My Boy!

Ah, the Lego creation of the week:  a cherry picker.  As far as I can tell he made this contraption all on his own!  I'd say that it's the most elaborate of all his thus far.  It comes complete with a moveable bucket and chainsaw.

A neighbor brought over some fabric that she had lying around.  I requested one piece that would be more boy-friendly so that Mn could make something.  He's been wanting me to make him a cape for some time and so after the fabric was quarantined for several days we lay it all out and he chose his piece and decided what to do with it!  He had a plan:  cut here, put button here and hole there.  I helped him fine-tune it and then we got out his little sewing kit.  He stitched around the collar and then added buttons on the shoulders as well as the button that would be used for a closure.

Mid-week, daddy got off work an hour early and we packed a picnic and went hiking.  It was a much needed unwind!  This week has been the hardest of all the quarantine weeks we've experienced.  Not that it was different from any other, but...we're breathing easier and interacting better after some time in God's beautiful creation!

We played a game of Carcassonne and afterwards were putting things away and enjoyed a good laugh setting up this photo for Grandma..."Your red meeples and your Mn are missing you today."  ;)

Thursday, during my supper prep hour the rest of the crew went on a 6 mile bike ride!  They came back warm, tired and happy!

This morning Mn finished his cape and showed it off for the camera and sharing.  He's worn it most of the day so far.  He only took it off when he realized that he was rubbing his lunch pb on it.

The writing/drawing assignment today for school was to write about something you did this week or what you want to do next week.  L was writing about taking the bus to Grandma's and Nana's and making a plan for that in her journal.  They then decided that they should pack...it was all-inclusive packing...undies, pjs, swimsuits, a few books and activities... Then, they headed out to the bus-stop (the swing in the driveway).  I looked out a bit later and they were GONE!!  Gazed out a little longer and saw that they were coming back from the corner.  They are now spending some time moving L's mattress into Mn's room.  We'll finish up our school reading...later.  We'll savor this excitement.

Mn's plan of what he wants to do next week:

Bike Crew

Thursday afternoon, the kids and Kevin went on a long bike ride.  6 miles!!!  They arrived home tired, but really happy!  Kevin hadn't been feeling well Monday morning so had taken 2 hours off to "recover", then the rest of the week he had 2 other hours to take off.  Wednesday was the mid-week picnic and then this day...off an hour early to bike with the kids.  Back afterwards for supper and a concert.

Bandaids

Are you missing someone today?  We used a few "bandaids" to relieve some of the missing.  Mn called Grandma this morning on the phone.  Then, a bit later he tried to Face-time Bumpa.  Bumpa was at the farm so had some time with Nana.  Another "bandaid" take a silly picture and email it..."Your red meeple and your Mn are missing you."  Hope it makes you smile Mom!  Love you all!!

Mid-Week Retreat

This particular Wednesday was a hard one for our family...mostly this mama... Kevin took off work an hour early and we packed a picnic.  There are 2 state parks quite near to each other and we frequent one and only go to the other every few years.  We thought we'd try the less frequently visited one.  We did find a quiet parking lot to picnic near, but the hiking areas were packed.  So, we started at one park and headed to the other.

Forgot to get a pic of our picnic view until we were in the van about to head to the next park...

Off the main trail hiking has been our specialty before the mosquitos reign.  :)  Found some trees to climb in and hills to roll with.

Just before we returned to our van, we pulled off the trail for others to pass.  Then we decided to stay a while and draw in our nature journals.  It was a lovely evening.  Yes, it took the whole of it for this mama to lighten up, but it worked!  God is good!!

Weekends at Home

This video was Easter weekend, but just had to share!  Maybe a futures student of our friend, TK, an enjoyer of snowboarding.

