Garden time

I can remember growing up and going down to visit my grandparents at their farm in rural Illinois and wondering what adventures I was going to go on. If the weather was warm I knew that inevitably we would be in the garden at some point. I can remember hilling potatoes, pulling carrots, weeding, shelling peas and beans, weeding and finding grapes on the grapevines.

Well, fast forward to our own garden and I find myself hilling potatoes, pulling carrots (not quite ready but thinning them out), weeding, showing Henry and Alice the growth from seeds they planted, weeding and their personal favorite, finding raspberries and eating them off the bushes. They are always so excited when they find a ripe one!

I hope when they are grown and on their own that they can look back on this time with us, in this time of life with joy and wonder, with fondness and interest in something that has been passed on to them from generations before, as it was with me.

Simple catapult

As the novelty has worn off and daily routine is, well, routine, I looked for something different for the kids to do at school today that would be constructive but silly. Enter-the simple catapult! If you have popsicle sticks, rubber bands and a plastic spoon you’re set.

But, as a member of my family no game is complete without a certain air if acting or emoting. So we catapulted our sadness away and laughed!

Is it “the valum-times day?”

Yes, Henry, yes it is. After waking up and wishing him a happy Valentine’s Day, he asked what it was for. I said that it’s a day where you show people you love how much you love them. He then proceeded to ask if there were presents and I nodded. “Where’s mine?!” “Well, it’s usually something sweet like flowers or a card.” To which Alice chimed in “my don’t want that, my want tandy!” After the meltdown when I said there was no candy, we proceeded to eat an unhappy breakfast followed by kids who wanted stuff. I gifted Michael a new wallet so he gave Henry his old one, complete with “credit cards” and you would’ve thought he got the moon!!!! He ran upstairs to get pants with a pocket so he could put his wallet in them. One of the cards was a gift card to Cracker Barrel so he immediately said “I know where we’re going for luuunnncchhh!! And I’m paying!” So we went and did school and when I ask them to go get ready to leave they whine and gripe and fuss. Today he shot down the stairs, readied himself and ran home and waited by the back door to go. About an hour later he was so happy!

A pop of color!

Each year, usually around mid March, our farm starts to show the first colors of spring. This winter has been on the warmer side, with spikes into the teens but mostly gross at 33 and rain, sleet on an exciting day. Earlier this week was my husband and my anniversary and there was a box of fake tulips that showed up that day. Confirming that they were from my mother, I didn’t know what to do with them so I took them over to the cabin for the kids to use at school for some task or another.

Today I was walking over to the cabin and peeked out of the corner of my eye where I always check to see if the yellow aconite have sprouted up along with the little white snowbells. What did my wandering eye behold? Wild aconite peeking up all around the old ash tree. What a wonderful sight, although about a month early, the color was exactly what my eyes needed.

I was inspired by the color so I decided to use the tulips for counting today. That miserably failed so I let Alice choose how she wanted to play with them and this is what she chose to do.

Ta-da… tie-dye!

A friend of mine found out that there was a place in town called “The Tie-Dye Lab”that had a toddler time with a story and craft and it sounded like something we don’t normally go for. She volunteered to come with so each kid would have a grown up with them. The kids had so much fun and were around other kids their age and older. Alice was probably the youngest but held her own! They had a snack. (when they usually eat lunch) and got to use glue and squirt dye all over and had a great time.

You never know…

You never know. With two toddlers I never know what I will encounter when they are left to their own devices. Yesterday, while I was preparing for their school I looked out the window and saw this! He was so proud to show me that he had a tractor and wagon of his own! Alice sat there beaming that Henry brought her along. I feel like I could fast forward to them being 15 and 16 and it will look much the same!

You never know!

Not so tiny bubbles

we had we had record high temperatures here yesterday and so the kids were outside and loving it! One of their favorite things to watch on TV, you’re gonna laugh, is the Lawrence Welk show. See, I bet you giggled. Both my husband and I grew up with memories of the show and we have passed it along to them. They know every person on there, they memorize the songs, the order, the instruments, dance along and I couldn’t be more proud! They love when tiny bubbles comes on, made popular by Don Ho in late 60’s and they sing it and love listening to it. So we decided to have our own not so tiny bubbles outside and they had just as much fun!

Recent pictures

Feelings

We talk a lot about feelings in our house. Feelings hurt, how something makes us feel, what does something feel like. Apparently, Alice has taken it upon herself to draw her feelings. The other day we were upstairs and she found a post it note pad and pencil. I thought she was just kind of doodling, she then peeled it off, walked it over to me and gave it to me. I looked at it and asked her what it was a drawing of. “My feelings”, she said. “You drew your feelings? How does drawing your feelings make you feel?” “My feel better drawing them. My draw your feelings too! Mom, how you feeling?!” “I feel good… a little tire….” She set off to draw me my feelings! Here is the result.
She nailed it! :)

A hobby of mine

I can vividly remember sitting in my grandparents living room watching my grandma knit. The fast click-click of the needles as she made, yet another pom-Pom hat to donate. I would wind the skein of yarn into the ball for the next hat while the sounds of the Price is Right or the Joker’s Wild was on the console TV on the main window wall.
I tried knitting and got a bit bored, although I still have grandma’s needles, I found crocheting more my style. I started with knowing how to chain a line. But what could a person do with a chain of 143, not knowing what the next step was? I found several (thousand) YouTube tutorials and taught myself various stitches that kept me engaged and involved. I have been making various things for myself, my hubby, kids, friends etc. I mix yarns together from one project to another.
This one will turn into a poncho for Alice and if I like it, one for me!

Tune it again to see if it ever gets finished or if I stray onto a new project- highly likely- before it’s complete!

Elephant toothpaste!

As I continue my journey in educating our kids, I find myself coming up quite short in certain areas, specifically science. I was not a great student of science when I had to take it but I loved chemistry experiments! I found a book of kids kitchen experiments to try with Henry and Alice and today’s was a hit! It involved things they liked- food coloring, soap and “helping”! So we tried elephant toothpaste idea and had a great time! The photos do it some justice!

Elephant toothpaste

Science!

The ups and downs

Life with toddlers can frequently feel like the never ending cycle of Groundhog Day. Same routine, same toys, same diapers, over and over until you pass out on the couch at 8:52 pm because you’re done in! Then there will be one small moment where the light shines on why you do what you do. Today it was the looks on my kids faces when they saw that the seeds they had planted in their own “greenhouse” had sprouted. They just looked up and with a big ol’ smile said “Mom! The seeeeds!!!!! They grew up!” Yep, they sure did, kids, they sure did.

Plant the seed. It’s worth it.

Fun outside

Today while in our basement, Henry figures out how to use some foam blocks and climb up onto the ledge where I keep games that I don’t want them to get into.
He found a toy that I had hid a while back because it was being fought over. It was a monster school bus that moves and lights up. After the ensuing “how did you get up there?!” talk I told him if he wanted to play with it, take it outside. I figured he would play with it on the sidewalk or driveway, nope…

New

This is a new portion of my website that will be for more personal things such as family, farm life, inspiration, etc…

I hope you like it and enjoy!

For now, here are some cute photos of the kids.

Cheers!

Marci

Henry, Age 3