Three Plus Two

A Visitor

I was wrapping a present on the dining room table today when I looked up and saw this in our birch tree:

A red-tailed hawk.  We lost a chicken yesterday in  broad daylight.  Now maybe we know what did it.

Honesdale, PA

We made an unscheduled trip to Honesdale, PA with Andy Tuesday.  It's not one of the great vacation destinations most people know (although, if you're a New Yorker you may know where it is because it's an area populated by summer camps for New Yorkers), but it was an interesting trip nevertheless.  Andy was headed down there to visit a small bank.  We went with him because right as he was getting ready to leave, a coworker sent him a link about a murder that had been committed overnight in our tiny little town.  The killer was still at large and details were sketchy.  Andy decided he would have no peace of mind if he were to go out of town (even on a day trip three hours away) and leave us at home with a murderer on the loose, so we all piled in the van for an improvised vacation.

(Police did actually find the murderer while we were gone.  In Connecticut.  It turned out that the man he murdered was his father.  In my experience -- having grown up in a small town -- most small town murders fit in this vein, and are big news because they are so rare.  I know that people who live in cities debate whether or not moving to the country to "get away from the crime" is worth it, because "there's crime everywhere."  There is crime everywhere, but events like this are very, very rare here.)

The drive down to Honesdale was gorgeous.  About half the trip, we followed the Delaware River, and even crossed it once or twice, so that we can now say that like Washington, we crossed the Delaware. Once in Honesdale, we dropped Andy off at his meeting and visited the Dorflinger-Suydam Nature Reserve.  (We did NOT visit the glass museum.  For obvious reasons.)

Katydid brought the camera and took some pictures while I herded boys.  I'll just say right now that I was glad we were the only visitors at that particular time, because I am sure we scared off any wildlife in a 5 mile radius.  Boys who have been cooped up in a van for 3 hours can be a little loud and boisterous when you finally let them out.

In any case, here are some of Katydid's photos...

 

Porcupine damage?

 
 Making the best of a difficult situation.
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 

Wordless Wednesday: November Sunset

All photos by Katydid.

 
 

Week 12: Life with little ones

November 1-8

Katydid and Gareth were sick for at least part of week 12.  When Katydid first came down with whatever it was, it sure seemed like it was flu because it had all the classic "flu" symptoms: chills, sudden onset, fever, sore throat, upset stomach, body aches.  But it didn't spread to any of the little boys, really (although Farmerboy took a nap every afternoon that week.).  So I have no idea what it was.  The big kids all had their seasonal flu shots and the little boys didn't, so it seems odd that the kids who got flu shots would come down with a flu and and the kids who got no shots would avoid it.  H1N1 was aboslutely rampant in our area that week, bad enough that several schools were closed, but... who knows.  It was a mystery virus.

Anyway, because the big kids were sick, the week was mainly focused on little kids.  We did manage to finally finish The Hobbit, and to start reading Our Island Story and The Story of Europe, both by H.E. Marshall.  It felt good to get back to some history again. We're continuing to read A Life of Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt.  This is the third book we've read by this author (The First Christians: The Acts of the Apostles for Children and St. Patrick's Summer: A Children's Adventure Catechism are the others) and the kids have enjoyed them all.  More than that, they retain a lot from those books, some pretty deep concepts.

I'm afraid that we haven't done much that's special to mark any feast days lately, though... We make a point of praying for the Poor Souls every day, which I hope is enough.

Monday

The twins did a lot of "matching cards".  I actually had to invent some on the spur of the moment, because they would go through a set and demand more.  This is a Bug Bingo game.  Technically, it's supposed to be played like bingo, but for our purposes, I gave them the boards and let them match the cards to the pictures on the boards.  

 
  Chipmunk liked searching for O's in the Alphabet Zoop cards.  (He'd also already drawn on himself that morning, as you can see by the green on his cheek.) 

In the afternoon we headed outside to play on the logs:

Which are useful as forts, ships, and also sometimes nature study...

Tuesday:

Tuesday morning was devoted to all things dinosaur.  I got down a puzzle and the boys argued cooperated to put it together.   I also printed out some matching cards and coloring sheets from this Homeschool Share dinosaur unit.