For 3 weekends we've had a pretty sweet schedule.  Saturday AM decide on a hiking location.  En route to the hike, or upon our return we would make a series of drop-off/pick-ups, then, hike at a nearby nature area.  Saturday afternoon, we would work in our backyard.  The last 2 weeks had been working to make 2 raised garden beds and a compost container/system.  This weekend, we started a chicken coop.  All the wood has been from around the house and garage, including an old wood storm door.  We still have some work to do and then chickens to acquire...but we have a possible offer.  It will be a summer-only endeavor and possibly only this one summer.  After that, as most of you know, we'll have a new babe and I have long ago decided that we wouldn't have chickens and crawlers/toddlers at the same time.  Just with the hands to mouth factor.

Sundays have been a long morning before 10:45 church, lunch, nap, then outdoor something...biking, more yard enjoyment, snow play...  This week, because Kevin was on the worship team and I had just received a box of dresses from my sister-in-love, we both dressed up.  :)  Including slippers, house crocs, and a sneaker.  Haha.  Enjoying this journey!  Note to grands:  you might have to travel to us first...we really enjoy this schedule and the lack of road time!!

Weekday Mornings

Mornings here start with breakfast, chores, instruments, math, and a bit of reading before we convene together for Bible Study + snack and the rest of school at 10 a.m.  One of L's daily chores is bringing down and sorting the dirty laundry.  She's fashioned a new method of carrying it out.

Kj plays piano and violin each morning and L piano.  It's a lovely soundtrack to my chores!  They've, this week, voluntarily added Typing Instructor, as well.

Mn and I try to have some reading time together before 10.  We've just finished One Minute till Bedtime and are now going to work our way through The Real Mother Goose, interspersed with other picture books.

Also, our view of Kevin, at times sitting, at times standing, with his sword at the ready.  Mn and Kevin take daily 1-minute-breaks for dueling down the hall, down the stairs, around the living room and back to work.  It's lovely to have 2 knights at home through the week.

Saturday...But Sunday is Coming!

Spring is a wonderful time to go hiking here!  No ticks or mosquitoes, still get to wear jackets...  Taking the less traveled paths also seemed appropriate for this "shelter at home" or "quarantine" time.  These paths through the ravine to the river we wouldn't have found on a summer or fall day.  It was lovely.  

 

Found 2 sets of tracks by the river's edge!

We've been bringing a small nature journal backpack along on our hikes and taking a little break to draw a little.  Ly and I did this time, while Kevin, Kj, and Mn climbed a hillside on a fallen tree.

Kj discovered this really cool looking thing.  We weren't sure what it was, but she found it on a juniper tree.  The following pictures are of it broken open and then pinched between my fingers...maybe not smart, but I didn't think of that until midway through the pinching.  I looked it up this evening and found that it is a gall.  A growth, a disease.  Thankfully, it was really hard to find another one...feeling like we should go back and dispose of others though.

Returned home for lunch and work on our garden beds.  The biggest in the forefront we put together last week.  Today we made the 3-section compost area and the tiny garden bed in the middle of them.  It's been fun over the years in our house to add improvements to the yard and garden.  The boards over the top are basically to keep the straw from blowing away until we get the plants and such in.

The finale of the day was "nice cream" and the 2nd half of Mary Martin as Peter Pan.  Even Kevin was able to have it!  Just didn't add any m&ms to his portion.  This batch was salted caramel nice cream with caramel sauce.  Mmm!  Kj eats "nice cream".  If you know Kj she WILL NOT eat bananas, she tastes them in everything that their put in, but for some reason this works. She won't have seconds, but will eat a full portion!  Win-win here!

But Sunday is Coming!!

Some Fun At Home

I secretly made brownies one evening.  Kevin admitted after the kids' bedtime that he thought he smelled something like that...but it worked!  It wasn't until 2 days later that I shared my indulgence with the girls (the boys went outside and we had a snitch...to be fair, the boys can't eat them, so, we were hiding them for their sake!).

L got a skip-it for her birthday last year and it came out again this spring.  

Mn prepping for our friends to deliver some "sunshine" for our garden.  Their term for the manure.

