Birthday Boy

I'm a lot behind. Like a month. I kept meaning to get a pic of daddy with his three kids, but haven't. So I'm just going to call this good enough.

First of all, he absolutely got cake for his birthday. But the surprise he was most excited about was spanokopita made by his Audra.

Second of all, he got a shirt that says "Daddy is a Beast", which he loves.

Third of all, he got some cards and a lot of love from his girls mostly (Adrian is too busy for much snuggling).

Thank you for being an awesome dad, for taking great care of our kids while I'm working, for working hard to support our family and for being our comic relief. Happy (very belated) birthday.

When I'm trying and trying and trying my best and my best isn't good enough... that was today. Just one of those days. I could use a do-over.

The tooth fairy totally forgot to come last night, but ended up coming midday and left an extra dime. What a delightful surprise! Thankful for my husband for pulling through when I didn't...for having my back when I need someone.

What I really need is a little R&R with my sewing machine. I don't really have much time to spare, but I think I will make a little time for that which I love...even if it's for a mere 10 minutes.

In the depths of parenthood as a working mama and a homeschooling mama, when I feel like I'm being pulled every which direction, I need to remember to take care of me. My little challenge for myself is squeezing out a wee bit of time each day this week to do something that fuels me. 5-10 minutes a day? I can do this.

Weekends

And so it happened again, another weekend came and went and my intention of catching up on the movies that go with the books we completed hasn't been accomplished. I know it's crazy, but we read books before we watch the corresponding movie. Only we are about 9 or 10 books behind, in that we've read the book but still need to watch the movie. I was hoping to knock down that number by one or two this weekend. But, we didn't.

We were pretty much home all weekend too. What got in the way? Books. Lots of them. Long walks. Clearing brush. Digging up stumps. A fire to burn said brush and stumps. Waving to the train. Church. Bread baking. Pizza making. Painting. Map making. A bit of cleaning. More books. Our 3 hour minimum outside stretched to 4-5 hours outside for all of us on Saturday and Sunday, despite the rain and snow.

Maybe next weekend we will catch up on the movies we were meaning to watch.

Or maybe life out of doors will call us again... which certainly isn't a bad thing at all.

Cooking

Fact: My modern stove did not have a working stovetop for almost a month. Everytime I had to boil water, or if I wanted to cook up an egg, I had to fire up my wood cookstove, whether we needed the warmth or not.

Thankful my husband installed a "new to us" stove that works.

But, after all that, even though I could cook up a meal with a flip of a switch, my go-to is still my wood cookstove.

My dad always says "Everything tastes better cooked on the woodstove."

I agree.

Thrifted.

A well-read woman is a dangerous creature.

The best fifty cents I have spent in some time.

A virtual high-five to all my dangerous creatures out there.

Read on...

Thrifted

Allllll these vintage books for $5.00!!!!! Some are worth ~$100! But no, I won't sell. I like to hold my books, hug them, look at them, smell them...and read them. I will keep them forever.

And my barnyard finds. Two pairs of like-new barn boots. One in my size, one a size up from Adrian. A really great book about cowboys. A vintage 100% wool Plaid Pendleton buttonup. SO warm and heavy. Five serving spoons for the Little House on the Prairie class I teach on Fridays. (Tomorrow I'm teaching sewing to the kindergarteners. They'll have needlepoints, organize my pin cushion, string vintage spools, make art with vintage thimbles, pretend to iron, cut scraps....clearly I like this just as much as they do), wool LL Bean socks and two hand embroidered samplers. Get this. $5.00. Get out there thrifting. You just never know what you may find.

Weather...

Just Sunday, we woke up to a winter wonderland. Today? 70 degrees and we're putting up our homemade bluebird houses and thinking spring. Bluebirds are back and we are hoping they are interested in moving in one of our homemade houses.

Now, this little hint of spring does a soul good, but a bit more of winter is promised in the great state of Maine. That's okay, for I'm not sick of the beauty of winter yet.

Art Fireside

Two things I love: doing art fireside and art made by little hands. This is "The Demick Farm" for all my relatives. May drawing farm scenes always be his thing, for I don't think I ever will get tired of them.

This baby...

We all love this baby a little more everyday.

And I love my baby dressed head to toe in handmades. <3

She's been the perfect addition to our family.

"SOP" signs

Remember that challenge I did a few weeks ago? The one that I stated I wanted the kids to be outside a minimum of 3 hours a day, regardless of the weather? We did the challenge. And now we are just continuing. We've met that goal most days. Definitely not at once many days, since it's still winter. But going out side some in the morning, some in the afternoon and sometimes evening...it adds up. The other goal of the baby and me being outside with them daily too? Yup. Doing that. Except for my long work days, we're hitting that. Today I went out for two walks with the kids (one doing some birding and one just because) and I pruned fruit trees with Anna-Kate on my back.

Creativity is soaring too. Audra says she can read and write and needs no one's help. We apparently spell "stop" different ways. Hers doesn't need a 't', so I'm told.

So I present to you, "Sop Signs". Make sure you stop if you see one!

Weekends

Sometimes the no-fussy-stay at home-use whatcha got-just be together weekends are the ones I love most.

Mama Made Applique Shirt

It's been a while since I've made him something.

Mama made applique shirt for my birder. It could use a little ironing, but he doesn't care. I just sort of made it up, no pattern. He loves birds and he loves blue jays and now this is his favorite shirt.

Thrifted

Another vintage bowl. I know, I know. I have a problem. And this miniature little set. They are half the size of my thumb. Thinking they'd go perfect in a teacup fairy garden. Anyone made one of those before? Grand price: $5.00.

Read

I guess this place is as good as any to curl up with a good book. Read. Read daily. There's much to enjoy, much to discover. Read.

Baby #3

My happy place.

I honestly had though that ship had sailed and I'd be a mama of two. It's certainly amazing to be twice blessed with littles. But, to be three times blessed? Heartwarming.

Seriously, this is the best baby ever.

Food for thought

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” -Audre Lorde.

If out in the wild, these two could have a predator/prey relationship. But, since they took the time to get to know one another, they have found a common interest. They both love curling up in front of the fire. They have taken to spending quite a bit of time snuggled like this together.

Let us not be so quick to judge and find the good in one another. In a world you could choose anything, choose kindness.

Mama Made: New Mittens

New stitched mittens for my littles.

And Mr. Serious and Miss Goofy modeling them. Love this duo.

Three dudes

Three dudes.

Two with Carhart coats and BOGS boots.

One with an impressive comb, spurs and sickle feathers.

Living the farming live and even city boy husband is loving it for a change. Home sweet home.

This baby...

This baby...she lights up our world.

Thirfted

I hit the jackpot on book sets lately.

I've been wanting these for years. Found them on facebook marketplace for $8.00 for the whole set.

I got this set above from the 1950s $1.50. For the set. And the set below on the Presidents for $1.50. For the set. Wow.

Basically these three sets together would cost upwards to $350-$400 if I bought them on Ebay. And I only spent a whopping $11.00 for all these books. The thrill of the hunt and trophies. Hit the big ones this time around.

And I need more bookshelves.