In the afternoon, the boys shifted gears and concentrated on coloring King Arthur paper dolls from Paper Dali. (HT: Jessica, who shared the Paper Dali link in her Google Shared Items.)

Farmerboy has been on a King Arthur kick lately, thanks to Jim Weiss, and was excited when we encountered Merlin, Uther Pendragon, and Arthur in Our Island Story (in Week 13).

Katydid colored many saint paper dolls, but she immediately whisked them off to her room so I don't have any pictures.

Tuesday also happened to be Daddy's birthday, which he celebrated by making a business day trip and getting home late to eat cheesecake.

Wednesday:

Daddy celebrated the day after his birthday by making a trip to Boston.  The boys demanded American Revolution paper dolls.   They also complained that they couldn't build really good castles because there weren't enough wall blocks for all 4 of them to use at the same time.  I took a deep breath and offered to go down to the basement and bring up all the blocks I had taken away a few months ago because they were not being picked up in a -- shall we say -- timely and cheerful fashion.  We spent the morning sorting and building with the "new" blocks:

That's what it looked like on Wednesday of last week.  By Friday night, all the "new" blocks had been put up in a closet out of reach again, because that was the deal: If I bring these blocks out, you have to pick them up when you're told to, or I will have to put them away again.  Oh, yes, Mommy, we'll pick them up, can we pleeeeese play with the blocks?  Unfortunately, there was a breach of contract, proving yet again that home is not like school.  Many of the Reggio books you read have fantastic block creations and/or block areas, or at the very least inform you that you are to include lots of different kinds of blocks and other materials for children to build and dramatize with.  Personally, I agree.  It is hard to build big castles if someone has used all the wall blocks.  But at home with a large family, reality must be negotiated.  I don't have time to pick up millions of blocks every day, and I shouldn't have to.  (The two year old is actually far better at picking up than his brothers.)  So at some point the environment must be used to teach responsibility, respect, and obedience instead of science, math, or anything else.  In my experience anyway.

I do hope I can try again with the blocks, though, because I really like some of them, and so do the boys.

Thursday

Thursday we went outside.  We had been stuck inside for two days, which is not good for active young boys.  (Can you hear my fear of winter?) Anyway, it was a bit chilly -- temperatures down around 40 -- so we put on our bigger coats and headed outside while the nearly-recovered big kids stayed inside where it was warm and read books.

Did you notice N's new glasses in the block picture?  It turns out his eyesight is really bad, and that's the reason he has always seemed so clumsy (which is why we took him to our developmental optometrist at just barely 4 years old.)  Now, his brother, J., has never seemed to trip as much or run into things as much, so I didn't schedule a screening for him.  When N. got his glasses, J. was most upset.  He therefore decided that he would wear his sunglasses just like N. wore his real glasses.  So he put them on in the morning and took them off at night.  I tried to comfort him by telling him that he does have an eye appointment scheduled in January, but of course that might as well be twenty years from now if you're 4. 

(And, yes, we do still think they're identical.  How identical is identical often depends on conditions for each in the womb, and N had to deal with an improperly implanted cord while J did not.)

Anyway, while we were out, we decided to take a short nature walk in the field, which was cut short by J being accidentally hit in the eye by Farmerboy.  On our way back we stopped near the house to investigate the milkweed seeds by the deck.  (J was feeling better by then.)

The boys called the seeds "parachute guys" and brought some inside to play with.

Friday

Friday is extra chore day, so mostly we clean.  But in the morning, the boys set up some domino rallies...

That's N, who should have his glasses on.  Confusing, I know.  And actually, Friday morning went kind of like this:

8:30 AM -- the little boys have already watched Curious George, a Dinosaur Train episode about poop, been banned from playing monkeys (an old rule) and orangutans (a new rule), searched through a stack of old copies of Ranger Rick and Your Big Backyard to find animals they are allowed to play ("We could play worms, Mommy!"), requested a stack of books about "jungles", moved on to dinosaur books, asked if I could go downstairs to find the dominoes and what about "that number matching game?" (Triominos), set up domino rallies, argued about who has more dominoes, and received instruction in both counting and social skills.  Can I take my shower now, please?

