Perception

Perception is a funny thing, isn't it?

This morning I stood before my closet, staring at all my autumn weather clothes feeling a bit sorry for myself for not making the effort to set some money aside and get a couple of new garments.  I have owned a lot of the clothing I have for so many years that they feel faded, worn, and just plain old. Kevin likes to point out that I can be selfless to the point of not having things I need so that my family can have things they want. That may be true but I am okay with it for the most part - except on days like this, when I become fixated on how others perceive me.

I finally find a dress I feel okay wearing when I remember that the zipper broke on my autumn/winter boots last summer. So I can wear my sandals, barn boots, or Converse with the dress, none of which are ideal for church or 38 degree weather. I put the dress back and settle on a maxi style dress that will hide my barn boots and keep me warm.

This was sometime before Baby F decided to take my full cup of coffee and throw it across the dining room and after one of my sweet daughters stood crying before me because she didn't have warm enough water in the shower and was utterly cold (The floods took out our furnace. The repair men finally have the part they need and are fixing it Monday). Perhaps it was the cold or maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but this day just did not seem to be going very well.

We ended up having to stand out in the vestibule area of our church for Mass because we arrived nearly a half hour late and there were no seats. After Mass Baby F and I took the kids to RE class and then drove home to regroup and try to restart our day. I felt a bit better when I went back to pick them up. K came out of her RE class and chatted about what she did today (All of my children love RE. They always have so much to tell me afterwards). Her class was mostly focused on charity, how people spend their money, rich versus poor and so on. One of K's friends in class said that she thought our family was rich. K (finding that thought quite amusing) asked her why and she said it was because we were always so well dressed at Mass. Her other classmates agreed. I just laughed when she told me this. Here I am thinking that everyone is perceiving us as a band of ragamuffins and they somehow see us as something we are not at all. What a humbling thought that was. A reminder to be a little bit gentler with myself and that things aren’t always as they appear.

*Of course none of what I just said is related to the photos above. Those were all from our field trip last Friday to Indraloka Animal Sanctuary. Baby F declared it was home and boy did he act like it was! We were so happy to find a place like this in Pennsylvania. All of my children want us to go back soon and volunteer.

Perception

Family Homesteading

My friend and homesteading extraordinaire Teri Page just released a book (that I have been looking forward to) this week - Family Homesteading. My family and I have only just begun our long anticipated homesteading adventures so this book couldn't have come at a better time. It has already become an invaluable resource for us. I have been highlighting and taking notes as I read, trying to soak in all of Teri's wisdom that she kindly shares with us all. The funny thing is, every time I put the book down, I come back to find my daughters reading it. They seem to be as enamored with the book as I am.

I recently asked Teri a couple of questions about homesteading with children, hoping to glean some of her endless knowledge on the subject. I thought some of you might be in or near the same place as my family with homesteading and wanted to share her answers with you.

At what age do you think children can start with animal chores - specifically chickens and what do you think is the best way for them to start?

 Introducing children to animal chores can begin at a very early age - we first brought our babies to the barn as infants! - but actually entrusting the care of animals to the children is something that you'll have to evaluate on a case by case basis, based on maturity, interest, and ability. My kids began helping with chicken chores from a very early age. Their first job was to "socialize" the chicks by holding them! As toddlers, the kids accompanied us to the barn and carried the eggs back in a harvesting basket, tossed straw on the coop floor, and carried bowls of food scraps. Once they were tall enough to reach latches, they began opening and closing the coop and feeding the flock. Now that they are older (7 and 10), my kids are more engaged with the day-to-day of chicken care than I am. They know each bird by name and personality, and are the first to spot health problems or food shortages. I still enjoy accompanying them to the coop, but they are the chickens' primary caretakers.

How can you motivate your children to help out on the farm/homestead, for example, when they would rather be in the house reading? 

This is a great question, and I'm afraid that I don't have a magic answer for you! Kids have their own interests and hobbies, and I think it is important to give them the space and time to cultivate their own interests. On the other hand, the family has responsibilities, and kids are part of the family, so can be expected to contribute according to their age and ability. Some things that have worked for us: We have always tried to make farm and homestead chores about connection and fun. We plan the garden to include favorite vegetables, walk to the garden together to harvest, and cook meals that include contributions from their beds. When we were milking cows early in the morning, before the kids were awake enough to chat, we set them up in comfy chairs in the barn to listen to Sparkle Stories. Most importantly, we try to strike a balance between asking them to do chores on their own, and making it something we do together. I have had some of my best conversations while accompanying my daughter to the chicken coop. My end goal is for my children to experience a connection to nature, to the seasons, and to the other members of our family; it's not to raise little homesteaders (although I'd certainly love that!). I also want to cultivate a sense of responsibility and an ability to work hard and follow through with commitments. So I have to continually assess whether or not their contributions to farm/homestead work are meeting these goals, or if we need to make adjustments.


Terri also has a free e-course available to go along with her book here : http://familyhomesteadingbook.com/ Go check her book out!

Family Homesteading

beautiFULL

These days have been beautifully full. We took our dying dog Paw Paw to the yearly blessing of the animals on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. The children all brought a chicken as well and Baby F, who is not old enough to be responsible for a pet at the blessing, brought his favorite stuffed animal fox. I am sad I didn't get any photos of the actual blessing but if you just look at the face on my baby boy in the 2nd photo from the bottom, you might understand why. 😉😇

Kevin and I took the boys to a local harvest festival while the girls were having some special Grandma time. Baby F really enjoyed the folk band that was playing. I love to see him get into music like that. The festival couldn't hold a candle to our beloved Portland Waldorf School Harvest Festivals but we still had a good time. I think the boys were just happy to see firetrucks and pumpkins. They are easy to please.

Kevin had the chance to help out our landlord in the fields last week. Of course this made him a rock star to his boys. They watched in awe as he drove by. Our landlord is teaching him everything he knows about the tractors and farm life. Kevin told him just how much our boys love watching him when he is in the fields working so he brought them a John Deere book to look at and a toy catalog. I thought that was such a kind thing to do. It was a big deal to both my boys, especially L. I am afraid to say because well, Murphy's Law, but we really, really like our landlord. He is such a kind, caring person. We feel so fortunate to be renting from him and just to know him.

This move has been a blessing to us on so many levels.

beautiFULL

A Glimpse of Our Future?

We took a field trip to Owen's Farm over the weekend to tie in our recent studies: animals and one of my personal favorite subjects - wool! We were told about the event by a sweet mama in my local Wild + Free group. The farm was doing their annual sheep sorting and we got to help guide the sheep a bit. It was such a fun experience. We also toured their farm while we were there. Our children were all so happy. The girls lamented over their need to ride horses again. I don't blame them. There is nothing like it. I still miss riding horses from my own childhood. Not to mention how much the connection, confidence and skills developed through horseback riding really help children through the turbulent time of adolescence. Honestly, I feel the riding at their ages really is a need.

Talking with the owners and watching them work made us even more excited for our future farm (I pray it isn't in the too far distant future) I look forward to a flock of our own along with goats, honeybees and horses. Who knows what other animal we'll throw in there. We do seem to have a habit of rescuing any critter we come in contact with 🙈

I can't wait to go back to the farm and get some local wool to work with. What a dream that will be. Local wool I dye myself and then knit up for my children. The only thing that could top that is woll off my own sheep.

A Glimpse of Our Future?