The usual morning chores already done; up by 8:00 or 8:30, dressed, beds made, hair brushed, breakfast eaten, teeth brushed. Then the divided chores of feeding and watering the animals, hanging loads of laundry on the line (Elyssa and Izzy's job), then the team effort chore of throwing corn to the chickens while Elyssa steals the eggs. See, the garden is delicate as it grows, the chickens are not free ranging as they would delight in the yummy veggies and fresh tender greens. So while they are cooped up in the....errr...coop while our garden grows, the younger children distract them with corn while Elyssa darts into the henhouse to steal eggs, sometimes right out from under the butts of cranky broody hens. Well, not the crankiest of hens, Elyssa is still not daring enough to subject her hand to a pecking, and a hardy peck they will! I will have to show her how to lift a cranky hen up off her nest gently by the neck and snatch with the free hand.
By 10 O'clock, they are usually finished up and the day is theirs for adventure.
Elyssa and Isabelle grabbed a book and some towels off the line and climbed over the field gate and snuck off for the woods, Dusty tagging along behind them. They followed the horse trail, over the creek, and found their favorite and "secret" reading spot.
I snuck in behind them with camera in tote and this is what I found:
It was such a beautiful moment that I thought back fondly of the children of the 1800's or early 1900's, and other than clothing and some updated novels they were reading, I saw little difference in the era's.
A snapped twig under my feet revealed my presence, so I took the opportunity to take some photo's (I take so many they literally go about their day without noticing me, which is great for candid shots..did I use "candid" in the right context? Hm, anyway..)
Licorice the pony joins the reading circle:
Beautiful Elyssa caught in thought:
Licorice and Boots the kitten meet:
Truffle the farm poodle watches Boots and Jeans climb a tree..
Boots and Jeans, Masters of the Wood:
Getting a tongue stuck out at me..
Yellow shirts are a mother's godsend, especially when your children play in the woods..
While I scrubbed bathrooms and tended to the garden, the girls hung laundry..
The children had an opportuntiy to watch a little tv this afternoon, but 20 minutes later I came around the corner with baby Sam on my hip and saw the tv on...but no kids. That's when I spotted them out on the porch swing, taking in the breezes and sights of the beautiful day. They chose to carpe diem over television, I must be doing SOMETHING right!
Elyssa was head chef in the kitchen today with Izzy and Dusty as her apprentices, and together they all measured and stirred and made brownie hearts for after supper (it's where they make regular brownies and rip their hearts out..ok ok...that was bad). No, they are brownies made from scratch and baked in heart shaped pans! They turned out beautifully and we will have them after my supper of cornbread and chicken bake.
As a matter of fact, I smell the chicken just about ready to come out of the oven, I'd better wrap this up and call in the kids (yes, they are STILL outside)to wash up and set the table.
Prairie Blessings!