I was going to do a 7 Quick Takes post, but never got the chance.

So that was our week, with the exception of the picture books, of course...

 
 

 
 
 

Weeks 8, 9, and 10: End of quarter 1

Weeks 8 &9 --  We finished up quarter 1... or at least we decided that we would take a break.  Gareth attended a forestry program for Scouts, and earned most of his Forestry badge.  It did not snow... much. I chickened out and did not take Farmerboy or Katydid to swim lessons on the day Gareth and Andy were at the Scout program, because taking 2 hyperactive 4 year olds and a 2 year old to any place with a large, deep body of water and no barriers is not my idea of a good time.

Week 10 -- we take a housecleaning "break".  Mostly what we do is excavate the long hallway that serves as the playroom for Lego and Playmobil. (It has a door, so we can keep toddlers out.)  It also seems to serve as the place where containers full of dirt, rocks, and worms are tipped over, if what I found in there is any indication.  We also stripped the wallpaper off the boys' room wall, which was only half-wall papered because we'd stopped last year when it started turning out badly... and prepped it for painting.  And we did an intensive clean of the family room, which also needs to be painted.  Strangely, the family room doesn't look any better than when we started, but at least I know that the toys are all out from under the couch and the window screen and glass lamp shade are not full of dust and bugs.  This is enough.

Weeks 8, 9, and 10 in a nutshell. :-) 

A collection of photos from weeks 8, 9, and 10...

The biggest event: Gareth turned 13.  I thought about making a big blog post, but... I was worried I might embarass him.  So I'll just embarass him slightly here. ;-)  13 on the 13th...

And he even made and frosted his own cake ("Milk Chocolate Cake", from a 1950 Betty Crocker Recipe), by request.  The cake turned out great.  It didn't even stick in the pans like my cakes so often do.

I cleaned up and rearranged the nature area.  From left: basket of river rocks, basket of feathers, basket of pine cones, plant press, tray with paper and pens for drawing, Timeline of Life, wooden trays of fossils. (It doesn't look this anymore, mostly due to use.  I need to rearrange it again.)

Apples by Katydid, inspired by a drawing in Museum ABC...

Apples by Katydid, inspired by a photo from the Monthly Sketch Project...

Apples by me, inspired by the Monthly Sketch Challenge...

Farmerboy's plans for how to make a spear and kill a mammoth...

A little downy woodpecker that appeared on the kitchen window sill one afternoon...

A little nature printing...

A little Montessori...
 

Some collage...

Some toddler activities...

And a nature walk.

 
 

 

Late October Nature Walk

All photos by Katydid

 

(This photo by me :-)
 
 
 
 
 

  
 
 
 
 
 

Our winter birds are back

Well, I guess technically except for the juncos they never left.  But for some reason they all seemed to be out in the yard today at the same time.

Sitting here trying to get Chipmunk back to sleep I saw...

• 2 tufted titmice
• 1 hairy woodpecker
• 2 downy woodpeckers, male and female
• 1 red-breasted nuthatch
• 1 blue jay
• 2 cardinals, male and female

All kind of hanging around together. Earlier today, Katydid saw a pileated woodpecker in the woods behind the house and nearly broke her leg and my laptop in her haste to get the camera and get outside for a picture.  She tripped over the power cord, and both she and the laptop went sailing to the floor.  Neither were damaged, thank goodness.

I suppose this is a sign that we're late in stocking our feeders.  Project Feederwatch starts next month; Katydid has cleaned the feeders and we have a 20 lb. bag of black oil sunflower seeds sitting in the back of the van, awaiting a squirrel proof container.  A little red squirrel who lives in our woodpile gnawed a hole in the plastic can we used to keep it in, and had herself a very well-fed summer.  Every time we walked into the little sheltered area on the outside of our garage where we keep wood, straw for the chickens, and chicken feed in big metal trash cans, we got a good scolding.  Funny how the animals think they own the place after a while.  Whenever I walk into my garden a chorus of crows starts squawking at me as I'm the trespasser. Not to mention Tom Turkey, who does not approve of little boys who run around yelling at the top of their lungs and waving sticks.

