Animal whisperer

She's determined to coax them to be pals. It's slow going... 

Our egg collector

 Sometimes she grabs the eggs while they are dropping. She hovers and collects multiple times a day some days. Her mama made dresses are perfect travel baskets. Love my little helper.

He's 10 and a HALF

Remembering... 

Ten

9 1/2
Nine

8 and a HALF

EightSeven and a half
SEven
Here's 6 1/2
Six
5 and a HALF
Age five.
Here's 4 1/2
Here's 4.
Here's 3 1/2.

Here's 3.

Here's 2 1/2,  
Here he was at 2.
Here he was at 18 months.
(And before that, I wasn't a blogger).

A bit late to the party I am, but Adrian is 10 and a HALF! 

Adrian, you are such a dependable boy.  You know your jobs and you do them.  You get up and do the chores. You notice what needs to be done and you help. You keep your room pretty tidy (especially considering you save everything).  You don't need any help taking care of yourself. You stretch daily, do your devotions daily, read daily, go outside to exercise daily.Your laundry is always in the basket. Your bed is always made. You don't need to be asked to pick up your stuff. You 110% prefer the routine to any excitement. Pandemic life for you is a dream! 

Your favorite hobbies are:
1) Drawing. Especially tractors, snowplows and trucks.

2) Your subscription to Northwoods magazine, which your pour over. 

3) Cutting things of interest out of magazines and gluing said pictures into composition books.
4) Biking.
5) Tractors/farming.
6) Work.  Sawing wood. Shoveling. Moving dirt. Etc.

You remember everything. You know what folks like, what they drive, particulars about them.  Although you do love staying home best, you do enjoy seeing other people and making them happy.  Not a car goes by that doesn't get a wave. Many folks have your drawings hung up in their homes.

You eat everything and anything (except eggs...a farmer who doesn't like eggs?!) in large quantities.  Where do you put all this food? 

The biggest struggle in your life is your sisters. Goodness, they drive you crazy! Especially when they think they can go in your room and help themselves! There are moments when you really do enjoy their company here and there. 

On your half birthday you enjoyed a fruity dessert (your favorite desserts are fruity...this time we had strawberry rhubarb crisp). You got the last book in the Tractor Mac series that you didn't have.  You got a game about states. Did I mention you know the geography of the United States like the back of your hand and you enjoy state trivia? 

You also love to hug. Sometimes I hug you and just wait for you to let go. You would love a hug to last minutes.  When I ask you how you feel after a long hug, you smile and say that your bucket is so full. 

Adrian, I appreciate you so much. Your help and independence has anchored me more days than you realize.  I am so thankful to have you as my son. 

Love, Mama

Reading

 Two sisters. Two pups. Two mama made nightgowns. Plus a book marathon.

The most patient dog

 Holly tolerates so much. She's looking mighty accessorized.  She is the best dog ever.

Spring!

 

Anna-Kate had morning books in the hammock with brother.

And then afternoon books with sister on the hammock. (Anna-Kate happens to be wearing a dress I made.)

I'm celebrating the first of the forsythia I force bloomed (and still enjoying the grocery store flowers too). Clothes on the line, windows open,barefoot feet, spring is in the air! 

Pups

 Since they insist on sleeping on top of one another...an old crib mattress is their new bed. 

Copper is definitely growing!

Chicken whisperers

I'm not sure what was going on with 'Hampshire', but after 5 days living inside and enjoying the Lipsky spa (with oh so many baths), she seems to be doing just fine and has rejoined the flock. She owes it all to these little chicken whisperers. 

She's also now literate, which she clearly appreciates. Five days of petting, treats, baths drawn and being read to...I might be the next chicken with an ailment that needs tending.

"Peek-a-boo Mama!"

 I was without a camera yesterday when we were adventuring.  I was up too late painting what I remembered instead. Cameras are much more time efficient, yet painting is so therapeutic."Peek-a-boo, Mama!" 

Clothes out

 I was at work last week and came home to find that Adrian had declared it to be time to line dry the laundry again.  Excellent decision. He's the first to have lined dried sheets of 2021 in our household! He threw a couple of my shirts in his load so I could have something lined dried too. He knows lined dried is my favorite scent. Can't help but smile noticing he's wearing pj pants, shirt and vest that I made him. Head to toe in mama mades. This mama's heart goes pitter pat! 

Hanging in...

We're still here...some of us with more energy than others. Nothing is going as planned and this season not flowing with ease, but I'm keeping on.  Making food. Planting seeds. Cleaning the kitchen. Doing laundry. Tending animals. Cutting brush. Reading to the littles. Braiding hair. Making more food. Cleaning the kitchen again (I spend my life cleaning this kitchen).  Reading to these littles. And keeping the faith because that's just what mamas do.

Recharging

Just a mama here, doing the best she can, but running on E. Thankful a wee big of a recharge is just a few miles away.
 

A new vest

 Someone noted he was a wee bit jealous of all the clothes the kids get that are handmade.  He was also expressing how everyone in the house had something warm in wool except him.  I said "If I made you something, you probably wouldn't even wear it."  He assured me he would. He picked out the wool for this vest and wears it all the time around the house. This is the second thing I've made him as of late (pic here). I guess I have someone else I'm stitching for, my self proclaimed 'Trophy husband'. 

15 years! Happy Anniversary to us!

 Happy 15th Anniversary to my husband!  15 years ago we eloped and got married in Antigua.  Pictures here. At our last milestone Anniversary, the hardest part of life was being married.  At our 15th, the easiest part of life is the marriage part! We have formed a solid team, combatting all obstacles together.  Cheers to another 15 years of kissing on the lips, grossing out the kids in the process. Happy Anniversary, Justin! 

Snippets of home

 When you're leading your 3 year old sister in a musical play along and she ditches her musical instruments, leaves the room and you keep on playing.  

Mama Made: Dress

 

I meant to make two base layers with these three overlays (below) for Anna-Kate for Christmas.  I only ended up making one of the base layers (the pinky one).  Now she has a new green base layer for her capsule wardrobe (above). It joins these others below, which are coordinating

Although the colors don't go, the patterns are the same for the one below too. I made this set below for Audra years ago.

Anna-Kate enjoys mixing and matching them. 

She just so happens to be wearing the pants I made her below. In the picture just happens to be the blanket I did with Swedish Weaving, the pillows I dyed and the chair cushion I made.  Plus on the wall is a punched tin I made. All the homemades bring me joy.

At play

 

Here they are, going to the market because their mother is sick (I'm fine! This is their play.). They have to go through the snow, there is no other way, so they say.

Here they are, they have obtained provisions. 

And here they are another day, orphans trying to peddle their (snow) eggs.  The have no place to live because their mother is dead. (Why am I always sick or dead in their play?!?!)

They have quite the pilgrimage, hoping to find the orphanage.

They are much obliged, they found an orphanage with room so they shall not have to spend the night out of doors.

This kid?  Try as they may, he's over it and decidedly not playing along with their ideas. 

Always an adventure!