Letterboxing, Leprechauns and Lepidopterology!!!

 

March in New England is anything but predictable!  It is a tease of warm sunny days outdoors, hiking or biking or cleaning up the yard, mixed with cold damp raw days that send you indoors to curl up with a favorite book, warm blanket and a few of your favorite youngsters.

This past weekend was a warm one, and on both days we went letterboxing with cousins!  Of course, at 4 and 3, my children are less interested in the actual box than in the hike and spending time with cousins (who are 6 and 8 and very good at letterboxing).

  First stop was Rainbow’s End Playground in Bridgewater….a playground and a letterbox.   Then Carver’s Pond in Bridgewater.

On Sunday we went to Camp Titicut, which is right long the Taunton River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Monday night, the kids and I made our leprechaun traps, and left our shoes on the window sills.

 

I thought for sure we’d get them with this one…

 

 

 

Alas, once again, the little elves played with our toys rearranged our house, left some silver and gold, and some how escaped the traps!

 

 

        

This week was also the week our caterpillars arrived.  Yes, I did actually pay money to buy insects!!!  So, we have 10 baby Painted Lady Butterflies that were sent via Fed Ex, and a butterfly house for them once they decide to change (transform).  They are cute, but very little…we have already lost one, lol  We are doing a lot of studying about butterflies, and hope to be able to find some chrysalis’ this spring.

Technorati Tags: letterboxing,butterflies,st. patricks day,children

  

 

 

 

March in New England is anything but predictable! It is a tease of warm sunny days outdoors, hiking or biking or cleaning up the yard, mixed with cold damp raw days that send you indoors to curl up with a favorite book, warm blanket and a few of your favorite youngsters.
This past weekend was a warm one, and on both days we went letterboxing with cousins! Of course, at 4 and 3, my children are less interested in the actual box than in the hike and spending time with cousins (who are 6 and 8 and very good at letterboxing).
First stop was Rainbow’s End Playground in Bridgewater….a playground and a letterbox. Then Carver’s Pond in Bridgewater.

On Sunday we went to Camp Titicut, which is right long the Taunton River.












On Monday night, the kids and I made our leprechaun traps, and left our shoes on the window sills.


I thought for sure we’d get them with this one…





Alas, once again, the little elves played with our toys rearranged our house, left some silver and gold, and some how escaped the traps!




This week was also the week our caterpillars arrived. Yes, I did actually pay money to buy insects!!! So, we have 10 baby Painted Lady Butterflies that were sent via Fed Ex, and a butterfly house for them once they decide to change (transform). They are cute, but very little…we have already lost one, lol We are doing a lot of studying about butterflies, and hope to be able to find some chrysalis’ this spring.
Technorati Tags: letterboxing,butterflies,st. patricks day,children

A good reason not to reform….

(or a good reason not to send your kids to school, either way you look at it, the results are the same),

Technorati Tags: education reform,comedy

 

On this day in history….

Of course I knew it would happen.  It could not last forever.  I knew that there would be just a matter of time til this day came.  The day I showered and neither kid came into the bathroom looking for me.

I mean, sure, I have had quick showers, skip the shaving, or the hair conditioning.  Some days I even had to skip the shampoo, because always one of them would come in the bathroom, pull back the curtain and tell me the latest tale of who hit who, or who took whose toy-and out I would have to come…maybe with some soap in my hair, maybe with one leg 1/2 shaved. 

It only took 4 years, 9 months, til I could do it all, and come out and even apply lotion and they were still playing happily together.  There have been times, when they were asleep, when I had the time for a “complete” shower, or times when perhaps my husband was around….although they still do come looking for me.

But today is the beginning of a new era, and the end of an old one (I hope)~ I can now take a shower alone!  A day for the history books.

Also on this day

More blowing up of the peeps.

And eating some fun food!

Whip Cream, Frosting and Pickles!  How do they do it?

Finally it is 2pm, Hanna comes home and it is time for bonding over cyber babies kinko and miles.

All and all, a good day!

Technorati Tags: food,peeps,nintendo,shower,kids,history

Second Sign of Spring

 

So, Saturday night, was the first sign of Spring.  The turning ahead of the clocks.  Which I love to do, although all day I really think about what time it would be if we did not turn them ahead….

The Second Sign of Spring is the ordering of the chicks!  Which Scarlette and I did on Saturday as well.  This will be the third spring that we will have chicks, and I absolutely think they are the most darling things! 

