Play and Work

It's summer and we've been making the most of it.  We recently took a trip to Dutch Wonderland with my mom, sister, and niece, which the girls really enjoyed.  (I think I would've enjoyed it more if I hadn't ruined my toddler's day by taking her on the kiddie roller coaster!  She was pretty cranky after that!)  This was our first trip to an amusement park, and the big girls would've stayed there for three days!  So much to do and see, and so little time!

T and Meara!

Mom, Meara and Baby A

Auntie Kel, Caeley and T

I hope this isn't the closest I get to being a farmer!

We just returned home from our yearly trip to North Carolina.  For Ken especially, it was a much needed vacation.  The best part was seeing him relaxing and enjoying his ladies!

I might have found the biggest daddy's girl yet!

Ailin loved the beach!

Ready to Boogie.

My favorite picture of the whole trip.

Eating ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery

Working in the sand.

My Mears.  My precious middle girl.

I have been struck this summer with a couple thoughts.  First, how fortunate we are that we truly can enjoy and live out the maxim: "To everything there is a season."  Every summer, we are able to take a break from the routine and the "work" and make time for play and relaxation.

But I've also been struck by another thought, which I'm sure many saints or popes or other gifted writers have been able to articulate better than I will here, so bear with me.  :-)   As we were getting ready to leave my in-laws' house in North Carolina yesterday, and I was sweeping the floor, I was struck by how much I missed cleaning.  I missed the work of my every day life.  I missed Meara running from the chicken coop with a handful of eggs.  I missed feeding the chickens and letting them play in the yard.  I missed weeding.  I missed cutting the flowers in our yard for vases.  I missed cooking, cleaning, and maybe I missed laundry, but my thoughts didn't get quite that far.  :-)   

I realized that there was a life I had left behind that was infinitely more precious and valuable to me than any vacation could ever be.  That doesn't mean that the vacation wasn't absolutely wonderful for our family, and so much appreciated.  But I think it means that I am living the life I am meant to live.  Somewhere along the lines, the joy inherent in my "times for work" and "times for play" seems to have become one and the same joy.   I don't know if it makes me a loser, but I realized that in the past couple years, I've never felt desperate for a vacation.  I've never felt the need to flee from my duties or my life at home.  (Side bar:  Of course, there's always the need for small breaks and respites, like the days when Tee Tee comes and I get to go grocery shopping by myself, or when Ken takes the girls for a couple hours on Saturday while I garden and plan for our school week!)

But the older I get, the more I feel that longing to return when I am not in my 'nest.'  I don't think it's because I'm a workaholic or such a homebody that I can't have fun on vacation.  But the part of me that feels most fulfilled, feels that way in my home.  I also can't deny that it made me truly happy to hear the girls also express how much they missed home and the chickens.  They couldn't wait to see if the tomatoes were ready or how big the cucumbers had grown.  Life as a mother means you don't often get to hear "thank you," but it was enough for me to know that there's a part of them that loves this life too.

"Human work proceeds directly from persons created in the image of God and called to prolong the work of creation by subduing the earth, both with and for one another....Work honors the Creator's gifts and the talents received from him...Work can be a means of sanctification and a way of animating earthly realities with the Spirit of Christ."  (CCC #2427)

I'm realizing that my goal should always be to cultivate so much joy, love, and beauty in our everyday life, in our times of work and our times of play, that we never feel the desperate need to escape.  And when we are lucky enough to get those precious moments away, I hope that all of us will miss this little homestead.  I'm beginning to see the truth that there is value, dignity, and the true Spirit of Christ to be found in the work AND the life of the home.  

Silly times in bed with the iPhone!

I wish Caeley had made it in this one!

Home Sweet Home

Diamonds In This Rough

It has been a rough couple of months.  Between my over-employed husband, bouts of a stomach virus (and its reprise), and trying to plug away and finish out the school year, it has been really tempting to throw in the towel....stay in bed...throw the covers over my head and write the rest of the Spring off as a total loss.

