Coming Home

We went down to central Vermont and camped at a state park for two nights.  Both days away were filled with visiting family.  A 50th birthday party for Mike's sister on Saturday and then, Sunday, the balloon festival where my father met us to spend father's day and Abby's birthday.

I think the best part about getting away is returning with a renewed enthusiasm and appreciation for the place we call home.

Muddy

It has been rainy - which means lots of mud!  I have been feeling terrible for our chickens because their fenced in area is much too muddy so I cut a very small hole in the adjacent goat fenced area so they can be among the grass.  I am thinking that having the chickens scratch and eat some of the nasties might be a good thing for the goats too.

Navigating the wet and muddy path.

This spring we have six new layers - 3 Rhode Island Reds and 3 Buff Orpingtons.  They should be laying by late summer which means we will have eggs this winter.

During the evening hours, the sun shines (yes it came out!) in such a way that makes everything look beautiful around our little homestead.

Knitting Sweaters

I am enjoying the simplicity of this sweater pattern that I am in the process of writing.

The first was done on larger needles with organic cotton yarn.

The second sweater that I am almost done with is knit using some wool yarn from my local yarn store - (Patons 100% wool in a light worsted weight in a beautiful color called seafoam)

I am also playing around with wood burning on our handmade buttons - hearts and stars!

Joining in with Ginny today for the Knit Along.

Rewards and Punishments and Christianity

As I grow through my peaceful parenting group meetings, my way of thinking continues to shift.  I understand better how punishing may lead to compliance only to avoid the punishment or the behavior may still happen when the child knows he won't get caught.

Aren't bribes really the easy way not the right way?  If you don't hurt your brother today, we can go out for an icecream tonight, for example.   What is being learned - absolutely nothing good.

Rewards generally result in the child exhibiting the "wanted" behavior for the praise, the "A", or the money.

To love and support our children to become the person they can fully be and are intended to become requires parents reaching their children's hearts - unconditionally - even through the struggles, the "acting out", the disappointments.  

Isn't that really what Jesus is about?  That although we are sinners his grace and love are sufficient for ALL.    

I am working on applying this way of thinking to my role as mom. (and really to all relationships)

Time

Because we live in a town with a population of just 600 people and the nearest city has 5,000 (a 30 minute drive), and we live 4 miles down a dirt road - making time for community takes effort - time and resources.  

Having a family business can make making the time more difficult (there is always more we could do, right?)  - or if I look at it from the point of Ben Zander (you really should look up this man's videos on youtube - excellent!), because we have a family business we can make the time to build community.  

This is along the same lines of what I wrote about "saying yes".   When we said yes to going to a small homeschool gathering 35 minutes away - we knew that we would have to pay for gas for our gas guzzling old suburban and pollute the environment just a little more by doing so and leave our business and homestead for the afternoon.  

Yesterday morning, my peaceful parenting group met from 10:00 am - noon.  There are just five of us and it had been over a month since we last met.   It was wonderful to be supported and reminded and to reconnect.  Our facilitator reminded us how important it is to use our little community of 5 to share in the joys and frustrations during the in between times of our scheduled get togethers.   Why is it that we need to be reminded of this?  Do we too often think we should be able to handle things on our own or get worried that we will be bothering the other by taking up some of their time?

Yesterday afternoon we went back later in the afternoon to pick up Sarah because she had stayed to play with her friends after the peaceful parenting group.   (I bring Sarah with me because she gets to play around the farm we are meeting at with her homeschooled friend that was born the very same day and year.  The rest of the children stay home with Mike and I get to enjoy a couple of hours by myself.)  So when Mike and I went inside to get Sarah at about 4:30 that same afternoon, we joined our friends for a cup of tea and met their  farrier who also happens to be a blacksmith and enjoyed conversation and time visiting..  My thoughts kept going back to the time, though, that it was just about dinner time and while I did get the brown rice going before we left, I still had to make the rest.

One thing I appreciate about our farm friends is that although I am sure they have certain times of the day where the chores have to be done (milking, etc.), for the most part their lives are not dictated so much by the clock.  I have noticed that they are not alone in this "free of time constraint" that I seem to lack so completely.  

Around these parts when you run into someone you know on the dirt road and they start slowing down as their car approaches yours - that means you need to slow down too and start to roll down your window.  The talking begins - usually just general conversation - without any thought of having to be anywhere at any certain time - at least that is the way it seems.  I really like that - I like that it is about the connection - even if talk may only center on the weather.  "Have you had to start up your woodstove?"  By the way, yes we have.

In the Garden with a 20 Month Old

More often than not, Emmy joins me when I am working in the gardens.  

At 20 months old, she is pretty good about not being overly destructive, but I do have to occasionally overlook a trampled onion or a lettuce bunch being pulled out instead of a weed.

One part of helping that she seems to enjoy most is planting.   (Note:  This only works with larger seeds and should not be done with little ones that are still putting things in their mouths that they shouldn't be.)

For example, I will hand her one bean at a time and she will put it right in the little hole I have made with my finger.  

Then when the row is complete, we have a foot stomping time.  I love watching her little feet as she jumps up and down over where we have just planted.

Do you work with your children in the garden?

Simply Sweet Sweater

I just have to finish sewing up some seams and adding the buttons.

This sweater I knit using organic cotton yarn and I will be adding our own handmade hemlock buttons.  It came out to be a 2T or 3T.  

For the pattern, I took the basic concept from the Matinee Jacket.  I just loved the idea of working each of the parts separately on straight needles - right and left front, back, and each sleeve.  I knit each part in the order that they then go on circular needles and then knit a garter stitch yoke, with three button holes, back and forth on the circular needles.

I am thinking about actually working up a "real" pattern with different sizes and everything.

Last night I finished up Saved by Ben Hewitt.  -  Truly an excellent read, one that I will be sharing more about in another post.  

What are you knitting and reading?

(Joining in with Ginny today.)