And they are off...

 


Took no time for them to bust out in a sprint once set free from our 4 hour dentist stay (each of us had an cleanings).  

I am never in pictures, ever.  Every day I try to make memories with my kids and those moments aren't ever captured. The one time when someone was inspired to take my picture was yesterday.  At the dentist.  I have a couple of dozen of these 'gems' from Anna-Kate. I saved a couple for entertainment purposes. 


Always an adventure with this crew! 

He's 11 and a HALF!



Remembering

11

10.5

9 1/2
Nine


Adrian, my 11 and a HALF year old, 

You are 100% uniquely and apologetically you. You like what you like and you don't care if no one else likes it.  You are STILL into farming and most of all trucks.  You love Greenlight die cast 1:64 reproductions and would collect them all if you could.  You love setting up scenes and making supplies for your scenes.  ALLLLLLL the glue and the modpodge and the tape and the mess. When you have computer time, you research this sort of thing. When you have spare time, you draw or paint this sort of thing. You like what you like.

You are a boy who loves a routine.  You get up, make your bed, get dressed, put your dirty clothes where they go, brush your teeth and start morning chores. It's like clockwork.  You love a morning when I read to you so you can draw. You like to take a walk in the field and then spend your spare time doing truck stuff. Then you faithfully put your clean laundry away, journal about your day, read your devotions and then read whatever series you are working on (right now it's Happy Hollisters), listen to your audiobook and go to bed.  Although you're not upset if the routine changes, you'd prefer the steadiness of the familiar. 

Although you say you're not a sports dude, you love hiking, archery, swimming, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating and biking.  

You are friendly and can talk to anyone, especially if they are willing to listen to you talk about trucks. You always say "It doesn't cost a thing to wave".  If you are outside, you are waving at whoever is driving. People honk at you even when you aren't outside. People call you "the boy who always waves".  

You have a hearty appetite and love all food but mushrooms and eggs. I never have to ask you to clear your plate, you always do. If you could pick any dessert, it would always be a fruity dessert.

You still plan on being a game warden and sometimes you get your sisters to play game warden. You are a rule follower through and through and have quite an interest in nature. 

You've long been a mama's boy only, but now you're switching from being mama's boy, to being Mr. Independent to having only eyes for daddy.  Your sisters drive you bonkers.  

You are unique, responsible, driven and almost always all business.  What a joy it is to see you blossom before my very eyes.  Proud of who you are growing to be. 

Love, Mama

Seasons

 

I know everyone gets excited about the seasons change, but this going from winter to spring is my least favorite change.  I certainly always encourage my kids to go out and play, which means I end up with a couple of extra loads of laundry a day. Mud outside, inside, in the vehicles, in between toes.  So much mud.  When I get disgruntled about the mud, I think of all the things I planned that I hadn't finished over winter and I think about all the things there are to do to get ready for the growing season and I just get overwhelmed.  It's annoying how that always happens.  A tiny frustration ends up snowballing to a Paul Bunyan sized snowman. I have to tell my brain to stop all this nonsense so I can be present in the here and now, which is quite lovely once the mud isn't filling up my brain. 

4-H

It's been a while since I talked about 4-H, which I should talk of it more because we seem to do something 4-H multiple times a week.  There are all these new spin off groups and my kids have been loving them. Some are all virtual, some are part virtual and part in person. In addition to all the things our regular club does, they have been a part of 4-H aquarium club for over a year, they just finished 5 weeks of a Spin Tree club, are part of the 4-H Dog club, joined the 4-H Nature Spin club (pictured below), joined the Wildlife Habitat Education Program (Pictured below) and I just signed them up for a five week food science program. Plus they are signed up for the Public Presentation Tournament this week and they are working on an article for the Fashion Revue coming up.  We love 4-H. 

4-H's Spin Nature Club



4-H's Wildlife Habitat Educational Program







NO SPACE

 I tried to go to bed and found a small human sleeping across the entire span of the bed. Moved her back to her bed.  

At some point in the night, she returned.  In the morning she told me she had to make my bed because my bed was her bed.  She made this bed by herself and surprised me. I guess I have to deal with the former to get the latter, but the latter I could totally get used to! 






Snapshots throughout the week

Homeschooling snapshots during winter in Maine. Food. Art & Crafts. Books. Pets. Bundling up and getting outside. I know so many are done with winter, but we aren't sick of it one bit.  Not that there aren't moments I want to pull my hair out...that happens of course...but that happens regardless of the season. I am still embracing the fireside winter mornings where we gather by the woodstove and wish to get that oven cranking to warm up the kitchen. Plus being out and about in vacationland without the people is pretty magical. 




Current morning stack.



(Low tide above one afternoon, high tide below next morning. We go to the beach multiple days a week in all weather. It's fun to see the changes.)





Thankful for the longer days of March and all the joy we find learning and growing together. 

Weeee!

 Recipe for a happy winter day. 

1) Wool. Many layers.  Winter gear to the max. 

2) Find amazing brave friends who will do winter with you.

3) Find a deserted hill and bring sleds.

10/10. Thanks, friends! 




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