The Anne Tea

Several months ago, I referenced Davy Keith in a conversation and my Younger Blossoms didn't know who I was talking about.  He's one of the twins whom Marilla later adopts in the Anne books, by L.M. Montgomery. 

"I've failed as a mother!" I wailed.

And then we dove into reading Anne of Green Gables aloud, because we must start at the beginning and we must hear of all Anne's adventures from the books where it all began.  

The Anne books are all long and that's a bit daunting to me when reading aloud, but we enjoyed a chapter a day during lunch clean-up.  These books are still as fun and heart-warming as ever.  The entire series is one of the most well-worn series on our bookshelves.  

About a month ago, we finally finished reading Anne of Green Gables aloud and a little idea sprouted.

"Let's have an Anne Tea Party!"

Eight young ladies stopped over in Anne-era shawls, brooches, and calicoes.  

Although Blossom2 is very busy with her college work, she couldn't resist this opportunity!  She baked Raspberry Tarts, Pumpkin Biscuits, Mini Victoria Sponge, and Tea Cakes.  Blossom3 and Blossom4 pitched in pulling together flower arrangements, dusting off the china and silver, tidying up, and digging through the dress-up for Green Gables appropriate dress.  All was done very properly according to the tastes of Anne with an E.  Tea was sipped, cakes were sampled, and smiles prevailed.

and then the girls went outside in the autumn air and played football.  

More Signs of Fall

Blossom3 and Blossom4 decorated their shelves in all their autumn artwork.  

They've amassed quite a collection!

I built these shelves out of the ends of old pallets for this precise reason.  I wanted to Blossom3 especially to be able to switch out and display her artwork on her own.

Meanwhile, I updated the mantle in the living room.  I don't spend a lot of time decorating but snagging some pretty things from the box in the basement and my stash in the cupboard takes about 5 minutes or less.  I'm not ashamed to reuse some of the same pieces year after year.

It's so good to bring beauty into our home and encourage ourselves to celebrate good things!

Over the years, I've found that embracing the seasons is a good and practical way for me to 

"smile at the days ahead."

"Happy Fall, Y'all!"

Dominique

Rabbits for Fun Things

Sometimes we use our rabbits for extra fun things...

Like Sunset Milkshakes!  

Blossom4 and Weston won the Cutest division of our Dress Up Your Fair Animal contest this year!  

It tickled me that she came up with this idea and executed it all on her own.  

(Thankfully, Weston mostly behaved himself for the contest.)

Dominique

School, but in a Different Place

Sometimes it's fun to change it up a little bit.  Variety is the spice of life, after all.

We drove to Blossom2's place of work, to surprise her for her birthday.

An added benefit is that we decided to spread out and enjoy our coffee, chai, and goodies over a little schoolwork.  Why rush off?

It helps that the atmosphere is peaceful and soul-filling there.

The younger Blossoms settled in beyond the novelty of it and got right to work.  

Maybe they felt grown up.

Blossom1, of course, had no trouble.  Coffee shops are her vibe and studying is her game.

Blossom2 popped over whenever she had a break to taste our goodies

and snap silly selfies with her sisters.  

Her boss is one of three girls.  I'm pretty sure she was back in the kitchen grinning at the sister fun.

I helped the younger Blossoms periodically, but also delved into Know and Tell, an excellent book about having your children narrate back to you what they have read and learned.  It's a sort of verbal processing that I find logical and fascinating.

I was astonished at the amount of work the younger Blossoms were able to accomplish.  It seems they embraced the treat, but settled into the work.  

(We were wise and chose work that was most conducive with a coffee shop environment.)  

We left feeling accomplished, refreshed, and together.

I think that someday, these are the little things they will remember.

Dominique

A Deep Breath

In the morning, when I rise,

give me Jesus.

Squeeeeeeeeeeze It In

It seems that family time is about making the most of the little opportunities that present themselves.  Yes, making sure there is margin enough for those opportunities to be able to present themselves is surely important too.  

