A Little of the Farm

We are in the midst of calving season here on the homestead.  Right now we have a few babies running around the barnyard which means that spring must be right around the corner.  Yeah Spring!
Unfortunately for one of the babies in the barn its mother isn't producing enough milk for it to survive.  Luckily it was born in a time where we can supplement the mothers milk with bottle feeding.  With the help of the bottle milk and what it's mother can provide the calf is doing really well.

This is also a great learning experience for the wee ones.  Seth is in charge of feeding the calf in the morning during the weekdays, when Sadie is at school and Sadie is in charge of feeding it on the weekends. 

They just love going out to the barn with their daddy and looking after 'snowangel'.  It is going to be really hard to keep track of all our little calves since we have charlais cattle and they are all mostly white! 

Bottle's ready!

Wee ones are ready to go. 

Cats are fed.

Dog on guard

Get into pen.

Start to feed the calf.

Seth and Sadie taking care of the calf.

Here you go sweet one.

Oops, dropped the bottle.  Daddy's there to help.

Enjoying breakfast.



Photo Friday

Family Day is a holiday in Ontario that was this past weekend.  While we were at my Aunt's house Seth burned his finger on the fireplace.  We did warn him about it but with us not having one he just forgot that it was hot and touched it.  He was VERY stressed and upset for quite awhile.  Finally after snuggling close to Unkie and watching some tv he fell fast asleep. 

Sweet dreams precious little one...

Mrs. Fix-It

I was lying in bed one day, happy that my wee ones were still miraculously asleep, enjoying my thoughts when I heard a weird noise coming from the spare room.  After a few seconds I realized that it was my two cats fighting with each other.  Then I heard the crash. 

We have an old farmhouse with a spare room because it is unsuitable for the wee ones to be in it.  It has no heat and no lighting.  There is one old outlet along the floor by the door with a bird's nest on the other side of it.  Needless to say it isn't too safe to put anything too high a voltage on it.  So I had a lamp hooked up so that after dark I could at least see if needed. 

Well you may have guessed already that it was the lamp that crashed.  The 'energy efficient, lasts 16 years' light bulb was shattered to a bazillion pieces.  It never reached the 16 year mark, do you think I can get a refund? HA!

Before.

I remember watching an episode of Growing Pains where Mike Seaver broke a lamp and then put it back together before his mom and dad came home to find it broken.  I thought, if he can do it why can't I?

So I got out my "Craft Goop", found in any hardware/department store.

Here it is halfway done.

The finished project.  It isn't exactly pretty but I can at least say I put it back together and it works too.  Not bad for a room that nobody really uses and I have the option of painting it too.

We'll see.....

Finding Time

The holiday weekend turned into a wonderful holiday for myself, my mom and my wee ones.  The little ones got to play with another cousin of theirs, my mom unexpectedly came with us and enjoyed herself thoroughly and I actually got to stay in bed and watch a movie!  The first time since I had kids!  The movie Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts was ok but it was rather slow moving and I won't be watching it again.

And what goes with a holiday better than your house chores falling behind?  A sick child.  So as I am trying to get caught up on all those chores that got missed on the weekend and do the ones I have scheduled for today I was dealing with my daughter who was coughing non-stop.  She wasn't really sick, just coughing ALL THE TIME.  So I decided to try some natural homemade remedies because the over-the-counter medicines just weren't cutting it.

So I made a tea for her.

It looks a little gross but it is the chopped garlic and oregano after I have drained the tea.

I got the recipe off the internet but where I cannot tell you now.  I didn't write it down and with the wee ones running around I have no idea where I was.  I started with putting some water in a pot, then added 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tbsp of oregano.  I let that boil for 5-8min and then drained it into a mug.  I added 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tsp of lemon and 2 tbsp of sugar.  Mix it up and drink. 

Sadie only had a few sips at a time because it actually tastes pretty awful but within the hour she had stopped coughing.  Then throughout the day I would give her a sip here and there and she is hardly coughing at all.  I don't know if this will work for your cough or cold but it is worth a try.  I like not giving my kids 'medicine' and knowing what it is that they are taking. 

Hopefully tomorrow when Sadie is off to school, Seth and I can get caught up on our housework!



Up, up and away...

It is Family Day on Monday here in Ontario.  Which means that everyone will have the day off to spend it with their families.  So my wee ones and I are off to spend the weekend with a lovely aunt of mine.  I will do more posts next week but for now I am off to enjoy a nice break from the house and all my chores.

Enjoy your weekend and your family.

