inside and out

outside :planting peas

The last few days have been full of sun and thunderstorms. Today we were out in the garden for most of the day, and yesterday we were out until the storms came. There were storms on and off all day, and we just followed the weather.

::lunch at the picnic tables::
::inside- making humpty dumpty hard boiled eggs for breakfast::
::inside: building and building and building::

::outside working in the garden- readying the beds::
::planting perennials from the local plant sale (where you have to stand behind a rope and when the bell rings, run in and grab what you can!::

::inside for some storm watching::




::Dorian pretended he was sleeping. He wanted me to sing him lullabies. I squeezed a little knitting in::
::and back out again for some gardening and mud play- working in a "mud factory"::
:: and making "stone soup"::

It is bliss, this warm weather- we just can't get enough after all the rain and cold. It is finally dry enough to dig and plant, so we are working hard to get the beds ready and planted. I am amazed by how much I can get done with the kids now, they are so happy to help or to go off and play. Today I double dug one big bed (and have the sore back and blisters to prove it!) and planted peas, lettuce, pac choi, and spinach, transplanted flowers and strawberries, and weeded lots. There is so much more to do out there, it is hard to do anything but garden right now. We've been eating such simple quick meals, not wanting to spend much time cooking. Our new favorite snack is homemade creamsicles- blended fruit and kefir or yogurt and cultured cream. These have enough fuel to last the kiddos a while so I can keep on digging!

I hope this lovely weather has reached you all. Happy Tuesday!

ps is anyone else having trouble leaving comments on blogger blogs? I guess you can't tell me in the comments if you are :) I can't leave any right now- not sure why...

raining

It has been raining. Things are greening up and we head outside to the garden whenever there is a break in the weather. Out in the garden, digging and weeding and getting ready for planting. Rescuing worms and placing them ever-so-lovingly into the compost.

Feeding the chickens "chicken treats" - clover and dandelions.

Picking nettles (and eating nettles- soup and omelets and nettle pesto! yum.)

Getting out in the rain too- fun with friends at a local park.

And lots of inside time too. We've been making stuff- this is a "monster campsite" complete with a monster who can go in his sleeping bag and his tent, and can go fishing in his monster boat and roast his supper over the wood on his monster campfire. Playing with friends- "riding on a train."
Playing with the new castle set- this is the second time around with this pattern and it was Ari's birthday gift from me- the only thing he asked for. There is a horse too, but it is in the repair basket awaiting help with a lost tail.

And I've been knitting amongst all that too-much-inside-time chaos. It has been a good week. I hope your week has been good as well friends.

morel day

I only seem to get here for weekend reports these days- but we are doing well up here on the Small Wonders Ranch. We had a lovely busy weekend with my sister and her husband in town. We all took a day trip for some morel hunting. The kids were great little mushroom hunters, finding many more than Perry and I. Though my mom wows us all with her mushrooming abilities.
We found a beautiful spot by the river for a picnic. Ari declared the rocky edge to be a castle and was off in his imaginary world. The boys fell asleep in the car but woke up in time for supper, which included a few precious little mushrooms.
Its been raining since, though the morels love the rain. There are probably some growing out there in the woods behind the house as we speak. Perhaps a rainy morel hunt on the property is in order for tomorrow.

And thanks so much Annie for rescuing Ari's birthday post from your blog feed! The comments were lost, but the rest is all there and I didn't have to re-write it. Thanks dear friend.

weekend: sun and raspberry canes

We had such a glorious productive weekend. The sun shone and it was so wonderfully warm and we were outside working and playing all weekend long. I took the kids in for quiet time but they were so desperate to get back inside that Ari decided taking some toys out to play quietly would be a good compromise. I found him a little while later, having dragged out our picnic blanket and several loads of toys to the other side of the yard near where Perry was working. He played happily with his gnome house for awhile, until other exciting outside tasks drew him away.
We were working on a few projects- digging up and replanting some raspberry canes, cleaning and painting the chicken house, shoveling compost and llama poo. Ari dove into the role of "farmer boy" (not a Laura Ingalls reference as he has not been introduced to these books yet, just a good name for a boy who works on a farm!) and worked steadily on planting the raspberry canes- digging the holes, adding in the manure, choosing a cane, putting it in carefully in the soil. I am amazed at his focus and concentration and how amazingly helpful he is these days. Of course he has times of running around screeching like a banshee to balance out all that focused concentration, like any good five year old should!
These moments of all of us working together and actually getting things done is utter magic.

Dorian worked very hard on watering the canes after they were planted, moving down the row slowly with great concentration. He is so determined to do things himself these days, and sometimes it seems we can only just try and help him to do as little damage as possible. He is so proud to help though, and when I thank him he says "you're welcone" in his sweet little voice with such happiness and pride. He was completely soaked and the canes had to be properly watered once he was out of sight, but I appreciate his efforts!

Here is the composter Perry built last weekend, all loaded up and working its compost magic. There is a lid that is not-quite-done that should speed things along even faster.
And this is a view of our new-to-us garden. We have been getting to know it this spring, trying to make plans about where to plant what and how to make it our own. I am excited to have a little extra space to grow in, and and a small greenhouse to grow tomatoes in. The kids have been loving the little shade/play house at the back too. Today we spent some time together transplanting a bunch of strawberry plants in the beds around it for them to graze on this summer.
On Sunday night we had a campfire supper in our backyard and got the boys all ready for bed before we got back in the house. There was time for one gleeful swing on the barn swings in Pj's before bed.
The boys were so tired today after such a busy weekend. This afternoon they both fell asleep- which never happens anymore- Ari fell asleep on the kitchen floor! We had a nice home-day full of home tasks: cooking and gardening and playing. There was even a moment of sitting and knitting in a quiet house when the boys were both asleep- bliss!

I made our weekly yogurt today, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to post the recipe that has been working for me. This makes three tall mason jars full which seems to be a good weekly amount for our family.

Homemade Yogurt

10 1/2 cups of milk

3 tbs good commercial yogurt

3 tall wide mouth mason jars

milk thermometer

Heat milk slowly in a large pot until it reaches 180 degrees F. It will be steaming but not boiling. Turn off heat and let cool in the pot, stirring whenever you think of it. The more you stir the less of a skin will form.
Add 1 Tbs of yogurt to each jar. When the milk reaches 110 degrees pour it into the jars. Stir and screw on lids. Let it rest in a warm place. I use my dehydrator which can hold the jars and keep them at 90 degrees, but the recipe I used suggested setting the jars on a hot pad or on top of your water heater. Keep jars warm for about 8 hours and then put them in the fridge and enjoy your yogurt cool the next day.

I hope your weekends were full and sunny and nourishing, friends.