Daylight fades earlier and earlier this time of year.  On those evenings when a Blossom pipes up, "Hey, can we all go on a walk?"

We say, "Yes!" even though the dishes will need to be done after darkness falls... 
or some other such task will need to be moved around... 
or something else can be delayed for a bit.

And some of us lag behind and some of us speed ahead, but there's time for the conversation and laughter to happen.

Some of the best family times are the in-between times, 

the squeezed-in times, 

the normal times, 

the every day times that we scoop up and hold on to.

So, I will keep my eyes open for those opportunities and make the most of saying, "YES!"

The (Non) Waterfall Hike

Over Labor Day, this mama wanted to take a hike.  My favorite kind of hikes are those that lead to waterfalls or something scenic.

I hiked Jacoby Falls ages ago with a good friend of mine.  It was one of those rare mama outings that memorably lives on for a variety of reasons.  

Blossom1 pointed out that she researched this hike before and heard that flow can be hit or miss.  

However, I argued that we've had tons of rain, so it should be fine, right?

Besides, this is 1.6 miles.  It's an easy hike and it's beautiful one way or the other.  After a very busy and hard-working weekend, we're certain this is the hike for this weekend!  

Plus, there is the promise of local creamery ice cream afterward.  

Beginning with a long and charming boardwalk over a marsh isn't a bad way to start either.

We even saw a little bit of wildlife ~ a tiny, feisty snake that would quake at the sight of an earthworm.  

The younger three Blossoms charged ahead with Binney.  They were off and running straight off the boardwalk so fast that I wondered if they realized they were following the yellow blazes.  The Rugged Mountain Man reminded me that we have taught them a lot about navigating in the woods through the years.  He was right.  They were fine.  

Henceforth, though, I will give instructions while we are still in the truck.  Once those doors open into the Great Outdoors, they are like kids in a candy store.

We arrived to this beautiful stone bowl to their matter-of-fact announcements, "There's no water."  

They didn't seemed bummed; the geology is still really, really cool.  

A massive stone bowl between two mountains?!!!!

Blossom4 scampered about like the mountain goat she is with Miss Bianca.

And Miss Bianca eventually treed a porcupine... thankfully, without having tasted it first.

The promise of local creamery ice cream may have caused a bit of skipping down the boardwalk.  This mama isn't the only ice cream connoisseur in the family.

I turned around one last time to admire my autumn field favorite - goldenrod...

... and to reflect, 

these truly are the special times.

Dominique

Here We Are (Again)

How long have we been doing this now?!!!  

This will be our fifteenth year!  

These snapshots are from our recent first day of book work.  I don't say "first day of school because we've been cranking through school all summer long - 

4-H animal projects, 

event planning and preparation,

research projects, 

sewing projects, 

homestead management, 

public speaking, 

physical education,

public relations, 

nature study...

there is so much school that happens all summer long!

But, here we are again, settling into the regular, everyday book work routine for the year.  

Blossom1 and Blossom2 are independent.  Blossom1 is in her final year at Nelson University. Blossom2 is hoping to finish a business degree by the time of her high school graduation next year.  For the two of them, I really am only called in for assistance in sorting out difficult IT problems, troubles with textbook orders and such details as that.  As you know, we communicate often about school demands and scheduling.  I am humbly grateful for their level of independence when it comes to their assignments, weekly schedule, and study habits.  It took a lot of training over the years to get to this place.

Blossom3 is in ninth grade now.  She grew so much last year when I greatly intensified her course load.  I was so pleased when she rose to the challenge.  Knowing where she was developmentally and academically, the Rugged Mountain Man and I felt like we could do that.  

This year, in science, she is doing a Botany course with a curriculum I've never used before.  Since she loves plants and art, I felt this was a really good fit for her.  Because of the wide variety of botanical material that is covered, it's almost like a career exploration course for her!  I realize that this isn't par for the usual high school course, but understanding our daughter, her gifts and talents, and where she may be headed, this seemed like a solid high school decision.  Only time will tell, but I am growing as much as they are in that it is sometimes hard for me to veer away from "what I've always done."

