It's About Time!

My time tonight is short (I was ready for bed 2 hours ago!) so I am mostly posting in pictures. I intend to post on a regular basis by the end of the year as my youngest gets a bit older. I hope you enjoy, and maybe get inspired too!

Our first chicks hatched naturally. Three black and three brown.

My kind of fast food. 

You are looking a almost a month's worth of meals, most of which can go into the crock pot. Prep time was about one full morning plus a little extra here and there.

My freezer door is usually more filled with chicken broth, but this is it tonight. 

Applegate products are a treat we enjoy sometimes. Wild rice and garlic are leftovers from a meal this week. I made enough to serve again as sides with two different meals.

Fermented a batch of my favorite salsa for wild salmon- blueberry, pineapple and cilantro. So far two fish haters have eaten my salmon prepared this way and liked it.

My dancing, beautiful oldest is turning four in a few short days. Happy birthday sweetie!

We were happy with my recipe creation for braised short ribs. Recipe will follow!

She just started eating solids! My little baby is our earliest and most mature baby eater. She loves her cod liver oil, egg yolks and a little banana. And she cries if I don't feed her fast enough, just like I did. 

Our middle girl. This is what happened when mom and dad tried to have a ten minute conversation: 40 eggs got cracked. A huge bowl of eggs was the result with only three eggshells in it. Oh and about five eggs met the carpet. I am glad they are used to cracking eggs with me! Otherwise... it could have been full on disaster. I am now appreciating the old saying, "Don't keep all your eggs in one basket." Because, just maybe, your little darling will easily pull it out and go to work.

Once we got rid of some extra roosters our lovely hens started laying more eggs. Let there be peace in the hen house! My favorites are from copper marans who lay the darkest eggs. We had 12 hatched in an incubator and 10 were roosters. Go figure.

The fruit of a couple hours of labor: 1/2 gallon hot salsa, 1/2 gallon mild salsa, raw whey and cream cheese, blueberry pineapple salsa, sourdough starter, two jars of sour cream and one jar of mayonaise. This is all lacto-fermenting.

I have learned a lot about adoption through this momma. All the other hens laid their eggs and left but she stayed and kept them warm, made sure the humidity was right and turned them three times a day. And so they call her mama and they all love her and feel safe with her. A happy little family.  

I have started blending a yummy concoction that varies each day- a powerhouse of nutrition. Organic berries, bananas, organic chard, plain yogurt, raw honey, raw milk, acerola powder (natural vitamin c from cherries), butter oil, nutritional yeast and coconut oil. And whatever I feel like throwing in. Today I added apples and carrots. 

Fish is one of my favorite quick meals. A friend who owns some fishing boats in Canada gave us this salmon he caught- and even some white salmon too! This meal took 20 minutes tops.

With one little cluck from momma they knew what to do... search the ground for food.

Home made raw cream cheese.

Beautiful, I know... but these rooster feet make the best stock in the world. Thank you roosters for your gift of nutrition to our family! There are three birds in this huge stock pot.

Lemonade day. Our oldest made above minimum wage in one hour selling organic lavendar lemonade sweetened with white sugar and  organic lemonade sweetened with rapadura. Check out the piggy bank she used for her transactions! So cute. And she is really good at waving.

A little front yard color.

This was my first batch of ground organic corn meal. I love grinding my own flour! 

It's so easy with the right equipment.

Oh yes, children are a gift!

She makes me smile all the time. 

She was recently the birthday girl!

They love their glasses!

They've got some cutie girl style going on for their evening walk.

And this one couldn't last.

This is the first time our baby saw the snow, and the first time our second really got to play in it.

And so they had fun.

This is the renovated little home on a beautiful two acres we considered buying earlier this year.

This is the big home on a small lot that we almost bought last month. We backed out the day we were to sign our final papers and go about getting the key. We found some more issues and decided we were done. I am so happy we are still renting! And I have no desire to look again for some time, but I learned a lot in the whole process about buying a home for one, but also trusting God, recognizing the presence of peace and following God's voice one step at a time.

And so, this is my life so far in 2012. I'm blessed.

Fall Schedule! Meals, Fun, Pre-School and Chores!

I am a big planner. I find it makes my life run smoothly and I don’t function well without lists and plans. Not at all. Really. Now if I could stop losing my lists my life would run as smooth as butter! After needing to come up with a new plan for at least two months, and endless fantasizing about when I would actually be able to give time to creating a new one, today surprised me with being an incredible day to do just that.

