Category Archives: Kids

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My Wild Middle Child is 8

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I can’t believe how quickly time has gone by.

My Neve has always been a handful- practically from the moment she was born.  As a toddler she would get out of bed in the night and make trouble while the rest of us slept.  In daycare she managed to bat her eyes and sweet – talk her way into getting the other kids in trouble so she could play with their toys.

Then there was the phase where she wouldn’t keep her diapers on and one day left a big poop on the coffee table.

*note to all visitors to my home: that table is long gone.

She continues to be wild, wily and whiny, somehow all at the same time, but also charming and fun.  She’s provided us with no end of amusement over the years and I am sure she will continue to do so.

Happy 8th birthday my Neve!

I just adore this one of Neve & Sabine!!!!

Neve is as in love with the sheep as I am.  That’s my girl!

Photo by Joel Eagle.  I love that it captures Neve’s approach to life perfectly.

And when did the child that is well – known for looking like this (above) in every picture turn into a young lady that looks like this:

We’re  all in trouble.  That’s all I’m sayin’.

 

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Shearing Extravaganza!

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Another Shearing Day has come and gone and I do believe we are all exhausted in the very best way possible. Even Oona slept more soundly after wards than she has in I don’t know how long. There were games, ribbons, pies, popcorn, maple cotton candy, luscious yarn and fiber, gorgeous pottery and baskets, a crazy – good bluegrass band, balloons, and SHEEP!

I was happy to see some dear friends from my Book Club at the festival as well as friends from all over the country who flew in just for the event.  I am also happy and proud to announce that my Buttermilk Pie won the pie contest!  It was such a beautifully fun day that I am already excited and ready for the next one this fall.  Just remind me not to bring my camera into the stalls with the lambs and the freshly shorn sheep.  Freshly shorn sheep are slick with lanolin.  And that, my friends, makes for blurry pictures when it gets all over your camera lens.  Ask me how I know.

Now go check out Susie’s blog account of the festival HERE, featuring pictures by the amazingly talented Joel Eagle.

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Big Knitting News

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Can I get a hands- up from all the knitters out there?

For anyone who hasn’t already heard, Susan’s Juniper Moon Farm has been licensed by one of the biggest yarn companies – KFI (Knitting Fever Inc) – in the country.  If you’ve heard of Debbie Bliss, you ‘ll soon hear of JMF in the same circles, since Debbie Bliss yarns are also made by KFI.

If you don’t know knitting, trust me.  This is a HUGE deal. Soon you’ll find Juniper Moon Farm yarn in stores all over the US.

The part of it nearest and dearest to my heart however are the pattern books that will be released to compliment the yarn lines.  In the past I’ve collected knitting books ravenously.  I never thought or dreamed that one day I’d be present for the making of any, and certainly never imagined that my daughters would be in any!

Check out Susan’s blog for a sneak peak at the books and my lovely Emily who will appear for several patterns.  Even Oona will put in a cameo!

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Holding It All Together

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This spring has been particularly busy for us.  I’ve been volunteering at Juniper Moon Farm, Paul has been working on the Lambcam as well as his regular job (which has him in Arizona during the week), we’re trying to wrap up and review school work for the year, and we’re desperately hoping to move.

The chickens have decided to be very unhelpful by refusing to stay inside their fencing.  They’ve taken to flying right out and grazing wherever they please.  To make matters worse, I can’t find where they are laying their eggs, because they’re certainly not laying them in the coop anymore.

Since the bigger animals are at Susie’s I am in the process today of cutting apart the larger sections of fencing and re-working a smaller (and hopefully more secure) pen that will force them to stay closer to the coop.  It’s frustrating work but I hope it will be a good fix, at least temporarily.  I can’t have them free – ranging right now; there’s no protection from predators, and I don’t want a repeat of last year’s losses to foxes.

Last night we stayed at the farm to help Susie and Caroline, in hopes that one of the sheep would lamb overnight.

We weren’t disappointed.  Though the sheep I was waiting on did not deliver, another one did, this morning.  Neve was the first out, and I got outside in time to see her helping Susie carry the newborn lambs into the barn.

My little Shepherd-in-training.  I could not have been more proud.

This is Neve holding Wren, my favorite little bottle – baby.  I just adore that little lamb!

We’re chugging through our schoolwork now and I am not allowing myself to stress out too much over it.  We got behind because I was following my own philosophy that I would not fly through lessons – that I would make sure they knew it inside and out before moving on.  Fortunately I have the luxury to work one on on to catch up over the next month or two.

As far as moving to our very own farm we are still playing a waiting game.  I am trying to stay positive, but I will say it’s starting to wear on me rather badly, and I am having trouble being optimistic that we will be able to pull it off.  I don’t want to contemplate the possibility that it won’t work out – it’s just too awful to think of.  This property is just not workable for animals and if I’m going to make a go at farming, we have to move.

We’re waiting on a lot of factors beyond our control right now, so I don’t know how much longer it will be before we know.  Keep your fingers crossed.

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A Busy Spring

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Is spring always this busy?  I think it’s usually fairly busy, but this year has been the one to take the cake.

One reason is the new chicks and ducklings we brought home.  They are growing fast and beginning to feather out already!

Another reason is I’ve been happily helping out over at Juniper Moon.

But the big reason I am all tired and stressed out?

School.

In one way, I am really in love with home-schooling and how much flexibility we have.  I love that we had none of the illnesses that swept through the rest of the community this year.  That meant we were far more productive with other things.

I love that my older girls have learned how to knit and are learning cooking and baking.  I love that all of them have been participating in the many aspects of farming and animal husbandry.

