Caroling, Chores, and Crafting

 Yesterday, Sylvia, Ayla, and I joined our homeschool coop for caroling at two different retirement centers.  My favorite part was listening in on a conversation between the residents about Christmas memories from when they were children.  One man didn't have Christmas trees growing up because pine trees didn't grow where he lived.  You didn't just pop down to your local big box store parking lot and pick one up.  Another woman remembered family arriving to visit on an actual sleigh with bells on the horses :)  That, and I adore hearing Sylvia sing along to Good King Wenceslas.

Today I felt the need to be outside, Sylvia didn't really.  So, I tried suggesting fun things to do outside to entice her.  "Wanna hike down the valley?"
"Nah."
"Gather sticks for kindling?" (She usually enjoys this.)
"Nah."
"Um...clean the chicken coop?"
"YEAH!"
"Really?  OK."

  So we did.  Even Ayla helped spread the clean wood shavings around.

 When one of the hens came to see what's with the clean coop, Ayla pointed at her and demanded "Egg!"  Then she started laughing and laughing.  The hen looked bewildered.

mossy bark

  After spending a couple hours outside, puttering around with chores and delight, we came in to have yummy egg sandwiches and do some holiday crafting, which turned into Sylvia creating a train and cargo car out of cracker boxes, construction paper, and jar bands.

 And a track out of kindling.

 There was more crafting, and card-making, and elving, and gift-wrapping, and reading aloud by the woodstove, but I shan't share much of that with you.  I do love the gift wrap on this gift for one of Camille's classmates.

I wish joyful anticipation and simple love for you and your family during this Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, holiday merriment season!

a Sunday hike

Papa and I were meant to be cleaning and organizing today, but instead we took Christmas photos of the girls.  They didn't want to much, but they indulged me.

T

 backlit

       'smile for the camera'                         and                       real laughter

and ragamuffin style

Then since it was warm-ish (coats and mittens, but comfortable) and we all needed it, we went hiking at a state park.  A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, one of my very favorite ways....

 The girls loved finding dried out puffball mushrooms and stepping on them to release their 'smoke' (spores),

 and walking and dancing on the frozen pond.

 After Ayla walked for a while, it was time to cozy up in her wrap for a snuggle and a sleep.

 I love to walk inhaling the sweet wide open, and watch the colors change as the sun slides down the sky.  I love to wear my babe and hold my older daughter's hand.  I love to watch my girl twirl and delight in the icy pond, and discover fish and turtles swimming beneath the clear.  I love to sneak a kiss with their Papa while they aren't paying attention.  There is nothing quite like a walk in the woods as winter approaches to clear the head, open the heart, and connect with the dear beloveds that share this life with me.

cream puffs and tinfoil

One of our visitors over the weekend kindly brought us some baked goodies, including a giant cream puff.  This inspired some home made cream puffs once our hens laid enough eggs for them.  We happened to have all of the other ingredients, (organic even!) on hand.

 Everyone wanted to spend some time hand-whipping, or, um, tasting, the whipped cream.

 

 They were amazing.  I won't tell you how many I ate in one day :)

  Then we created aluminum foil swans, which led to a 'pirate ship with a mast', which of course, led to a bath to see which would float.  The swan tipped right over, but Sylvia's improvised ship floated beautifully :)

Then there was Wii-playing (Zack and Wiki, to be exact).  The Wii was neglected all summer, but it has seen a resurgence of interest.
And snuggling, and Junie B. Jones and the Yucky, Blucky Fruitcake, and Little House on the Prairie.  Both loved by Sylvia, one for the sass and one for the timelessness, ... and home-made broth, ... and just another day that flowed along in the way that days sometimes do ... love-ly.

My 3 favorite moments of the day...

~ sitting in a rocking chair in front of the woodstove, with Sylvia on my lap, teaching her how to blanket stitch her felted ornament

~ the little happy dance Camille did when she caught my eye while on stage waiting to sing in her choir concert

Her third grade class sang Yuki which means Snow in Japanese.  The rest of the video may be mainly appreciated by the Grandmas ;-)

~ the gentle way Ayla stroked my cheek while nursing and humming

I love these three daughters of mine.

free-range chickens and free-range kids

I was looking over my photos from the last three days and there were very few that didn't relate to chickens some how.

 Even Camille changing my flat tire has a chicken in the background :)

 And here's Sylvia pretending to be a chicken roosting in the cherry tree.

 No chickens, just girls on the go.

 And here's Ayla learning to share with here friend Rosie, handing a fresh egg back and forth :)

This doesn't relate to chickens, but Sylvia really enjoyed making this simple ornament.  The idea came from Plot 55.  Maybe we should make some egg-shaped...

And if you're not familiar with the blog FreeRangeKids, it's worth a look.  If you are trying to "raise safe, self-reliant children, without going nuts with worry", you might find inspiration there :)