Week 6, part 1: Learning Outdoors

Good weather is at a premium these days, so this week -- as everyone was beginning to feel better -- we spent a lot of time outside. 

Fossil hunting...

Nature walks...

Katydid and Farmerboy found an interesting area in the woods nearly to the far edge of our field, full of rabbit warrens.  It's most interesting feature, though? A bee tree.  Farmerboy brought me up there to show me this morning.  I believe it's a wild honeybee hive.  Hopefully I'll be able to get a picture this week (or Katydid will take one.)  I've never seen a bee tree before, and of course with all the trouble bees are facing these days, I can't help but think that we've found something very, very special.  (And also... now I know why so many honeybees forage in our yard!)

The only problem is that The Bee Tree is one of the little boys' favorite books, and now they think we should go find some ladders and everyone we know to help us get the honey out of the tree.  Um... no.

Backyard Nature Study...

Jewelweed, also called Touch-Me-Not.  It's definitely a weed and a real nuisance in the vegetable garden, in spite of its delicate trumpet-shaped flowers (which hummingbirds love), but it's a great plant to teach kids about seed dispersal strategies.  When you touch a seed pod, the pod springs open and shoots its one, largish seed out into the air. 

And if you let a large stand of these plants grow up in your flowerbed, your kids will have a great time propagating even more.

This is what the pod looks like after it's been sprung.  The two sides curl away from the central core, releasing the seed, which looks like...

Then, of course, there are fall caterpillars:

Does anyone know what kind of caterpillar this is?  We have a lot of them, and someone has "misplaced" the guide.  Here's another view:

Country Diary Daybook: First Frost, First Day of Fall

I began this post on Monday, so I guess this is now a Days Book, isn't it?

FOR TODAY... Monday, September 20

 

Outside My Window... Crisp, sunny blue autumn sky, 42 degrees at 9 AM.  The maples are starting to really come into their color, with big patches of crimson, scarlet, and orange among the green.  We had our first frost yesterday morning.  I was awake at 4 AM and watched the temps dip: 37 to 36 to 35.  When the sun rose, the field across the street glittered yellow-under-white with a light frost.  (Wednesday morning: waking up to a light rain.)

 

 

In bloom: Goldenrod, New England aster, frost aster.  I like the pale lavender of the frost aster more than the bright purple of the New England asters, which remind me of a Crayola color.  The field is yellow and purple and while beautiful, sometimes reminds me of a high school football team.

 

(I had the camera on landscape setting, and I really don't think it does justice to the purple. Also, sorry about the smudge.)

 

(by Katydid)

 

 

In the garden: We picked ahead of the frost on Saturday: a few pounds of beans; whatever remaining tomatoes that hadn't gotten hit by blight or picked over by the bantams; some okra; a pound or so of peppers.  Now we switch to fall crops: leeks, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts.

 

(Cilantro I need to freeze)

 

In the barnyard: We're trying to find a processor to "do" our meat chickens.  But the processor we've heard about doesn't answer the phone.

 

I am thinking... that I wish this cold would go away so we could enjoy the weather!

 

I am thankful for... antibiotics.  Chipmunk is feeling much better now.  He's slept through the night for the past 2 nights.

 

From the learning rooms... Fossils, most likely.  The little boys have already been outside this morning, pounding on rocks with hammers.  They went out in the pajamas and bare feet, because they're still expecting it to be summer.  It didn't take long for them to realize it had gotten cold.

 

 

From the kitchen...  Last night I made these toffee bars that Jen recommended. YUM.  They're awesome.  And easy. I also made pesto with a bunch of basil we picked ahead of the frost.  I'd never had pesto before.  It was yummy, too.  But very green.  The boys tried it -- and liked it -- reluctantly.  After they made all sorts of unflattering comparisons as to what they thought it looked liked.  Boys.

 

Monday: Ratatouille to use up eggplant, peppers, zuchini, tomatoes.