A Little More Organized

I am bound and determine not to become a statistic and fall behind on my New Years Resolution!  I admit that this last week I was becoming very discouraged and overwhelmed.  But that has passed and once again I am trying to stay on track.  I have been taking some well-earned me time and combine it with exercise.  It is the best of both worlds, alone time and feeling and looking better myself.  Try something you love and you won't even realize that you are working out.

I have taken a few ceramic classes in the past and really enjoy painting different pieces.  So when I had a problem with my hair elastics and Sadie's hair elastics/barrettes being thrown all over the cabinet in the bathroom I decided to make something for them.

This was suppose to be a little soap dish.  I glazed it and then added the little lily decal to the middle.  I was really happy with the way that it turned out.



And now my hair elastics have a happy little home.  It was suppose to fit Sadie's as well but once I brought this dish home I realized it wasn't going to do.  I had made another box just for fun and it turned out to be perfect for Sadie's hair elastics.  I just love when stuff like that works out so well.

Once again this is glazed with a decal on it.  The decal reminds me of the story of Hansel and Gretel.  

Ahhh, a tiny little oasis of organized bliss!



Here is another lovely picture.  Our skates and helmets are in a basket at the back (bought at Canadian Tire a couple years ago), our scarves are in a tidy pile to the right, and our hats and mitts are in their designated boxes with pictures on the front so even the wee ones can put their stuff away.  The white boxes are fold away boxes so it is easy to take them down and store them if you want to too.  I believe I got these at Walmart.

Find a spot somewhere in your house and turn in into something that is organized and beautiful to you. 



Adventure

"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure.  There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."

- Jawaharlal Nehru

February Low

I have to admit that I am feeling a little like giving up.  Nothing specific has happened and I am actually following the schedule pretty well.  I just thought that once I was organized that the house would look different.

But our dinning room table still has arts and crafts all over it.  I know it is Valentine's Day tomorrow but it just seems like there are always crafts or clutter or papers on the table.  The picture below is our couch in the toy room.  The cushions are pulled off, the "baby beds" are set up on the couch and of course there is paper everywhere so that Sadie can make all of her 'notes' and 'pictures'. 

I realize that I will probably look back on times like this and wish that somebody was looking after their 'babies' or a time when the kids were innocently creating masterpieces on the dinning room table.  Right now though it just seems like all this organizing is at a plateau.  People get that when they start to lose weight, they start out just dropping pounds off and then plateau and can't seem to get that last 10 pounds off.  I think I am just plateauing (is that a word?).   I am sure in a little bit I will be back on track and organizing some more so stay with me.

In a few months the farm and garden will be back in full swing and I'll have so much to do I won't know where to begin.  For now I'll try and enjoy my plateau that I am on and push through to the other side!

Photo Friday

My mother heard about a distant relative that she knew that possessed some photographs of our family history.  She then asked this relative if she could borrow the photographs to copy for her use and then return.  This relative brought over the photos recently and to our surprise said that we may keep them, that they were in good hands. 

There are so many of them to go through, I just love it.  Discovering new pieces of our past and what our family looked like 'back then'.  The picture below is of my dad's family.  It is his grandfather (farthest child standing on the right) and his great-grandfather (John aka Cabbage John) and great-grandmother (Annie).  (Obviously the parents of this clan)

Sorry if the photo is a little blurry, I scanned the original (taken roughly 1900)

and took a picture of the enlarged print.

As I look at the picture of my great-great-grandmothers family it makes me wonder if she had some of the same thoughts I have been having - was she spread too thin, had to much responsibilities, had too much to do and not enough time to do it in. 

I look at the perfect hair on all the girls with their curls just so and not a hair out of place on Annie's head!  The boys in their Sunday best, cleaned, hair combed with a perfect split down the centre and John's beard immaculately trimmed. 

I wonder if when they all got dressed for this picture if little Lizzy went running in her dress and twirled around to see her skirt flying in the air to only get dizzy and fall in the dirt.  Did Annie mind?  Did she lose her patience with the children when they wouldn't sit still long enough for the picture?  Or were things always in order in her house? And with 9 kids, how did she manage her house, while living on a farm because I would love some pointers right about now!

If only we could go back and get some advice from the mama's of the past then maybe we could learn a few things on how to live a simpler but more fulfilling life.  It seems that mama's today are always spread too thin and have too much on the go.  I say slow down, take some time for yourself, re-energize, re-group and get back to the basics.

