Farm Week

Well, this was just a fun week!  I asked the girls what clothes farmers wear and they said shorts, pink shirt, hat and boots.  So here you go!

In addition to doing our farm chores together and talking about the farms around us, we did a lot of fun crafts.

The first was a horse finger painting craft.   They were too busy playing to do the cutting part, but they had a great time painting and putting on the mane.  For the record, FL did cut her horse's mane with her child safety scissors - no small feat!

They turned out so cute!  We had a friend over that day (and I had a friend over that day! Yay for mommy friends!) learning about horses, so it was great fun!

Most of the farming in our community is cattle farming, so we took a trip to the Farmers Market downtown to see what farmers grow.

We took home some lovely vegetables and enjoyed them for dinner.

At home, I got out the girls' play farm (lovingly given to us by Aunt Dana!), they picked out which of their stuffed animals were farm animals, added farm hats and gloves and some plastic containers and they had a blast feeding and playing with the animals.

  Kerry, this is the picture where the girls said they were playing HaileyKinley. : )

Farmers help each other out!  Our verse this month was "Show kindness and mercy to one another" in Zechariah 7:9.  So the girls and I gladly loaded up in our farm gear to go help a dear friend.

Another friend showed us kindness by rescuing this horse for the side of the road and giving it to our family - the girls "loved" on him very well this week!  He was one tired horse!

An unexpected lesson in farm critters was had when Sam captured a mouse!  The girls named it Minnie and really, really wanted to keep it and bring it into the house.  The lesson ended there for the girls and unfortunately for the mouse.

Minnie was undeniably cute and I did plead for her life to be spared, but life's not all rainbows and unicorns on the farm...  

On a happier note, the girls did more finger painting and printables.  We did painting and cutting crafts a few times during the winter, but they all ended in tears and frustration because (at the time) the girls didn't know how to use scissors, glue, paint or other materials.  We have just recently revisited it. Their comprehension and motor skills have improved so, so much it amazes me.  They did such a great job!

C still has difficulties with her left hand and upper body, but she is a determined and self motivated child.  And she loves tractors, so was happy to do this craft!  She has been asking for more every day.

They also painted, cut and glued this cute barn.  I did some of the cutting, as I knew it would be overwhelming to them, but they did most of it on their own and did a fantastic job!

They came out so cute - C's are on the left and FL's on the right.

We also made cute toilet tube chickens modeled after some of our own flock.  The girls picked Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock chickens to paint.

The girls got to learn that chickens have wings, a tail, comb, beak and wattle (and feet, too, but we didn't make those!).

We made haystacks for a farm appropriate treat ( and a childhood favorite!).

Taste testing is one of our favorite things to do!

As well as a "love fight" were you loving fight over the leftover batter in the bowl!

And, of course, we just enjoyed our farm and all of the chores and fun that comes with growing up on one.  C and FL donned some farm girl dresses and climbed...

Explored some farm equipment...

Enjoyed our horses...

Worked our farm girl muscles by doing our jobs...

And ran and played and had fun in wide, open spaces.

We think everyone should get to grow up on a farm... And if you can't, you'll still enjoy farm week!

We're blessed!

Don't Throw The Baby Out with the Bathwater!

'Cause the babies are darn cute!

And their Mama love, love, loves them!

More than she could ever say!

The Dog Days of Summer

Recently, my sweet, now old, dog has moved back into the house.  In the past year her health has declined rapidly.  Her arthritis is terrible, her eyes have begun to get cloudy and at one point she had stopped eating.  Anyone that has met Ella knows that she is a one of a kind, awesome little dog.  She and I did almost everything together in my single days.  She's beat out purebred /obedience club dogs in a contest, winning me a nice prize.  A dear friend's daughter's first word was "Ella".  She's protected me from creepers at my door, run stray cats out of the yard, killed snakes, helped me raise a few litters of kittens, alerted me to a robbery in progress and protected me from the perpetrator!  She's just wonderful.

Ella enjoyed her carefree life on the farm, but I know she really missed being in the house everyday.  Once we brought the girls home, I thought they'd never see the inside of the house again, as C's fear of dogs (animals in general) was/is so great.  C is a brave little girl, but dogs are something that I was beginning to think she'd never grow to tolerate, much less enjoy.  As much as I love animals, it broke my heart.  

Well, once I saw my dear, sweet dog suffering and I realized my time with her might be very limited, I bit the bullet, bathed her (with my animal loving FL's help) and moved her in.  I won't go into all of the details of C's reaction, but it was disheartening, as Ella is such a good and gentle dog.

I am so happy to say that a big change has come about in their relationship.   A BIG change in only a week and a half.

She started with just talking to Ella and showing her things from afar.

She wanted to be like FL, who has no respect for Ella's personal space no matter how many times I correct, demonstrate proper behavior and remind her.  FL just sticks her sweet face right in Ella's.  Ugh.  But Ella has always been this sweet.

The other day, the girls wanted to read/show books to me while I was preparing an activity that had to be done that day.  In desperation, I told them to pull up a cushion and read and show Ella.

This happened:

And later, this:

Yep, that's C's left hand working hard to pet Ella.  And, um, C petting Ella.  Voluntarily.

C wants to brush her, bring her everywhere with us, make sure she gets her medicine and pick out a different bandana for her to wear on her neck everyday.

It's given C some confidence.  And C is seeing the ways that Ella looks out for her and for our family.  And that Ella is good.

C has been really struggling with her story and all the hurt that surrounds it.  Experts suggested we stop telling her story when she asks and ask her to tell us.  She and I would do this often, and she would always stop at one point.  The point that she became a part of our family.  She couldn't talk about it or go any further.  She would just say, "I can't."   And I believe she is sincere.

I made her a special photo book that I thought would help her tell the story.  C was very excited and I made an exception, and told her the story using the pictures a few times.  She still couldn't tell me the story past the hard part.

And while she still hasn't gotten through the whole thing, she asked to tell the most understanding, nonjudgmental being I know:

And got a little further than she ever had before.

And with God bringing all our little lives together on this blessed farm both human and animal, I think I can finally see a purpose in all of it.

Thank you, God, for your creation, for your Ella.  You are the God that really sees.  And you see all of our hurts and you are slowly growing and healing us all and turning some of our greatest fears into our biggest blessings.

Praise God.

Horses and Happiness

On Saturday, a wonderful thing finally happened!   My daughters rode my horse for the first time!

First they brushed her a little, which they so enjoyed.

They wanted to try each and every brush!

I rode Kahlo for just a few minutes to show them what we would be doing and what a good job she does at listening.  Then Charlotte was first to mount up!

I had them each do a few stretching exercises to make them loosen up and realize that they could move around without upsetting the horse.

I didn't think C would enjoy it or even agree to get on Kahlo's back.

But she did so well (mind you, Kahlo is an excellent and experienced lesson horse, she did great, too!)!  C was asking for "More! More!" when her time was up.  I'm so glad we ended on a positive and excited note!

Next up was Flora Lin, who was more than ready after watching her sister!

She did great as well.  I couldn't have been happier!

She even rode with a full leg cast on!  At the end, she was also asking for more!

 

We didn't stay out for long with Kahlo, but it was just the right amount of time.

I know they're only three, but next time I hope to set up a few cones or interactive obstacles.  I'll be a little more organized and have a helmet ready for them.  Riding will be such a great activity for them both.  It provides exercise for balance, strength, appropriate levels of touch, great sensory work, confidence and will be come a healthy avenue of control/being the leader.  Horses are just good for people!

There's one thing I know that I definitely have to do next time...

I plan to ride a little longer,myself! : )