10 New Little Birds

So, to add to our 6 laying hens Claudio picked up 10 new chicks (our running joke is "Hey, I just picked up a bunch of chicks.....at Tractor Supply"). We are raising these for meat. It is our first venture into raising anything meat related. We have butchered a chicken when one of our layers got hit by a car and was injured. We were able to get it in the freezer. But now we will have ten to process.

We have five red rangers and five cornish. One type is a typical meat bird and one type is good at foraging. I don't remember which is which. Right now they just all look cute and fluffy and are living in their box in the basement until they are big enough to rough the elements outdoors.

Beatrice is Ready for the Warm Weather

Piano Recital

Ben had a recital a week or two ago for the residents at Grace Park assisted living. The recital was to function as a rehearsal for the piano festival he will be taking part in this coming weekend. At the time of the recital he still had a few kinks to work out and to finish memorizing his music. Last year he received Superior rating at the festival and we are hoping for good marks again this year.

Ben's Pollination Comic Strip

This was an assignment Ben completed for science today. Just thought it was too cute not to share.

the boy has no problem with the use of exclamation points!

Not generally amused by potty humor but this cracked me up!

Parish Talent Show

Ben and Anna performed in our parish talent show a few weeks ago. This was Anna's debut solo performance and the third time for Ben to participate.

 It was a great show with some many wonderful acts!

Ben's Cursive Handwriting

We used Memoria Press cursive handwriting program this year and Ben really enjoyed.  He finished the book a week or so ago and looks forward to starting the next book next year.  We highly recommend it. (PS ignore the spelling mistake)

Snow Dump

So, just like most of the people I know we were effected by Winter Storm Jonas. Or the Blizzard of 2016. We are at the very northern limits of the storm so it seems almost ridiculous to say this, but we "only" got a foot of snow. A foot of snow at any other time would be quite respectable.  Twenty miles south of here got 2-3 feet of snow.

Anyway, here is a photo dump of the end result of a pretty big snow storm!

This was Lucy's first venture into snow.  Once she was bundled up not only could she not walk but she could barely stand unassisted.  I tried to get a video of it but I messed something up on my camera.

So she sat in the sled and we took turns pulling her around until she said, "Cold....in house!!"

view of our front yard

Sasquatch or Claudio?

always love the curl of smoke coming from the chimney.

And Then There Was None

Front teeth that is. 

He is one of those kids with no front teeth.

Ben-O-Lantern

It has been almost a year since Ben has lost a tooth!  This is #3!  He looks like a big Jack-O-Lantern.

He has been nursing this tooth for a while.  Yesterday the kids got lollipops at the Allergist's office, but no one thought to grab one for Lucy.  So when we got home Lucy was besides herself without a lollipop of her own.  I asked Anna if she would give up her pop for Lucy and she did.  Today I had to run into CVS to grab a prescription and I bought Anna an enormous Blow Pop for the sacrifice she made yesterday.  My kids have a disgusting habit of sharing lollipops (*gag*).  So after hours of Anna nursing this enormous lollipop Ben grabbed it and popped it in his mouth.  Anna, grabbed the stick to pull it out of Ben's mouth and pop....out came the lollipop AND the tooth!

In continued grossness....Anna offered Ben the bubblegum from inside the pop so he could practice chewing with one less tooth.

How A Seven Year Old Recites Poetry

The Moments I Love

My oldest and my youngest cozied up for some reading.  What's not to love?

The Flag Goes By

How Lucy Enjoys The Trampoline

Enjoy the bit of drama there at the end from Anna. Be assured she was absolutely fine.

Windy Nights

Anna just finished memorizing her first poem of 1st grade.  Windy Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson

A Peak Into Our Science Lesson

 Benjamin is studying Botany this year and one of the first lessons he had was to better understand Taxonomy, or how scientists break down and classify different organisms.

His job was to collect a variety of shoes (and bonus....organize the breezeway in his quest).

On the chart he then decided what main groupings or Kingdoms he would use to classify the shoes.

sneakers, boots, crocs, sandals

 And to put the shoes into piles depending on those Kingdoms.

breaking them down further...into smaller groups.

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order

 A job well done!