Annie died at the age of 65 years on April 28th 1919 and John died at the age of 80 years on July 8th, 1924.  The picture was probably taken pretty close to that time.  I love that they are still dressed to perfection and not a hair, on their heads or face, is out of place. 

Photo Friday is a post about a moment I would like to remember but I thought this is relevant because I would like to reflect on the women of my past and remember where I came from.

Becoming Organized

I finally sat down and took the time to make a chore chart.  I am not one that follows schedules very well, I start out strong and then falter after the first week.  This time it is going to be different, I am going to stick with it.  That is what I am saying today, when I almost didn't get the only chore (mopping the floors) on my list done, but I did it.

I wrote out the 7 days of the week, then made 4 weeks down.  This way it is good for any month of the year.  I tried not to have any chores done on Saturday because I know I don't want to be doing housekeeping on the weekends.  I have a lot of the cleaning scheduled for every two weeks.  That way I feel I can obtain this goal.

At the bottom I have chores that must be done on an as needed basis.  I then put the chart into a plastic sleeve so that I can alter it if necessary but also can stroke off the days that are complete and make any notes with a dry erase marker. 

With our new hydro rates I have marked in laundry as one load each on Tuesday and Thursday nights and then the bulk of it on Sunday when the rates are cheapest all day.  Things such as cleaning the fridge only happen once a month because I already know that until I get this schedule down it won't be happening more than that.

So far I have stuck with cleaning the dishes and kitchen every night and then the next day I feel like I have more time to get other chores done and therefore have more time to spend with my kiddies.  It is a great idea and I am excited about the chart.  If you are thinking about starting a chart just start with the basics and work your way up to being completely organized with your house.

Next I must make a list of everything that needs to be done in the house before spring comes a callin'

Keeping the kids organized...

Today after school we decided to have some fun with our play dough.  The wee ones both love to play with play dough and if I am being honest, I love playing with it too.  It is a great toy that can be turned into anything, the possibilities are endless.  I really like that I can make a simple snowman, a snake or a more complex item and the kiddies think I am an artistic genius! 

Sadie loves cutting with the scissors or knife and making little piles of things.

Seth likes making birthday cakes, with toothpicks as the candles.

I went all out and made a little basket with a braided handle.  It definitely impressed the crowd.  Now on to the organizing part.

Sadie received this lovely Tinkerbell suitcase as a gift for Christmas.  Since she already had one, we were wondering what to do with this one.  I found the perfect place for it.  It now sits in our one (yes one) closet with all our play dough buckets in it.  It is so easy to grab this bag and grab the box of play dough toys that sits right underneath it.  Clean up was a breeze too, which is even better. 

Here is an activity that is mostly for spring but I thought I would share it with you as well.  I made seed packs for the kids to play with.  They can sort them, look at them, match them or plan their gardens with them. 

I bought this box with all the little boxes inside at Walmart in the craft department.  It was a few years ago now but I am pretty sure you can get similar organizing boxes there today.  I took all my leftover seeds and put them each in their own box.  Some I had more of so I made 2 or 3 boxes of the same kind of seed.  I then took some liquid paper and made a white stripe on the front and labelled what the seeds were.

Because it was liquid paper on hard plastic it could be chipped off, so I put some scotch tape over the label.  I also hot glued the lids shut so the seeds couldn't be taken out.  My wee ones love playing with these and seeing all the different kinds of seeds that there are.  The little boxes can also hold beads, buttons, foam pieces, craft supplies (sequins etc).  They are cute and easy to clean up.  Perfect for organized chaos!


Photo Friday

This is a moment that I would like to remember.  It seems a long time ago when Seth was in a crib and snuggled in a small little blanket but in reality it was only a couple years ago.  It always amazes me at how peaceful and secure babies are when they sleep.  I don't know when that changes but I wish for one night to have that peaceful, secure sleep.  Maybe tonight will be the night.

Wishing you a peaceful night.

A Day Off

After a busy week everyone deserves a break.  I decided to take a break from the housework and organizing and decluttering and just enjoy the day.  It was the day after our huge snow storm so what a better way to spend it then doing winter activities.  This morning I packed everyone up and we went to the local rink where they have a public toddler and senior skate.  I can`t believe how well the wee ones are doing. 

Does that face behind the mask just not shout how much fun they are having.

 Yeah, Sadie is skating all by herself!  It takes her awhile to trust herself on skates.

Seth does extremely well skating by himself but he is still

young enough not to realize that it hurts when he falls down.



This evening I also went for a cross country ski on our homestead.  I went with a good friend of mine.  It was so nice to get away from the children for a bit and just have good old fashioned fun and of course get in a few laughs too!  The scenery was beautiful, it really makes you grateful for all that we have.  The best part about cross country skiing is once you have the equipment it is FREE!  I can`t wait for the wee ones to be big enough to come with me. 

Take some time off for yourself and think of what you are grateful for.

Busy Day

Today was a very busy day on the homestead.  It started off with all the school buses being cancelled due to a huge snowstorm that most of Southern Ontario was getting hit with.  Of course Sadie was thrilled not to be going to school.  I had planned on cleaning the basement this week, so with two kids in tow I started on the horrible job of decluttering and cleaning the basement. 

This is what part of our basement looks like.  Although I do have to say that the little hands of the house have been playing down here quite a bit since the cold weather hit and we have been allowing them to go down by themselves too.  This of course gives them that little bit of freedom that they love.

Sadie dressed up and ready for her wedding.  I'm not sure if she was

marrying the chicken or if he was just part of the wedding party!

Seth had lots of fun when we got into the Hawaiian theme box!

  He had some trouble with his glasses staying on.

Yes, that is mouse poop.  We found out where one of our little 'friends' had been hiding.  Apparently if you are a little mouse the perfect spot for your home is in the cockpit of a spaceship.  I already think our house cats got rid of the problem ;)

So after about 6 hours in the basement I think it is looking pretty darn good.  Now the wee ones can go down to the basement, easily pick out a toy and easily put it back in the right spot.  I'll let you know how that actually goes.  Sometimes it's a struggle for the kiddies as well as the adults!

The best part is I filled up 5 boxes of toys that are too small for my children and have 6 larger toys to give away as well.  I can't wait to get to the thrift store and pass these along to other children.  The best part about doing this with my children is that they are learning not to waste toys by just throwing them away and that there are other children that are not as fortunate as them, that need some help and they feel they are the ones helping out the other children.  I love teaching them generosity.

So after a hard days work and a huge snow storm what else could we do but have a snowy afternoon.

This is in our backyard and she actually is standing in the snow!

I couldn't believe all the snow that we got.  I know I didn't finish that basement today but I will tackle it again, soon.  I promise. 

After supper the children wanted to go downstairs and play with their 'new toys' and asked that I come down too.  I brought my book I was reading and was sitting in the chair enjoying my book when Sadie looked over and said, "Mommy I thought you were suppose to be doing your work.  Reading a book is not your work."  Here I thought I had created my very own little getaway.  I guess the trick is too 'getaway' by myself.

And so it begins...

What does almost everybody have issues with?  Eating!  Some people are healthy and some are not.  Some people are emotional eaters and some are 'binge' eaters.  I don't really fall into any of those categories.  I would say I eat healthy but have some bad eating habits.  Pepsi is my biggest challenge.  I love the taste, the bubbles, the caffeine (I am not a tea or coffee drinker), even the fact that it comes in it's own can that you crack open and then pop into the recycling bin when done, minimal cleanup and NO DISHES!  Of course I also have issues with chocolate but I don't buy chocolate bars in packs of 24 and have them sitting in my house tempting me.

And so the next step to getting organized is falling into place.  I had a meeting with a nutritionist at our local clinic last week to see what I could/should do in order to maintain a healthy diet.  I first asked about a cleanse and whether they held any health benefits.  She informed me that they don't help your body and can actually damage it more because it is such a drastic change and that the only time you need one is if you are going for a colonoscopy!  I am not.

So for 3 days I have to write down everything that I eat.  This is what I ate yesterday.
Breakfast - Bagel with honey
                  12oz 1% Milk

Lunch - 2 Med size wraps with ham, lettuce, onion and butter
             Pepsi

Snack - Granola Bar (chocolate chip)

Supper - Ham Omelet
              Peas & Carrots
              Warmed up Potatoes

Snack - Smart pop popcorn
              Pepsi

I don't think that was too bad.  The important point that the nutritionist did say was to follow the Canadian Food Guide for the number of servings per day that you require.

 

Another bit of helpful advice that the nutritionist offered was a website that you can go too to help plan your menus.  You can change the suggested meals if it is something that doesn't suite your families.Eat right Ontario is the name of the website and I think if anyone is having troubles trying to think of meals that are healthy for your family this is the website for you.

The nutritionist did tell me to stop drinking pepsi and I know I should, but will I?  Well we'll have to wait and see.  Happy Healthy Eating Everyone!