Sunday, May 4, 2008

Cabin fever.

Our weather can't make up its mind. One day it's cold and as windy as can be, the next it's sunny. It's driving the girls crazy. They want to be outside so badly, but when it's so windy, they really can't. Here they are attempting to be out while I planted potatoes.



You know how it feels to swim against the current? To paddle your legs and arms as hard as you can and still move backwards. That was poor Ains in the wind that day - after about fifteen seconds of trying to get closer to me, she burst into frustrated tears. The wind was pushing her back faster than she could walk, poor bug. I moved them inside and they watched Diego for a few minutes while I finished planting.

The next day was sunny. Ains didn't believe me, hence her outfit.



We got a good look at one of the Great Horned Owls that lives on our property.



We built a kid pen to hold the kids overnight on milking days. (For more about our farm, go here.) The girls love playing in it with the kids. Don't ask me why Ains has her purse. I couldn't tell you.





Hannah planted bush peas that her aunt gave her in her own garden.



We're always feeding bum lambs.



We snuck a peak at our barn cat's new kittens.



Hannah helped me repot my root-bound luffa plants. Look at the lenght of those roots!





We've perfected a delicious tortilla recipe. On our way to perfecting it, we found out how to make a killer flatbread.



Grayson's nine weeks old now, and he's acting it. Sleeping, eating, sleeping, eating, smiling, giggling for Ainsley, sleeping, eating.





Going for pony cart rides.



Playing on the porch with the dogs and cats. Chin's not sure about whatever Hannah's doing.



And when the weather's too bad to go outside, but we're too antsy to stay inside, the grocery store's the answer! Even if one falls asleep on the way there.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Surface tension.

This is a cool experiment that my dad showed us while he was here.

Get a plate with a lip and fill it with milk. (Water would probably work, but you couldn't see the colors moving as well.) Put three drops of each color of food coloring in the milk.



Put one drop of dishwashing liquid in the center of the plate.



The food coloring zips to the outer edge of the plate, which is pretty fun to watch in and of itself. But the real fun comes a few seconds later. The dishwashing liquid destroys the surface tension of the milk and starts sucking the food coloring underneath and up through the soap drop. Very cool patterns emerge.







If you left it going long enough, the colors would all blend evenly and the milk would turn brown.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Today we...

went shopping. It was, apparently, worth dressing up for.



Visiting cousins.

This is a cousin who lives nearby showing the girls her hammock. It was cold in the shade - they were in a blanket in the hammock.



Just a' swingin'. My husband's on the right, his brother's on the left.



Showing the girls her keyboards.





We had more cousins visit the farm a few weeks ago. Tamari's so gentle that she's always a big (dependably safe) hit.



Hannah and her cousin sharing secrets.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

So busy living.

No time to blog it. So here's a snapshot of what we've been doing.

We made playdough. Four beautiful balls of it. Red, green, blue, yellow. Within two minutes it was this...



On the bright side, she's now doing experiments with color using more playdough, markers, crayons, and paint.

Making blackberry-raspberry-carrot-blueberry-pea pie. Ainsley ate it up. Strange tastes, that girl.



More pony drivin'. When it's nice out and the ride is smooth, it's relaxing.



With it being spring time, the farm's starting to come alive. We have bum lambs to feed every day.





The kids are playing on the porch while we dig up garden beds nearby.





Or playing with the dogs while I get ready for the chicks to arrive.



Watching baby goats be born.





Making dinner on the fireplace.



My dad's visiting for a few days starting tomorrow. He's an avid photographer, so I may have some actual quality pictures to put up. Maybe even a picture of me.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Today we...

got a pony cart! Now we can go riding together as a family! Hannah's in heaven. Ainsley's unimpressed. Grayson's snoring.















*Matt's feeling self-concious about the appearance of the pony here and wants me to let you know that she's not really mangy looking in real life - it's her winter coat starting to come off that makes her look so poorly. Just so you know. lol

Here the girls are resting while Matt unhooks the cart.



Matt and I are very pleased with the pony *and* the cart.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Happiness.

For the kids...





For the mom...