Mn and his oatmeal.  He will take what he can and add it to the oats.  There was a seasoning that I didn't let him have today (sort of rationing...he has no concept of portion size), so, he pulls out the turmeric.  Yep, he added it...just a little today, because he didn't want it to make his oatmeal smell.  Haha.  I'll have to let you know if he keeps up the turmeric bit.  Otherwise in the bowl:  oats, raisins (I portioned some for him), honey, (said no to molasses), coconut, walnuts, coconut oil, cinnamon, (said no to ginger and ____?), peanut butter (I portioned that this morning as well)…  I think that's all.  AND turmeric!

Masks

I made a mask for Kevin a couple weeks ago.  It was really his idea, but then he wouldn't wear it until this week.  This week, I made one for my mom and sister.  Yesterday, Mn asked if I could make him one too.  I happened to have some mustache fabric, so, I made it out of that...with some flannel sharks on the inside.  He was pretty excited, "Now I get to go out with Daddy!"  Well, actually, bud, they don't let kids into the stores anymore...you'll have to stay home still.  "But where will I wear it?"  Umm...if you bike with daddy to pick up that new math book, you can wear it while you wait outside...  Pattern here, if you are interested.  Mn's is proportionally smaller compared to my face.  Also, I had to shorten the elastic on my mask, although Kevin's seemed just right.

Picnic Lunch

Playgrounds are "caution-taped" off, but hillsides and open park spaces are still available.  We decided to bike to a park about a mile from home for a picnic over Kevin's lunch break.  We brought lunch (obviously), frisbees and a scoop-ball set.  It was lovely!

The Weekend!

Kj and Mn decide to make a tower that was Mn's size.  At first, I think, it was meant to be able to fit him in it, but they quickly realized that it wouldn't happen that way!

Finished a second double-strength afghan.  A little smaller than the one that I made 2 winters ago, but it was so fun to do it.  Every now and then one of the girls would stitch part of a row, but mostly my work.

Mn has had some grumpy wrists lately.  We had thought that he grew out of such sensitive skin, but it came back recently.  Since we're all at home for the next few weeks without travels planned, we decided to do some experimenting with his diet.  He's going gluten free per our negotiations, and the next day decided that he wasn't going to have cheese either (which is basically the only dairy product that we have in the house).  So, here is my before picture...maybe should have gotten a little closer up...

Saturday afternoon we made some deliveries of Norwex and homeschool books to friends that we've been gathering on our pew.  Then, we spent most of the afternoon we spent at a state park in our area that has an archery course.  It was great!!  It started out with just targets and then the rest of them were shooting across a gully and walking over small footbridges and then up the other side to get to the next target.

Sunday...a morning nap for Anna, church, friends dropping off hay and chatting distantly, lunch, afternoon nap for Kevin then outdoor time.  We're trying one "permaculture" raised garden.  We were able to get the cardboard layer and the first layer of hay.  In the next week, we'll add the compost and more hay layers, as well as, another set of boards to make the sides taller.  The rest of our various garden plots will be the same as usual...we think...we scavenged the whole house and garage for cardboard and brown paper, so, we probably can't do another like this.  Oh, just looked at our "guide"...might need to find somewhere to get manure!!

Isolated

Sent Mn out to bring the compost to the backyard (yet another job that he is taking over for K!!).  He comes back in.  It's cold out there, it's crunchy.  I don't think we'll be going outside today, it's so isolated.  It's so isolated out there.

Recital

Cousin E.R. was to have a concert tonight and sing a solo, so Auntie C. got us all connected for a zoom "recital".  We had aunts, uncles, cousins, and grands...next time we'll add in a few more families.  L was featured singing and playing (on piano) "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name".  Kj was featured on violin and piano.  After most everyone was off, Anna read a poem from "One Minute 'til Bedtime", and Kevin played "Go Tell it on the Mountain" and asked everyone to join the singing.