Happy Valentines Day

Scout worked for a couple weeks on a big project.

Valentines day was coming and she wanted a gift for the best Daddy ever.

Of course the subject would be a horse. A paper mache project. We started by drawing a horse on a piece of cardboard, cutting it out and taping two together.

She tore up newspaper.

We used white glue and water for our paste because it would be a very durable finished product.

After it dried it was painted with primer to cover the newsprint.

Then the decorating began....

the two fisted style of painting...

attention to details....

a serious artist, working in her studio.

Ready for Daddy when he gets home.

Happy Valentines Day Daddy!

Life is Good!!

They are learning!

Our growing children are always learning. Does it look like mess making? Disobedience? What would you do?

Yes it is a mess. But is is also learning, discovering, creativity. Do I want to stop that? Not me, I want to encourage it, nurture it. Be a creative adult....

Life is good!

To icy for horses

The horse kids came today. It is so icy right now it is just not safe to take horses out. We did find plenty to do and the kids had lots of fun.

Hay is brought up to the far end of the paddock, away from the ice. We talked about how you measure a horse, in hands. A hand is 4". We had made "hands" out of cardboard and they started by measuring each other. Our first "horse" measured 12 hands plus 2", 12.2. How many inches are you? How many feet? Then they measured the horses and even Stennis, the dog.

It was pretty cold yesterday. Stennis trying to keep his little piggies warm!

With no snow on the barn/greenhouse roof and the wood stove had been going all morning, it was pretty toasty in the art studio. Stennis joined us for lunch.

We started an art project, paper mache horses. It was cold on the fingers dunking in the glue with bare fingers. But with hot cocoa cups and a little persistence they did a great job. We will continue them next week and you will see the pictures when they are finished.

The kids all gravitated back outside and found chickens, this one now named Amber Grace....

and sleds!

They played, explored, created, innovated and had fun for the next couple hours! Do you see the fourth rider?

Here's a closer look.

And where was Scout?

Inside, getting naked and applying a tattoo!

Happy Days

A hike with Daddy

The weather was so mild over the weekend the snow actually started melting away for the first time this winter

:(

Scouty and I took Daddy to Scorton creek for a hike.

The tide was coming in and there was lots to see...can you see who is sitting on the post?

A kingfisher

Tatonka goes for a swim

A very cool burl

Who was hunting for food?

The ice is melting off the bog.

Can you see what is on the waters edge?

Cranberries!

The boys having fun with the ice.

We spot a wood duck as we head back across the creek.

Everyone came out hiking on that day...it was a dog party!!

Best of all we got to go hiking together. We all feel so much better after time outside, exercise, fresh air and exploration. Life is good!

Haircut

We finally made it to the haircut Scout has been requesting for weeks!

She was such  a big girl, as usual. Thank you Tracy!!

Tuckered out on the way home.

A Nest in Nature

We made our first visit to a Nest in Nature yesterday. It was an awesome gathering of families with children birth to age five. Marcia has a beautiful home with lots of creative toys to explore.

Magnets

elastic board

the rice bucket was a favorite..

she went back to this activity several times throughout the morning...

there's more then one way to enjoy rice!

time to sit and observe

outside to visit the creatures

mutual kisses

To cool for school

we can't wait for next week!