Why do I need a new list, a new schedule when I have already made so many? Because family needs and schedules change like seasons, and ebb and flow like tides. My last schedule consisted of family times in the mornings and almost immediately my husband’s working hours shifted again. Scratch that morning thing. This summer Eden, turned three… and well, her needs have changed too. She isn’t getting the interactive time with me that she needs, nor are her creative and intellectual capacities given the attention they are begging for. So I have been needing to make a new schedule, but was stuck at the process of how many days and weeks it would take me to research and figure out what in the world I need to do with a pre-schooler who wants to learn her letters, numbers, pretends to read, would paint every day if she could and likes to cut with scissors. A lot. Child scissors, that is. I was overwhelmed at the idea of coming up with craft and art and letter ideas to keep her busy and engaged every single day, even for just half an hour to an hour. And she needs that kind of time, and structure. And that is where is stayed… stuck and overwhelmed, with a little one who is constantly asking me about when she will get to go to school.

Last week, I decided I must get unstuck and get something on paper. And so, when I pulled up this new blog at Passionate Homemaking written by my favorite blogger in the world, Lindsay Edmonds, I think my whole being was singing glory, hallelujah! One of the learning resources she mentioned was on my to buy list already, and others that I looked into looked like great investments. So, I did some online shopping for bargains and got to work on what would work for Eden’s age range and present interest and abilities. Now I get to go to sleep one satisfied momma, looking forward to mail deliveries this week and next. Yay! All of this without having to spend days or weeks figuring out what in the world I should be doing during our days with a budding learner... in just one day, I love what I have. Thank you for the help, Lindsay! That blog entry saved me weeks and ended months of mental anguish.

Here is what I came up with. Some has been on many of my prior schedules, but most of the educational type things are new. I know it will change again in about four months when we have a newborn, but I expect that in that timeframe we can work some kinks out and have a solid foundation to go off of even with adjusting to the new demands of a tiny little bundle.

General Weekly Schedule

5 am Mom time: Get showered, dressed and ready for the day.

Filling Time: Eat a protein and fat rich snack, listen to quiet music, read: my beautiful Bible, Blessing Your Children Every Day, devotional (currently Jesus Calling) and Supernatural Childbirth (for this pregnancy and to prepare spiritually for an amazing childbirth)

At our church service tonight Mark Baxter said, “Because I choose to make God first in my day I can love my wife and my children the rest of my life.” That’s almost verbatim, and it really hit me. I can’t do what I want to do or need to do empty and dry. I must not choose to disconnect from the One who is love, else how can I expect to love, cherish and serve my family the way I was meant to? It can be so hard as moms of little ones to sit in stillness, but even if all I can muster is five minutes, five minutes Living water will fill my soul with glory and light which does not quickly fade. Being focused on Christ’s presence and nearness is the very thing which empowers me to love the ones who require everything of me. Being focused on Him makes me love pouring out for the smallest. I used to be better at just being with God and I am choosing this path again even as I seek out the how in this demanding season of my life. It is different, but all things are possible.

5:45 or 6 am Emails and Messages: 10 minutes tops

Morning Routine (can be done even if I missed the mom time)

Breakfast Prep

Last minute kitchen clean up if any

Laundry folded, ready for rooms and sorted- Start 1 load each morning

Make our lunches- pre-pack in cooler if going out that day

Prep dinner if desired

7:00 am Get Eden (3) dressed, make bed, open curtains and make sure room is clean

Mom and Eden time (put muffin batter into cupcake papers, etc., feed and water the chickens, collect eggs, have her stir the eggs on the stove)

Set the table for breakfast

8:00 am Wake up Iris (17 months), change her night diaper, put her on the toilet and dress her

Eat Breakfast

Clean up: Load dishwasher, put away food, wipe counters and table

Remove Iris’ diaper if staying home so she can use her toilet

Make sure rooms are clean, including the nursery

Put outgoing mail in the mailbox

Discovery Time in the Nursery

9:15 am Gather in the nursery for a comfy (it’s carpeted) discovery time. Give Iris her own book or doll to hold. Read the kid’s Bible, look at the world map and pray for each other and the world,  read another story, and sing a song if they like. Learn about animals and other interesting things.

Pre-School in Eden’s Room

9:45 am 10 minutes: Seat Eden at her desk and do one lesson from Language Lessons for Little Ones. (She loves practicing her letters already!) Give Iris blocks or stacking things.

5 minutes: Next, spend a few minutes counting on the abacus, or counting obedience beans. (Obedience beans we add to her jar when she does great at obeying. A full jar results in a special award like a date day with mom or dad, picnic at the park, etc.)

