Painting the Alphabet B

This is last week's attempt at painting the alphabet, and naturally, we chose "bird" for B. I'm very pleased at our work, and VERY pleased that we have done it twice! For all our emerging skills, I am loving what is coming from the newly-turned four year old and the five year old. Aren't those two little birdies at the bottom charming???

One of my gardening "wishes" this year was planting pumpkins...

...but it never happened. Instead, God provided an entire field of pumpkins for us to glean...right across the road!

It's safe to say, that I have more pumpkins than I know what to do with.

Not to be overlooked is the opportunity for training good habits...the little girls spent hours washing these tiny beauties. A vintage tub, warm soapy water and a couple rags equals mommy's helpers staying very busy. 

Spending time today with a young mother of three, reminded me again of the importance of what Charlotte Mason calls "habit formation".  It is so important to use the early years to establish the formation of good habits~attitude, obedience, manners, cleanliness~ and before you and I are tempted to say we've failed, just determine to start again tomorrow. Fridays are cleaning days around here, and I'm determined to have ALL the bathrooms cleaned, AND make my bed!

Enjoy the blessings of tomorrow~

Kathy 

Those Stinkin' Vegetables! and That Elusive History Curriculum...

Last week we spent the day canning carrots and kale with the intention of using it in soup this winter. It was hard to imagine cold weather and snow, but we KNOW it's coming, so we were a little excited about our experiment. 
Today Josh opened the cabinet, and ...wow...what a stench! Not one of those buggers stayed sealed! So this morning we fed the 21 jars to the hogs (minus the jar that got swiped off the counter and spilled all over the floor). All that by 9:00 a.m....
Other pressing matters on the farm are not really farm in nature. Now is the time to be wrapping up plans and ordering materials for our schooling/educating for the fall. Is there ANYONE else out there looking for that perfect history booklist and companion schedule/study guide? Under $500????  Have you found it???? I'd like it to be a Charlotte Mason philosophy, literature based, organized by time period (American history right now) with a daily schedule that is organized and easy to follow. Please make it rich in all the beautiful books out there, honest with the issues facing the culture of the day, and something that will inspire my children as they see the hand of God throughout HIStory.


Some that I've looked at/tried:
~Truthquest
~Notgrass
~Sonlight
~Queen Homeschooling
~Ambleside Online
~Winterpromise
~Mystery of History

I'd love to hear from you, friends! Am I missing something out there?

Farmhouse Regrets

Have you ever made a giant mistake that you regret, even days later? I'm referring to regrets of a serious nature, such as: passing up that one perfect thing at a garage sale... that was just what you needed... at a dirt cheap price?
I'm not sure what I was thinking, or wasn't thinking, but imagine a farmhouse screen door, just like the picture except black. Perfect for my porch entry, perfect for my farm, perfect for the summer breezes, and I'm quite certain it would have banged shut ever-so-perfectly.
Perhaps I was trying to be frugal (???), or perhaps I had actually forgotten about that particular location when I called home for measurements, or perhaps I was simply paralyzed with indecision yet again...


...in any case, by the time my wits returned, I was driving down the highway, couldn't reach my cell phone, and when I returned, someone else had the presence of mind to scoop that gorgeous screen door up without thinking twice.

Friday on the Farm, Budgeting and A Farmhouse Recipe

Just for a few minutes I'm going to ignore the pressing needs around here! With kidding season, our mess takes on a whole new dimension, which requires supernatural patience on my part! I can tell what my pre-meno emotions are doing just by how I handle the mess and clutter. Most of it just can't be avoided...and the excitement of kidding carries us through much of the chaos, but today, it is CLEANING day, and the sun is shining brightly!!! WOO HOO! At this time of year, every ray of sunshine brings a feeling of hope, and today I'm feeling it.The door was left open and a lovely freshness was in the air...





One thing I am aiming to do is organize my life into a not-so-glamorous-binder-of-sorts. A friend showed me her version, and if I can get it together, it will go with me everywhere. Included will be a section for meals and groceries, and I'm going to make a huge effort to budget. I would define myself as consciencious and careful with spending already, but I'd like to keep track and take it to a new level. I feel so blessed to be able to stay at home to raise our children, but there are days when I feel that I am doing NOTHING to contribute to the financial needs of the home. My sweet husband reminds me that staying home and caring for the children, educating them, making wise and careful purchases, repurposing and reusing...all the these things DO contribute and help relieve him greatly. So, with that in mind, I'd like to improve in whatever way I can.




Making my own laundry soap this past year has been a step in the right direction, hanging my laundry is a beauty all it's own that saves over time, and making our own food reaps nutritional and financial benefits. We've received multiple bags of rolled oats which we use for home-made granola. My kiddos are loving it, (I'm always encouraged when they like something I make!) so I'm passing on another farmhouse favorite. It's inexpensive, easy, and has no preservatives.

Farmhouse Granola

1 c. butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 c. honey

Melt in a large pan in the oven at 350. Add:

2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

Stir together, then add:

12 c. oats

1 1/2 c. coconut

1 1/2 c. almonds (or any nut of your choice)

1-2 c. graham cracker crumbs

(a new secret ingredient that isn't necessary, but is good)

Stir well, then bake 15-20 minutes, depending on how brown you like it. I stir it every 5-7 minutes, and we don't let it get too brown. Enjoy!