Tuesday: Roast chicken? (Nope, salmon patties)

Just discovered yesterday that Weds, Fri, and Sat. are Ember Days.  Not sure what we'll be eating, really...

 

I am wearing... Pajamas again. (I know, it's 9 AM, but we're still getting over this cold.)

 

I am creating... Well, I wrote down some notes for a story, but I'm not sure about getting from A (writing down notes) to B (actually writing the story).  In typical Angela fashion, a page of notes will probably turn into a novel anyway. I also managed to draw in my sketchbook a little over the weekend -- trying to figure out shading and shadows.  Not doing so well either, but taking a deep breath and reminding myself that it will probably take me longer to figure out if I'm only working 5 minutes a day.  (Still, 5 minutes a day would be a great victory!)

 

 

I am going... to really work on laundry this week.  With all the sickness of last week, we are behind.   I think I am also going to sit down with myself and get a better handle on my time. 

 

I am reading... Crow Planet, by Linda Lynn Haupt.  I'm not enjoying this as much as I had hoped.  I like it when she writes about crows, but... there's something about the rest that is not grabbing me, and I'm not sure why. (Just finished it and am still not sure what didn't grab me about the book.  Can't put my finger on it.  Now I'm on to Fruitless Fall by Rowan Jacobsen.)

 

Also, thanks to Amy, I have subscribed to a bunch of people's shared items via google reader and thereby discovered many new blogs. :-) 

 

I am hoping... this stupid cold will end soon.  

 

I am hearing... Well, it's afternoon now and what I'm hearing is John Deere Action on TV, the sound of the dryer, Katydid coughing, Chipmunk playing with cars, and the occasional snore from Farmerboy who fell asleep on the floor.  Everyone's still recovering.  (And on Wednesday morning, everyone is sleeping late and it's quiet except for the tapping of my keys. I guess all the dirt everyone covered themselves in yesterday helped them sleep?)

 

 

Around the house...  What doesn't need to be done? I have to get a handle on the laundry first. (Working on this, bit by bit.)

 

One of my favorite things...  reading picture books that unexpectedly contain one of my boys' unconventional nicknames and watching their eyes light up.  (The book is Rattletrap Car and the name is "Jakie", without giving anything away ;-)

 

 

 

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Well, seeing as how it's now the "rest of the week"... I'm still trying to get a better handle on my own time, but improving... we have a doctor's appointment to get to, the library, and Katydid and Gareth are both going to volunteer along with Andy at his company's annual 5K for charity this weekend.  This will also be the fourth of the past 5 weeks that Andy will be out of town.  Next week will make it 5 of 6. Still just trying to keep my head above water. 

 

 

Blackberry Picking

Last Saturday we went blackberry picking at "Scout Farm", a piece of land near us that is owned by the Boy Scouts.  The wild blackberries are free for the picking, and all Scout families can go up there whenever they like.  My kids (especially Chipmunk) tend to eat every single blackberry off our bushes as soon as they are picked, and I wanted to make a cobbler.  So we packed into the van and headed up to Scout Farm.

I have to warn you, though, the whole experience was less idyllic than those of you who live in the city or suburbs might assume.  In order to thoroughly understand this experience, you must add to these pictures the sounds of gunfire not as far away as you might hope (target practice, I am assuming); the grumbling noise of construction equipment; and the chug-chug of an old tractor cutting hay.  Mix them all together, and you have a nice "quiet" day in the country.

One of the first things we saw were these prints.  The picture doesn't do them justic, because they were big.  Bigger than dog prints.  Bear maybe??

This is a beaver pond, but we couldn't find the lodge.

Andy and Katydid did most of the picking.  I was busy keeping track of Chipmunk, and the boys decided they would rather "hunt bear" than pick blackberries, even with the promise of blackberry cobbler.

Fortunately, they did not find one. 

Katydid and I had more luck "hunting" with the camera.

Frost Aster, by Katydid.

On the way home, we saw a porcupine crossing the road, but Andy couldn't get a good picture.   Can you see him in the grass there, a big blob of white-tipped quills?

Landscapes from the way home...

And finally, blackberries for cobbler: