Monday, March 15, 2010

Before 9:00 am

As our house was its usual flurry of activity this morning, I thought it might be fun to document all that is going on before 9:00 am.

We have pancakes many mornings for breakfast. For our family of eight it is an affordable, healthy choice. We use our chicken eggs in the batter as well as some whole wheat flour, wheat germ and milk. For toppings we have honey, cinnamon, yogurt, and jelly. We have maple syrup only occasionally as it is expensive and not in keeping with our budget for food. I make the batter most evenings before I go to bed.


It is Abby's morning job to do the morning chicken chores. Usually at 7:00 am there is just one egg and that was the case this morning. By the end of the day we should have collected about 15.


Abby and Isaac were excited to check on the sap buckets this morning. They went out bright and early and gathered about 2 1/2 gallons this morning. We only have eight taps out this year as our new homestead doesn't have too many mature maples. However, we are clearing out around the maples to give them lots of sunshine for healthy growing in the years to come.



Abraham helped himself up to the counter to do some early morning sketching.

I do my computer work, last minute home learning planning, and some handwork first thing in the morning. My goal is to be up and out of bed by 5:15 each morning. This is my work area. It is in the kitchen but overlooks the open living and dining area. This is what it looked like this morning.

Thomas, at sixteen, has come down with the chicken pox. Five of our children spent the weekend in the Boston area with their Poppa two week's ago to see the Lion King and he must have picked it up while there. He is not feeling all that well, but thankfully he does seem to have a fairly mild case. He is eating his breakfast this morning. (We are keeping in mind that the next several weeks in our household will probably involve caring for children with the chicken pox as each child comes down with it - at least we are hoping they do.)


Starting the process of my almost daily bread baking.



Nolan beginning his math upstairs on his desk.


Mike's early morning work area (the workshop will be nice....)


Now, Abraham doing some beading.


And the on the woodstove top this morning - sap to boil off and butter melting to make cookies.

What are your early morning like?
Warm wishes, Tonya

18 comments:

  1. Wow - you have a full morning. It looks so warm & cozy in your home!
    We spend our mornings doing our chores and then homeschooling.
    As I am not really an early morning person, our days do not start quite so early as yours!

    Blessings!
    ~Nadine

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  2. How delightful! My morning begins with one or the other of my boys calling to me around 5:30-6. I get up, nurse, dress everyone, make breakfast (homemade granola, oatmeal, or eggs), kiss my hubby goodbye as he hops the shuttle to class, and begin my morning routine of chores (which often takes all day!) Usually by 9 we have told three stories, played two games, and done one craft on a pear tree...

    oh my - nap time yet?

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  3. How amazing to make your own maple syrup! Can't wait to see your final product. We have pancakes a lot to since it is easy and cheap. I am trying to get away from excess sugar so we have ours with applesauce. I'm hoping for some foraged apples this fall to stock up on homemade applesauce. It will be great for a baby starting solid food this winter! Thanks for your homesteading inspiration!

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  4. I am ashamed to say that I don't get near the tasks done in the morning that you do. Daughter is not a morning person so we typically don't start school until around 11:00. I get up and do all my stuff before she gets up.
    Blessings
    Diane

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  5. Morning is full of activity here too. Animals to look after and schooling to begin. I think the majority of the days work is completed by 11am, or maybe I'm just very tired by 2pm? Hope you didn't boil that maple sap down in the house??? What a mess that would make.....everywhere!

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  6. Wonderful morning moments! Bread baking is part of our morning chore time too. And some lesson time, (mondays are work mornings though, we do try to sit down for story time first), wish we had chicken chores!
    I am wondering how long it takes you to make enough pancakes for all 8 of you!

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  7. When we boil the sap, just the water boils off and the syrup is what is left. We have done it for years on our woodstove and there is no mess.
    Warm wishes, Tonya

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  8. It does seem as if a lot of living happens before 9am...LOL! I hope your son feels better soon. Usually when one has it mild the next in line has a more severe case--will pray all yours will get it mild:-)

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  9. Oh - I can't wait to see your syrup...

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  10. What a very busy, but wonderful, morning! Hopefully, the rest of your children will have the pox together. We took eight weeks with four children! LOL I tried having them drink after each other, bathe together, and even sleep together. Nopers. Didn't work!

    Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday!

    Warmly,

    Matty

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  11. What beautifully filled mornings you all share. Thanks for giving us a glimpse

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  12. So many good things happen before 9! Love it all!

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  13. Wow- your mornings look busy but lovely.

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  14. I love this glimpse into your farm house Tonya. So much goodness and hard work going on. I only wish we had maple trees here! Keep up the good work you good people!
    love,
    sara

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  15. wow all before nine a.m.! thanks for this glimpse into your life. i love seeing how other families work! this post was so lovely that i felt like i was actually peering in your windows. hope you kiddos and the pox all fair well! our oldest nahum had them when he was 16 months old and i am so glad they are out of the way for him sometimes i even forget he had them. good luck! xo, pennie

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  16. I feel quite lazy and unaccomplished when I see what you are getting done so early in the morning! love, Beth

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  17. LOL. This was the first day in weeks, maybe months, that I've even had an early morning! Unless you count getting up to nurse the 3yo between 4 and 5, and then going back to bed!

    But today he woke up a little later, finished up at 6:30, and went back to sleep -- so instead of crawling back in my bed until 8, I stayed up and got some stuff done! Folded two loads of laundry, washed two more, drank my tea, read a chapter in my book, visited with my early-rising 8yo, ate breakfast, mopped the kitchen floor, checked email...

    Now it's 8:30 and the other two boys are crawling out of bed. A good start to the day. :)

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