But there are always "diamonds" in any rough.  I admit, some of these things are really mundane, and most of them have to do with work and schooling, because I tend to throw myself into work when I want to feel better.  Whether it's the little curriculum gem that brings a new dimension to our dwindling school year, or the joy of finally getting something done...it's those little things that can make all the difference. Sometimes it's just those little moments or small things that ease a burden and make it possible to keep on keepin' on.  

#1: Homeschool Movie Diamonds:  Liberty's Kids and City of Bees

The Liberty's Kids series on Netflix has completely saved our study of the American Revolution.  It isn't that I gave up on my own plans (all the books and timeline work continue) but these videos make the entire time period really come alive for the girls, and they have become our daily soap opera!  They girls literally BEG for the next episode, and we end up discussing issues from the movies quite often.  I know they are really learning and internalizing this stuff more than they would otherwise.  Not to mention, it just gives me a chance to sit and relax with them, which I've needed lately.

We also checked out a movie on bees called City of Bees for our gardening unit.  (The link here is for the newer version, but check the library for the original!)  While the quality of the movie is certainly a deterrent (it's obviously old, and the narrator has a very thick European accent), the girls and I learned more about bees from this ONE movie than ALL the gazillion books we've read about bees since Caeley started Kindergarten.  It basically follows a bee keeper (the European man) through a year of bee-keeping, and he gives a detailed description of the bees, the hive, the activity, etc.  We kept pausing the movie, exclaiming, "I didn't know THAT about bees!" or "So THAT'S what the propolis is!"  Great, great, great, random library find!  Through all the yuck when we were sick, having these two bright spots in our week was really a God-send.

#2: Homeschool App Diamond:  Mental Case

I have my friend Alexis to thank for this one.  It's called Mental Case and it's sheer genius for homeschool parents that don't want a million piles of flashcards around.  (I hear it is also a huge hit with college populations as well!)  Basically it's a flashcard App that allows you to either take pictures, type in, or use voice prompts to enter the data for the front and back of the flashcard.  That means you can either make your own flashcards, OR if you already have flashcards that come as part of a curriculum, you can take pictures of the front and back of the card with your iPad or smart phone and make the cards that way.  Apparently you can also use it on your desktop to enter data, but I haven't used that feature yet.  I have over 500 flashcards for Caeley currently entered in the App, and I can't imagine what these cards, all over my house, would look like.  Using Mental Case prevents you from becoming a mental case.  For sure.

Here's a bad picture, pulled offline, of what the flashcards look like in one "case" in the App.  You can see it is being used to study anatomy.  This is just the view of the case--when you "study the cards" in a case, they flash on the screen one at a time, just like you see a flashcard in real life.

#3: Homeschool Random Book Diamond:  The Story of Salt

It sounds horrifically boring...an entire children's book called The Story of Salt.  But it's fascinating.  I checked it out because it was listed in my favorite book about books, and almost didn't read it because I thought the girls would hate it.  Not so!  There is so much history, so many fun facts, so much cross-curricular connecting that we were hooked.  Get it.  You won't be disappointed.

#4: Day Date Diamond:  How My Husband Rocks

I got a Facebook invitation from Ken to go on a date.  While this sounds utterly unromantic, it was actually super cute.  It was the kind of email I remember getting during the courting phase of our relationship.  Utter sweetness.  It was also special because the reality is that we have seen very little of each other the last couple months due to circumstances at work that have provided him with not one, or two, or three, but really four jobs.  In an effort to make time with me, he recruited some students to babysit, sent his invitation, and we got to go see The Avengers.  What a great movie!!!  And how wonderful to think that Ken can still rock the day date.

#5: Spanish Diamond: Salsa Spanish Movies

Now it's just starting to seem like my kids have been sitting in front of the TV, but I have to mention this one, because it really has been filled in the missing piece of our Spanish curriculum puzzle.  (And I have Alexis to thank again for this gem!)  It's a series of Spanish videos put out by Georgia Public Broadcasting for FREE on their website.  The videos use puppets, familiar stories, and repetition of certain vocabulary words and structures to teach children Spanish.  Not only do the girls love it, but they are using the phrases and words on their own in real life, so the mission has been accomplished.  In another life, I'd be writing an elementary homeschool Spanish curriculum using these videos...