I love that I have better control over what they eat, what they learn about, and who they learn it from.

What I don’t love?

My own insecurities and doubts. Those days that I don’t accomplish what I’d like.  That we’ve fallen behind my planned- out schedule in some subjects.  This was partly the plan; I didn’t want to plow through the lessons if they hadn’t fully learned them first. But it does make for very slow going at times.  And as we approach summer, it makes me panic.  I want a summer vacation!

And I constantly worry about how well I am doing with them.  I worry about how much they will or will not retain.  I want them to be smarter and more advanced than the public school kids, not less so.

On the flip side, I am at least sticking to a curriculum I really believe in.  I admire parents that are able to successfully manage an Unschooling Program, but honestly I think something like that with no set structure or goalposts would make me a basket case.  I like knowing that even if we’ve had a really lazy day we’ve accomplished something.

Even if that something is just a visit with Jerry for llama kisses, or a quick snorgle with a newborn lamb.

My kids can certainly tell you all about the circle of life!

Speaking of!

I have night duty at Juniper Moon tonight.  Susie has not slept a decent night all week and she has to pick up and drop off some fiber to designers out of town.  Her lovely new farm manager Caroline and I will hold down the fort (and maybe meet some new babies??) tonight.

If you’d like to tune in, you can check out the lambcams.  Camera one is in the barn with the babies who have already come.  You can find it here.

You can also check out the second cam here, which looks into the pasture.  Cam three looks into stall 2 in the barn.  Last night I watched a laboring nanny goat on cam 3 and then saw the new babies being brought into the barn at 2:30 am.  Check us out tonight, you may catch something fun!

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Where Oh Where Has My Little Blog Gone…

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Spring was supposed to have sprung, and we have indeed gotten blooms all over, but we are also expecting up to two inches of snow by the end of the weekend.  So today was cold and overcast and that made conditions ripe for two things: napping and cooking.

Maddie and Gulliver are frequently snuggled up together.

Have you met Gulliver?

He’s not reeeaally our dog, but….

He actually belongs to Susie.  Susie left him with us awhile back when she was away for a long week of meetings with yarn company designers and whatnot.  Then there were various people staying at the farm for a few days here and there and Gulliver is not actually the kind of dog that does well with lots of different people.  SO…..since he seems to like us so much, he has stayed.  And since there are a lot of farm stay guests still in and out and April promises to be very busy (lambing starts!!)…..you get the idea.

Plus Paul is in very much taken with the little guy.

The point is, Gulliver likes napping.  That makes him very popular with us.  Especially on a lazy, cold late – winter / not-quite-spring day.

But it wasn’t ALL napping.

Maddie made Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies and I made some Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites.

Both were a smashing success.

Now if you’ll excuse me I have to figure out how to work off the bajillion calories I stuffed myself with today.

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A Week of Being Irish

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St. Patrick’s Day is a bit of a big deal around here.  Paul and I were married on March 17 waaaaay back in 1996.

I got a bunch of books from the library for the girls to learn about Ireland and about the holiday itself.   They’ve been telling lame leprechaun – related jokes  (What kind of music do leprechauns like??  Sham-Rock!) and listening to Irish bands (Enya, U2, Black 47).

Last night we made Shamrock cookies.

Afterwards we stuffed our faces and watched Darby O’Gill and the Little People.

Tomorrow we’re going to make some Irish Soda Bread and Beef & Guinness stew.  Then we’ll settle in for a 4 hour Destination Truth live from Ireland, where they’re going to investigate the legend of the Banshee.  Should be fun (especially with that bottle of Bailey’s I bought)!

Slainte!

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And Then There Were Even More….

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Because we really really needed more poultry.

The thing is, no one tells you how addictive poultry is.  Or that poultry is the “gateway” livestock.  You get a hen or two, thinking  fresh eggs, how quaint.

Then you realize how funny and cool chickens are and you think how neat it might be to have one of those rare breeds that looks pretty out in your yard.

Before you know it, you’re poring over poultry catalogs, checking out the amazing varieties of plumage and egg colors, checking to see what breeds will hatch their own eggs and who the best layers are.

Then you think maybe you can sneak a guinea fowl or two in there because why not?  You already have chickens, it’s not so much of a stretch!  Besides, they eat ticks and chase away strangers!

But WAIT!

Have you SEEN those adorable ducklings at Tractor Supply?

Heck, if I am going this far, why not go all out and get some goats!  And a llama!  And……well, you get the picture.

We brought home two new ducklings – they’re Pekin/Runner crosses, and they are being called “Fanny” and “LeQuack”.  We have no idea what genders they are.

Also we have two small chicks of unknown breed/gender.  It’s a risk, but they were too cute!

One is a tiny yellow puffball with black spots, and the other is a dark brown with some orange. We were told it’s an Ameraucana but I just noticed it has feathers on it’s legs, so I am not so sure!

Finally there’s two of these Mottled Houdan girls. I am in love with the feather hat!  One is for Susie.  Our friend Jenny named her “Liberace”.  The one we are keeping has been named “Delia”.

Soon Paul’s going to have to talk me out of geese and turkeys!

 

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Drive Thru Sweater

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Done.

Finally.

This sweater seemed to never, ever want to end.

They were going to have to bury me with it one day, needles still firmly stuck in the unending yoke.

I persevered, however, and Oona is thrilled.  The buttons are not on in the pictures (I couldn’t wait, since the light was right for pictures)and the ends are not woven in, but you get the idea.

This sweater has taken up so much of my life lately that now that it is done I almost don’t know what to do with myself.

Almost.