky Kiska.

Yep, that's my precious little angel hiding behind that tree to take a big ol' swig of Daddy's Mountain Dew.

The Turkey.

I think he'll think twice before handing her a can.