#6: Work Diamond: Finishing Schedules for Next Year

I can't jinx myself and say I'm done...because I am constantly altering and changing our school schedules up until the moment we begin school, but for the most part, I think I'm done with planning for next school year.  Caeley will be in 4th grade, and Meara will be in 1st.  I'm thankful that I did a lot of work cementing my philosophy (in my head and heart) and schedules (on the computer) when Caeley was young, so that each year I just need to "kick it up a notch" and make adjustments based on the girls'  current needs.  But because the framework has been laid, each year gets easier and easier to plan.  All that's really left for this summer (aside from minor tweaks) is a massive book order in July and planning our actual course of study for the Middle Ages.  

#7: Friend Diamond: Loving My Neighbors

I would not be making it through these days without the friends I'm so blessed to have.  Whether it's laughing through Saturday morning Bible study (affectionately known as BS) or ranting during tea time of the challenges of living virtuously, or discussing curriculum and educational theory during play dates, I've been lifted up mentally, emotionally and spiritually in so many ways these past couple months.  I'm encouraged to grow more, think more, and love more through this little circle of women, and for that I'm truly thankful.  

#8: Abundant Harvest Diamond: Eggs and Garden

When all else fails, when the ca-ca hits the fan, you'll find me picking slugs.  Because no one comes out to the garden (they are afraid I'll ask for help) and slugs don't talk back.  When the whining doesn't stop, or Ailin pees on the floor or in her pants for the tenth time in one day (just because it's "funny"), or when the noise in my head is too loud...thank you GOD for the quiet time I get to spend in the garden.  The strawberries are coming in, the tomato plants have shot up with the rain, and the greens just keep coming.  The chickens are doing their thing...our egg count for April was 255 eggs.  I can't believe it.  Where did all those eggs GO?  It's nice not to feel quite so tied to grocery shopping, but more than that, it's nice to see the tangible blessings of the "harvest" when life's other blessings can be so much harder to recognize.

I am really, really looking forward to summer!

A Wednesday Snapshot

Today I woke up late after a bad night with the toddler.

I pounded coffee.

Today I made Meara laugh, and it infected me.  I was also a humble servant of "Your Majesty Ailin" who requested a "DRINK OF WATER" during tea time.

I took time out of the school morning to water the seedlings I planted yesterday.  Seven tomato plants, six pepper plants, four cucumber plants, too many basil plants to count, and some cilantro.

Then it rained.

Today I tripped while entering the coop to water the chickens and doused myself with freezing cold water at 8AM.

I ran out of chicken feed.

Today I watched the world around me fall apart as I entered day two of "Next-Year-Curriculum-Ordering-Frenzy."

And this shocked me, though it happens every year.

Today I got dinner in the crockpot by 7:30AM, and fed my toddler flour-less chocolate cake for lunch.  At 3:30.

I brushed my teeth.  But not my hair.  And most definitely didn't shower.

Today I thought I was more anxious than Caeley to find out whether Little John escaped the Sheriff.

And was delighted to realize I was wrong.

Today Ailin grabbed me from behind, choked me by the neck, and said, "I love you, Mommy."

And later, upon entering the house, she asked "What's that terry (terrible) SMELL?" (That would be the dinner in the crockpot.)

This morning, I lost my "formal" morning prayer time and what I thought was my hope for a good day.

And then I was reminded constantly that the only way I make it through any of this is with God by my side.

Blessed Easter

Sometimes I just can't believe how blessed I am...how much love God has surrounded me with...what great friends I have...and what a wonderful community we have found ourselves in.  Every year I am reminded of this most especially on Easter, and what a beautiful Easter it was.  Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!

Thank you Tee Tee for the wonderful baskets!

Our sacrifice beans have turned into JELLY beans!

Ailin finds her basket!

Excited!

"A chicken that poops gum!"

Going straight for the chocolate...who needs the presents!?!

All dressed for "Alleluia" (as Ailin calls Mass....)

Will she ever learn to smile normally for the camera?

My big girl.

I couldn't get over how pretty Meara looked today.

Daddy's ladies.

Ready for the egg hunt.

Happy faces!

Game face.

More game faces.

See?!

 

Daddy explains the egg hunt to Baby A.

Sometimes all you need is a little helping hand.

Fred didn't miss any of the action!

Sisters battle it out!

Who needs to dye eggs?  This was the chickens' gift to us today: NINE eggs again!  The standing record.

Chickens and Easter Eggs

There's lots of news down on the "farm!"  Too much to write in detail about all that's been going on in terms of the garden and chickens.  But I have planted some seeds in the ground, have eaten my first of many salads (please someone come help me eat these greens!), and have played the "just kidding" game with Jack Frost.  (For those who don't know this one: This is the game where you think he's left town for the season,  so you put your hoop house in the shed, plant all sorts of stuff that's not supposed to be planted until after the last frost, and then out of the blue one day, he screams, "JUST KIDDING!" and you're scrambling to get the old sheets and the hoop house out of the shed to cover EVERYTHING.  I'm only a little bitter this year thanks to the hoop house!

Greens in full force.  (The white stuff is to try to keep the slugs off the new plants coming in.)

Other side of the bed from the greens.  New lettuce seedlings.

Garlic coming in up top of the other bed.  Should get about fifty heads in July.  No problem with vampires around here.

Haven't put anything here yet.  Waiting for peppers, tomatoes, and other things that like hotter weather.

The best news though, is that during my break from blogging, our chickens began to lay!  Conveniently, we got our first egg on March 1st, a full two to three weeks earlier than I anticipated.  I was not shocked, though, that our first egg was white.  I included the Leghorn breed (the all-white with red combs) in our flock because they are known for their lay rate and their great "feed conversion ratio," meaning they don't eat much but they lay a lot of eggs for how little they eat.  One of our Leghorns is also laying HUGE eggs.  They are consistently double-yolkers and one, which really looked like an ostrich egg, was a triple-yolker.  Fertile Myrtle!

The ostrich triple yolker.  I didn't want to eat it, but it wouldn't fit in a carton!

It has been amazing watching the whole flock "come into lay" as the number of hours of daylight increases. (Did you know that lay rates are based on how much light the chickens get?  During the winter we will get fewer eggs.)  The Auracanas started laying their blue-ish eggs next, and slowly the two brown(ish) layers revved up at the end of the month, after lots of shell-less eggs dropped under the roost bars.  I can't believe how many eggs we are getting.  Some days we get six, some days seven, and today we got NINE!  There's a lot of quiches in our life right now, and I can't wait to make some homemade mayonnaise and have the luxury of baking with my own eggs.

Our March egg count: 115 eggs. 

Leghorns: 60

Auracanas: 35

Silver Laced Wyandottes: 13

Speckled Sussex: 7

The very first egg.

 

Today's "harvest."

 And the last piece of farm news---ALL the chickens finally have names.  It took a while until they were fully grown, with fully developed combs and feathers, to decide on names and to tell some of them apart, especially the three Leghorns.  We are also starting to see how some of them are different in personality.  Cocoa is the sweetie who loves me even though I think she's the one whose leg I crushed under the coop wheel.  We bonded after her incident because I was giving her treats out of sheer guilt.  Now she thinks I am treat lady, which I am, and is the most willing to sit in my lap.  She's also been voted "Most Likely To Wander From the Pack and Become Hawk Bait."  She's really stupid.  Big Red, originally given that name because she was the first Leghorn to develop her large red comb, is the most precocious of the bunch...the first to come over and see what you're up to.  And "Floppy" (whom I prefer to call "Flopsy")...well, it's kinda obvious why she got her name.  And she's constantly brushing and shaking that thing out of her face.  The little debutant.

Floppy.

On the nicer days, we let the ladies out to dust bathe in the mulch.  Clockwise from the top: Double Stuff, Elizabeth, Oreo (Double Stuff's slightly-more-black sister), Penny (aka: Reed), and Henny.

This is half of the nesting pair of hawks we have in our front trees.  They were much easier to spot before the leaves came in on the trees.  I think they remember the chicken dinners from last year and came back thinking they were going to feed their babies.  

I still love my coop.  Probably more and more each day.  I've been moving it around 2 or 3 times a day now that the girls are bigger and pooping more.  It's the best thing ever.  Really.  I'd give up my iPad before I'd give up this coop.   And the hawk babies will be hungry.