Twin Firs Farm

Spring is in full swing over here and Mark has projects galore.

Bubba Chunk up there has discovered he too loves the outdoors and a closed door is a fate worse than naptime.

The big Family Project this year was expanding the garden.  Mark divided up the goose/turkey/meatbird yard and turned the back half into veggie growing space.  This man needs to plant two whole seed packets of beets I tell ya.

He has no time for square foot gardens, trellis gardens, or straw bales gardens.  He is as old-fashioned as he can get with his string and stakes.

The kids were a big help, from rototilling (teen boys are great) to rock raking to seed planting.  Mark also got some Frankenturkeys and has an order in for more Frankenchickens.  He and Evie hatched out five chicks in addition to our eight new layer chicks.

Of course I'm busy raising my own little flock...

And you know what else is coming 'round the corner?  Here's a hint...

This Guy

This guy, who is very dear to my heart, can be considered a Homeschool Success. 

I officially consider Ian a graduate of the Downen Day Academy, completing grades Kindergarten through 8th grade.  He is done with his 8th grade school year and earned A's and B's on his report card.  We registered Ian for high school yesterday and he is already working out with the football team twice a week.  (The school counselor didn't know the homeschool laws for our state and questioned why I had Ian take standardized tests every year.  She is also accepting any transcript I create and will give Ian high school credit for Algebra 1, 2, and Washington State History, no questions asked)  Those of us who continue to be educated at home will miss him and his jokes next year.  No one can make me laugh like he can (except for maybe his dad).  I am so proud of him and his accomplishments.

Swinging

...so much fun when you have a sister to hold your hand!

Bye-bye Butterfly

Daniel isn't one for forming attachments to things, so a butterfly kit was a perfect birthday present for him.  Over the last few weeks, he watched his caterpillars eat and grow, form crysallids, and then emerge as painted lady butterflies. He is a natural born scientist, so when I let him know we needed to let them go so they wouldn't starve, he asked how long they could live without food.  I don't know the answer to that question, so he wanted to experiment and find out.  Sorry, starving animals to death is not something we do in this family.

He wasn't trying to be mean, he just wanted to know.  He planned on burying it with a full funeral when he was done, just like Fiona did when she found a dead frog.

Action shot!

Once upon a time, I planned elaborate unit studies around these kits.  I have a book with projects and everything.  The first time we had caterpillars, I got the flu.  The second time we had more fun, only because my kids were older and I got greedy with the school's money.  Now, I'm over organized learning.  I'll write about that some other time, I promise.

And just like that, all the butterflies flew away! Enjoy your freedom!

Fiona's Birthday: Eight is Great!

Fiona is eight years old! She is an amazing girl and had quite a year.  She has taught me a few things...

Like patience.  Kids learn at their own pace.  You can't rush them into learning things they are not ready for.  We've tried for two years to get Fiona riding the bike we got her for her 6th birthday.  No matter how many time over many many days Mark stood at the top of the driveway and let her loose, she would just crash and crash.  A few days before her birthday, she hopped on and pedaled off.  She's going to do this with math too, you'll see.

And creative thinking.  I told Fiona that instead of taking her to the dollar store and letting her spend $18 on whatever she wanted (which was her only birthday request), I would take her to Michael's and she could pick out whatever craft activity she wanted and we would have a craft party.  She chose the house above, some paints, and some little dogs to live in the house.  It was a great night and everyone loved their projects.  I didn't have to guide them to do anything.

We had a lovely little celebration, just the...seven of us.  Ian and Shane gave Fiona the best present of all...leaving on a camp out.  I'm really looking forward to this coming year and watching Fiona's accomplishments!