10 minutes: Chalkboard easel time: practice recognizing and drawing the numbers Eden was just counting. Give Iris some crayons and paper at the desk if she is bored with blocks, or she can just play with what interests her.

10 minutes: Have Eden draw on her paper at the desk with crayons a specific number of objects she chooses. (Example, five bananas, five dogs.) During this time focus on Iris with identifying animals, foods, etc. in baby books. Once a week during this time do a lesson with Iris from  Slow and Steady Get Me Ready.

10 minutes: Have Eden learn something fun about science from Let's Read and Find Out Why, or another creative source and do a hands on project as much as possible.

Free Time

10:30 am Park, library, play date, back yard or play time in the house while I do some chores or something not usually in my schedule.

Lunch and Afternoons

11:30 or 12 noon: Eat lunch, clean up, pick up rooms before nap time

1:00- 4:00 pm Nap time for Iris

1:00- 2:00 pm Nap time for Eden

During Naptime: Mom time: rest, nap, read, or relax… or clean if I really want to. Get dinner in pots on the stove and ready to be heated, and everything cleaned up and in the dishwasher. Preemptively set the table with water, (which I always forget!) Spend time with husband.

Dinner

Eden: Set the table

4:30 or 5 pm Eat a family dinner, clean up and hang out.

Bedtime Routine

6:00 pm Baths, brush hair, pajamas and a walk

7:00 pm Bed time snack, brush teeth, story

7:25 pm Prayers and bed time song

7:30 pm Down and going to sleep! Pick up a few things, start one load of laundry, relax or read a book and go to bed by 8:00 or 9:00 pm at the latest

Daily Specifics:

Sunday:
            Make one gallon of yogurt with fresh, raw milk, whey if needed

            8 am Family breakfast, clean up

            9 am Family morning walk with dog or outing

            10-12 Occasional alone mom time for planning, etc. if it works with husband

            Lunch, naps and clean up

            Bake or cook dish for potluck if not done during the week

Family morning when possible

            Leave after naps to church service

            Bedtime when we return

            No special chores!

Monday:

            Play date or play at home

            Clean Bathroom

            Afternoon: Movie time for Eden

           

Tuesday:

            Outdoors at home
            Early morning grocery trip with Eden

            Mop floors

            Weed or harvest

Afternoon: Eden- Kumin Workbook on cutting with scissors; measuring out the oatmeal to soak for tomorrow’s breakfast; Iris- Baby Einstein dvd while I mop

           

Wednesday:

            MOPS- 8:45 to 11:15 Mothers of Preschoolers group (including time for child care arrival, etc.)      

            Business phone calls and emails

            Afternoon: Eden working on a scrapbook project

(Once a month evening women’s group; also a monthly morning pick up from our bulk order at www.azurestandard.com)

Thursday:

            Outdoors at home or nearby park

            Afternoon: Eden- painting with acrylic at the easel or watercolor at the table

           

Friday:

            Weed or harvest the garden

            Wash bedroom sheets

Saturday:

8:30 am Special breakfast, family time
Milk pick up at some point

            Family day

            Husband barbecue’s for dinner

            Weekly dessert night

            8 pm Pray for a babysitter for our date night!

            No special chores!

(twice a month: pre-natal chiropractic care and possibly farmer’s market in the am)

            (Once a month free kid’s clothing exchange at 9 am)

Breakfast Meal Schedule:

            Sunday: Eggs, fruit and soaked pancakes

            Monday: Quiche and fruit, maybe soaked muffins

            Tuesday: Mexican eggs, black beans and fried bananas

            Wednesday: Oatmeal, smoothie and bacon or sausage

            Thursday: Leftover- Quiche and fruit

            Friday: Leftover- Oatmeal, smoothie and nitrate free bacon or sausage

            Saturday: Eggs, potatoes and greens, and fruit

Lunch Meal Schedule:

            Sunday: Wild Salmon Salad Sandwiches and green salad, smoothie

            Monday: Nitrate free grass fed hot dogs, watermelon or fruit, green salad

            Tuesday: Soup, grilled cheese and green salad

            Wednesday: Egg salad sandwiches, green salad, pickles and apple

            Thursday: Kipper snacks, cheese, crackers and fruit

            Friday: Lunch meat sandwiches, green salad, apples

            Saturday: Wild salmon sandwiches, green salad and fruit

Dinner Meal Schedule:

            Sunday: Pot Luck

            Monday: Fish or Seafood

            Tuesday: Beef

            Wednesday: Chicken or other poultry

            Thursday: Vegetarian or Beans/Legumes with Beef

            Friday: Fish or seafood

            Saturday: Beef on the barbecue!