Little House: Summer in the Big Woods

I have the pleasure of teaching the 4 and 5 year olds in our homeschool co-op for this semester. Once a week, I'm teaching them history in a fun way. We're going back in time and doing things they way they used to do them.  I'm using the "My First Little House" book series, which takes stories out of the chapter books and makes it into picture books.

Previous weeks:
Winter Days in the Big Woods
Farmer Boy's Birthday
Winter on the Farm
Sugar Snow
Little House Birthday
Going West

And the latest...Summer in the Big Woods

This class had lots of chicken talk. We brought our girl, "Floppy Comb", who is excellent with kids. We played hennies and washed eggs. The kids LOVED washing eggs. I should have collected more, it was so fun for them.  Plus we played "Count your Chickens". Totally not an old fashioned game, but it's one we love. I highly recommend.

Only one week to go before that's a wrap!  I've loved doing this with the kids, it's been a highlight of my week.

Highlights

 You know, some kids get excited about Target. Some Walmart. Some Toys R Us.  Mine?  The local feed store and the Tractor Supply are the highlights. Hey, whatever floats your boat.

Thrifted.

 Four Fancy Nancy stories for my little , and a couple other books. Plus two scratch off books. Work gloves. A miniature trainset and plane for the dollhouse, two miniature dollhouse baskets, three yards of fabric. $5.50.

Reader's Digest Back to Basics book (totally recommend), a brand new papermaking kit and wooden frame, the Mancala game (highly recommend), a new tile grout thingy (does it have a name?), brand new overalls (tags still on) and a shirt with cows. $12.

Spring buds and the calm before the snow.

Thus far in April, the 70 degree end of March led to a colder, but tolerable temps which led to inches of snow, freezing rain and the like. Weird.

In the clam before the storm, my kids kept saying to me "Mama, take my picture!"  Then they'd pose and smile.  Also weird.

While I was at work, our bare fields turned to be covered in white.  But before the storm, we picked this beautiful collection of buds from our property and we are living Spring inside. 

Here/there/back/forth. Lots of unpredictable.  Taking it all in stride with the ones I love most.

As an additional bonus, I dug out my old point and shoot and gave it to Adrian.  He's been taking pictures of his food, mostly the food he makes. I have no idea where he's learned that from....

This is....

This is what love looks like.

Signs of Spring

Wow, the weather here went from winter to summer.  Rest assured, it will be back to winter before long.

But, with the change in temp, signs of spring are everywhere.  Robins, mud, bud, growth and geese.  Line dried clothes, spring crafts, crocuses, bare feet, summer clothes (except for a certain boy who tends to take a good month to shift his attire, but decided within the day it was time to chop his hair off for summer.). Plus parsnips and collared greens...and meals that follow that.  It's nice having things that go from garden to table now and not the basement or freezer in between.  Back to the washing veggies instead of the thawing!

And Spring also is that time of year my 5 year old starts stressing about winter. Rest assured, he's collecting kindling for next winter.  Nevermind the bags he collected last year we haven't even gone through yet this year!

Best part of warmer days? Plum tuckered out by the end of the day.  A little rest before dinner is a rarity that may make a comeback now the days are warmer.