It's all in the way you say it

Yesterday, I asked the children to clean the dining room and they responded with a look that could only be interpreted as "you're nursing home will be an Appalachian coal mine." Today I asked them to defend our plant from crumberian and stickythian invaders from planet highchair using washclothinator technology and it turned into an epic adventure that spread into the kitchen.

When Markers Become Face Paint

When patience pays off

I take no credit for this, but I am excited to watch my children finally set a concrete goal and eschew all other interests to pursue it. Last night they were introduced to the game minecraft and wanted a copy. They found out how much it cost and ASKED for work! I made up a list of jobs last night, and they have been working nearly continuously and generally on task since 9am weeding and cleaning tile grout by hand.

Other highlights from the day:

• Our bees are loving the lavender in the front yard. The have also drawn comb on all but one bar.
• Most tomato plants are up to 2 or 3 vertical supports now
• The lemon tree has several new lemons on it (the first round all fell off but one, and a bird got that one, but we've learned that lemons will bloom relatively continuously 
• Quinton says bunny (he pronounces it baaughly), car (caugh), and truck (cuck)
• We have a few cherries on our Richmonds that are ripe, and even though the birds got them, it's good to see them viable
• We have a few blueberries which hopefully means my acid amendments have been sufficient
• I tore out the remaining butter crisp lettuce (which was bolting) and turned into into mulch for another round of dry beans

Look Mom! An Eye Pad!

Today, Payge put one of her large feathered headbands over her eyes like Jordy from Star Trek

Then proudly exclaimed, "Look!  I've got an eye-pad!" (iPad).

To which Zac replied, "Hey she figured out a way to lie without really lying.  ha!"

June

Hard to see, but there are worker bees chewing their way out of capped cells. Zachary and Chayce watched complete hatchings with me.

Quinton lets the chickens loose, Zachary helps retrieve.

Peas climbing a trellis made of pruned grape vines

We planted 9 Black Hills Spruce behind our back fence.

Quinton helped plant the spruce

Quinton spraying the chickens (the hose was in the chicken run to spray aphids off the plums)

Quinton smiling on the front porch

Chayce cheering on Payge, who taught her self to ride without training wheels

Playing nonchalant prior to a nearly nude front door escape from the house

One step forward and two steps back

Payge wants to grow her hair out after her self cut attempt earlier this year (or was it late last year). Though she had made much progress, she decided her bangs needed a trim and took things into her own hands. Again. 

Climb the mountain

Today I made it 1/3 of the way to the 8,800 peak behind our house. The average grade was 34%. It took 2 hours, so I'm looking at 6-8 hour trip to get to the peak and back in one day. I'll have to condition all the little stabilizer muscles in my legs more to make the downhill part of the trip safe.