So we put in our order for 3 Rhode Island reds and   3 Bard Rock (those are the black and white ones…”zebra chickens” as Scarlette calls them. 

Unfortunately we don’t always have the same number at the end of the summer that we did at the beginning.  Last year, we started with 6 and ended with 3.  They will be in the house for a few weeks, but as they get bigger, they will free-range the yard, and at times make tasty little meals for foxes, coyotes, and hawks. 

So, hopefully within the next two weeks they will call and let me know my chicks have arrived…..now, all I have to do is come up with some good names for them…..

Technorati Tags: spring,chicks

Pita Pocket Pleasures

I love trying new recipes, and usually when I find something that is really good.  I eat it for weeks, sometimes even months!

This is my latest find.  These healthy, easy to make, Pockets of Pleasure are absolutely fabulous on the taste buds, and as equally pleasing to the eyes.

Some Spinach!

Some Tomatoes.

Some Mushrooms.

Feta Cheese.

Sundried Tomato Pesto.

Butter the top side of your 6 inch pita bread with the pesto.

Add spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and feta cheese. 

Drizzle with a touch of olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes until the bread is crispy!

Enjoy with glass of red wine, or a cold beer!

Technorati Tags: food,recipe,tomaote,spinach,cheese,pleasure

What unschooling looks like

Jayden and Scarlette tell me when they want to know about something, and then, we learn together, discover together, and have fun together.

This week it has been squid and volcanoes that have their interest, so as well as reading some books, and watching a video, we built a volcano!

It was a very fun time, although they both wanted to know why it was not hot lava that came out of the top.

Not sure when we are going to be able to get around to making one with real and active lava flows.  But I will be sure to post it when we do. 

Technorati Tags: volcano,unschooling,learning,lava,home schooling

Jayden is Three!!!!!

 

Today Jayden turned three years old.  How can it be that he seems so new to me while at the same time, I can not remember what my life was like before he entered it?

We celebrated his birthday yesterday so that both of his older sisters could be there!  Also in attendance were his sister’s girlfriends, his uncle George, cousins, and friends of the family.  As Jay is so into race cars right now, we decided that would be the theme for his party. 

Jayden and Scarlette help0ed me make his cake.

 

Jayden received Geo Trax toys, Hot Wheel items, and a Sponge Bob video game.

Tomorrow we are off to “Chuckie Cheezits” which for most people is Chucky Cheese. 

Technorati Tags: Birthday,cakes,cooking

Sweet blessings

As Jayden and Scarlette and I wre playing som afternoon games. In walked Briana.  My firstborn, my love, the love of my new kids.  And the afternoon changed so dramatically.

 

Giggles, and fun, tickles, an smiles, and love, God, so much love!

I am soooo lucky!

Hair today, and tomorrow

Maybe it was because after 3 daughters, I could not bring myself to cut my son’s hair; maybe it was because I always thought guys with long hair looked like artists, philosophers, and wandering gypsies; but most likely, it was because Jayden’s hair, on top of his almost 3 year old head, was the only thing left of the newborn baby that I once held in my arms.

His cries and babbles had become verbal questions and requests, where there was once only pink, shiny gums, he had a full set of pearly teeth, little, chubby dough-like and flailing arms and legs had matured and were not active running and throwing.  Even the sweet milky baby smell that had enveloped him had been replaced by the sweaty, outdoorsy scent of a boy hard at play. 

Only his hair, soft, silky, blonde and wispy was left of the little cherub that he once was.

 

Unfortunately, Jayden had an awful habit of chewing on his hair, even when, or maybe especially when he had food in his mouth.  So, his hair was often full of crackers, gummy worms, French-fries, or what ever else he happened to have eaten.  Add that to the fact that he was getting more and more resistant to having his hair brushed and washed,  led me to decide to have it cut.

Originally I planned to have it cut shoulder length, but after getting to the salon, and learning that his hair was long enough to donate it to locks of love if it were to be cut shorter than shoulder length, I agreed.

 

Jayden loves his new hair cut, and I have to say I really do like it, but he just seems so grown up to me now.

Technorati Tags: hair,hair cut,boys,growing up,son,baby

Back again

So, once again , I pick up the proverbial pen to start blogging again. I can't believe that it was summer when I last posted, and hopefully I will be able to keep up with it this time.

I did make the New Years's Resolution to try to get on here at least once a week, but so far that has not been going well, as it is already Februrary 17, and I am only just now getting started.

I guess only time will tell if I am as resolved as I hope I can be.