I think the cuteness levels in my life are just dangerously high right now. Between my kids, my animals and Susie’s animals…….I just don’t know what to do with myself.
Susie, Susie’s pig Charley, and Oona. Smooching.
Good lord.
Author Archives: WoolyMama
Paddy Goes Swimming
When we brought Paddington Duck home from Susie’s we brought a small plastic child’s pool as well. Unfortunately, the first night Paddy was with us she suffered an injury on her neck ( possibly a peck from a certain hen) that required some bandaging and antibiotic so she wasn’t able to use her pool for awhile.
Happily she is now fully recovered and it was rather warm today so we dug out the pool, filled it with water and let her have at it. She took right to it like….well, like a duck to water.
It was obvious right away that this is where she is meant to be. You could feel the happy.
I still can’t get over how stinkin’ cute she is. Even Paul is smitten with her- and how can you not dig a man who loves a duckling????
Oh hai !!!!!
Something tells me there are more ducks in my future……………..
A House Peeg
Y’all, brace yourselves. My friend Susan got a pig peeg. An adorable, plump, tiny little oinking bundle of cuddly cuteness that I think just killed me.
I took the girls in to meet him the day we picked up Paddy the duck.
He’s a mini pot – bellied peeg. He’ll get to be about 30 compact pounds. He’s litter trained. LITTER TRAINED!!!!
Susie named him Charley. My kids loooooooooove him. They keep asking every day to go over to see him. You know what this means.
I need my own house peeg.
Incidentally…..anyone who hasn’t been over to Susie’s site to see the cuteness that is Charley should check out her video of him. Just make sure you’re careful – this kind of cuteness kills.
School Days
We’ve had a busy week! A mommy- daughter book club meeting Monday afternoon followed by our first day of school (at home!) on Tuesday and my birthday yesterday.
For our book club we were supposed to read Ann of Green Gables. Despite the fact that we had most of the summer (we skipped a meeting in July) we never got around to it. I blame too much summer fun and pool time. Instead the girls and I stayed up Saturday night and watched the movie. It’s always been one of my favorites so I was very happy to finally share it with them. They’re even asking for me to get the sequel!!!
On Tuesday we finally started home school! I have been anxious about this all summer so I was ready to jump in and see how it was going to go. You know what?? WHY on earth did we not do this sooner? It’s been great. I know it’s only been two days, but. The girls are excited about their lessons (we’ll see how long that lasts!), the text books are set up so incredibly well that even I can teach math – and understand it!!!! Oona tends to float in and out of our classroom space, but when she’s “in” she has been enjoying coloring and tracing shapes and playing with flashcards with me.
I am glad I chose such a well – structured curriculum; I never feel at a loss for what to do next or how to instruct, and we have a definite sense of accomplishment at the end of each lesson. We’ve even been finishing up right around lunch time each day; sometimes later depending on how much reading I have them do. We get to sleep in a bit later than if we had to catch a bus, and we can make after – lunch trips to the library anytime we want. Plus Emily is home all day to help out with any animal – related issues. I even taught her how to make pumpkin waffles on the waffle iron so she could make my birthday dinner. Let’s hope it keeps being great!
Re-Duck-ulously Cute
We ummm……….got a duck!
Meet Paddington. “Paddy” for short. She’s just a wee thing still.
We got her from Susan’s farm after her little duckling brother died and she was too lonely to stay on her own.
She is the cutest stinkin’ thing, and it’s hilarious how she stands straight up to walk, quite unlike chickens. We’ve put her in with Muriel the hen and her newest little chicken hatchling hoping they’ll make a nice little blended family.
Quack!
Wooly Brother
My brother and his beautiful girlfriend came to visit us this past weekend and meet all of the animals for the first time. It seems crazy saying that, but that’s how long it’s been since I have seen him. He lives up in Connecticut and the few times I’ve been up north we’ve missed connecting.
We had a fun visit – the kids just shy of driving us all nuts while piling on KB and Eleanor and demanding their full attention.
I made a yummy Lime Chiffon Cake for dessert Saturday night to set off the black beans and rice and homemade guacamole I made for dinner. Now I am salivating again.
We also made lots of watermelon margaritas and fed all the leftover watermelon to the animals. I love how the goats’ little beards get all stained red from it.
The boys are getting nice and fat and I think they are letting Milkshakes have some peace and she looks like she is finally putting some weight back on. With luck I’ll be able to breed her to Susie’s Angora buck in the fall. Speaking of Susie……..we donated our lovely Clem the rooster to Juniper Moon Farm. Susan mentioned wanting a rooster and I have an over abundance of them. Poor Clem was the low man on the totem pole so I am sure he is much happier now.
We’ll miss him, but he’s got his own harem now!
After dropping him off on Sunday we stuck around the farm a bit to see the baby goats get sheared.
Feenat got sheared, too, not long after this picture was taken. She’s going to be bred this fall for the first time. I can’t wait to see her babies next spring!
I love this spot at JMF. Just lovely.
Watching the shearing.
Oona was happy to sit quietly and watch the goats as long as she was with Eleanor.
It was lovely, and now I really can’t wait for the fall shearing festival. I was glad I finally got my brother out to see Susan’s farm, since I respect and admire her so much, and he and Eleanor got to see the kind of life I am working towards. He is hands down the most supportive man in my life. He’s also great with my kids. What other uncle would enjoy a nice facial with his nieces?
They had an absolute blast and were very sad to see their uncle and auntie go. So was I! I can’t wait for our next visit!
September!!!!
I am so happy to be able to say that! This marks the first day of my favorite time of the year. It’s when I am always at my happiest and the weather at my most favorite. Before long we’ll see the leaves turning and the air will be crisp and there will be soup and bread and cookies going non – stop in my kitchen. It also means Halloween is around the corner – and we looooove Halloween here. If I can get my act together and get organized enough I may try and throw a Halloween party.
There are lots of projects going on here right now as I make my final push before home school starts next Tuesday (any my birthday on Wednesday, woohoo!). There are dresses and shirts and sweaters started for all the girls. I am actually even running out of fabric! Imagine that!!!! I’ll need to start buying more!
Among the finished projects are these:
I made each of the girls a shirt with one of our animals on it. Oona got Finnigan as a newborn. Neve got one with Jasper cat and Emily’s has Big Jim the rooster.
Each girl also got a pair of these baggy black linen capris with lace trim, from the book Carefree Clothes for Girls by Junko Okawa.
I also finished another yoga suit for Oona. I am really thinking I am going to work out a way to make this pattern for adults as well, since it looks so incredibly comfortable and flattering!
Unfortunately it has been way too hot to do much work outside. We’ve gotten some good swim time in since there’s been no rain, but I am hoping to get some yardwork done before too long. My raised garden beds need some weeding. The good news is my acorn squash is doing well…….AND the arugula I planted in the spring has re-sprouted and is growing in again! Hooray for September!
Baby!!
A new chicken hatched sometime last night.
Welcome to the farm, baby!! I sure hope you’re a girl!!!!!
I love these things. Who knew poultry could be so addictive???
The Buddy System
I had a lovely and touching post written out about the healing power of friendship but it got blown up by my internet connection.
So instead I will say I had a lovely and much needed beach weekend with some of my best girlfriends and I feel refreshed and ready to take on the world!
The weather was beautiful, the water was beautiful and there were dolphins swimming close to shore.
The view from our rooms!!! Just feeling and smelling that ocean breeze is a healing tonic in itself.
Live music all weekend under the statue of Neptune didn’t hurt, either.
Yes, I brought my knitting to the beach. I did work on it for awhile but couldn’t quite remember the pattern so I had to give up. Then my ipod died, but it was pretty old. Now I am craving a iphone to replace it. I also managed to get a wicked sunburn on my knees, of all places, despite scrupulous applications of sunscreen.
We had our normal book discussion (by the infinity pool!) and had some heavy moments but also found time to laugh, like when we spotted a man at the restaurant wearing a thick fur coat; he was telling everyone it was chinchilla. It looked and felt more to me like he’d shaved some gross shaggy acrylic stuffed animals and sewed together a coat. Are there shaggy chinchillas???
I don’t know what’s up with my strap. It wouldn’t stay up. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the cocktails we had with dinner.
How lucky do I feel right now? I have a great family, some wonderful adorable animals, and incredible friends, both in book club and out.
Add to that the fact that fall is just around the corner and my heart is brimming!
My Drug, and The Bad News
This is how I get through my days. Iced coffee with whipped cream on top. In a mason jar. Because Mason jars make awesome juice glasses, that’s why.
I gave up drinking soda a few weeks ago. It wasn’t easy, but it’s so unhealthy and I figured maybe it would help with the 15 lbs that won’t go away. I also have been more mindful about what I am eating during the day, I’ve been drinking a lot more water, and Maddie and I have been running. We’re doing the Couch 2 5K running program, hoping to get fit. So far I’ve managed to gain 3 lbs. *Sigh*. Hopefully it’ll all work out in the end. (Um, I would like to point out that the iced coffee pictured has HALF the calories of a can of soda, I only drink one of them a day, and it’s a whole serving of non fat milk.)
Besides the zero weight – loss progress, there is other bad news as well.
I know, I’ve been told no one wants to hear my bad news. But, I feel like it would be a lie to make it look like everything’s all peachy and rosy here all the time.
Our house is worth way, way less than what we owe, thanks to the great economy and the several foreclosures and short sales in our area recently. This means we are stuck where we are indefinitely. We even considered renting the house out so we could still move, but our mortgage payment is apparently twice the going rate for rentals in this county so we’d be losing money.
I am not really sure how to proceed. It’s been “gently” suggested to me that I give up on the idea of having animals. That they’re too expensive and not a worthwhile endeavor and that I am being financially irresponsible. I am sharing this because I think it’s not uncommon. I think a lot of people don’t “get” why anyone would want to be a farmer / shepherd. They don’t understand why anyone would want to work so hard for so “little” reward, and I know I am not the only one who has had to face these prejudices.
For now I am at a stand still , with a giant, gaping hole in my life that a lot people cannot comprehend. I imagine the feeling is not unlike a balloon with all of the air having been let out.
Next week I get a small vacation and I’ll be working hard on sewing and knitting projects. Until then, when I have progress and fun things to share, things may be kind of quiet here.
Right now? It’s time for more iced coffee.
Merry Magpie Farm 