Sixth grade for our baby Blossom4!  Wow!  As far as her attention span and academic perseverance, the past two years have shown some serious growth.  I sure am glad because that can be a frustrating phase when your child draws school out to last til 9:30 at night.  I am looking forward to her unique interests surfacing in the coming years.  She's happy and creative and fun and uncomplicated.  I am looking for ways to isolate and magnify her interests.  Beyond that, my goal is to continue to facilitate a simple and wholesome childhood for her each day.  If that means craft scraps scattered around, so be it.  If that means disappearing into a nook with Nancy Drew, so be it.  

After the last 15 first days of school over the years, my outlook is more measured.  The year is not decided in the first day or the first week even.  

Largely, it will be determined by how much I, and resultingly, THEY, soldier on day after day after day.  Each day, we will adjust.  

We will shoot for our routine.  

We will do it when it's hard.  

We will do it when it's fun.  

We'll skip it in lieu of something that I think will work better for the day.  

We will do it again when it's hard.

And we will go to bed with a deep breath of gratitude or a prayer for help on our lips, 

and we'll get up the next day and give it another shot... 

again and again and again.  

Day by day, a beautiful education is being crafted.

Dominique

The Signs of Autumn

There are typical signs of fall that folks tend to recognize ~ 

brilliant, changing leaves, 

sumptuous mums for sale at every Amish stand, 

and pumpkin spice at every turn.  

I love marking passing of seasons by observing lesser known signs.

~ Misty autumn fogs, heralding the chillier mornings

~ the dog days locusts and the crickets' dusky symphony

~ popping Touch-Me-Nots (Jewelweed) on meandering walks down our country road

~ delectable apple pies

~ Chai everything

~ pears all over the kitchen

~ rumblings of football talk

"She smiles at the days ahead..."

Dominique

Unpopular: Serving Your Children

Am I a doormat?  Sometimes we mamas wonder this.  

I make food.  

I pick up clutter.

I calm fears.  

I wash clothes.  

I educate.  

I scrub.

I solve problems.

I do what no one else wants to do,

or remembers to do.  

I serve.  

Jesus came to serve. He modeled serving in a way that blows my mind.  He washed the disciples' feet.  It was one of the lowest tasks and to think of the Son of God, scrubbing the crust off of regular folks' disgusting, stinky feet is mind-boggling to me.

That's what I want to emulate.  

It seems to me that serving goes back to my attitude, rather than how my family treats me.  When I approach each task with Jesus' mindset, serving isn't so revolting.  

I've been thinking about serving my children.  It's not a very popular line of thought:

Serving our Blossoms right now looks like:

~ graciously picking up feed from the Mill when they accidentally underestimate how much we needed.

~ finding ways to lighten the load when time demands are higher.  Sometimes that means I'm scrubbing a floor or cleaning a bathroom that I don't normally have to clean.

~ keeping the gallon of green tea on the counter full, because Blossom2 loves it.

~ staying up late while a Blossom finishes an important assignment, just so I can bring over a cup of tea or help her stay awake.

~ washing her favorite water bottle.

~ scrubbing a favorite, stained mug.

~ rebraiding (again) the front braid that is helping Blossom3 stay sane while she grows her bangs out.

~ stopping what I'm doing to help find a missing article of clothing or possession.  

~ dropping off her package that needs to be returned.

There is a time and a place for me to stay out of situations so that they learn responsibility or learn a lesson.  I'm always training and teaching so the girls can handle more responsibility and master more life skills.  The Lord gives me wisdom and discretion.  

I'm just finding that the Lord gets to the heart of the matter with me and nudges me to serve.  Sometimes they're appreciative and sometimes they don't notice.  

Either way, through love, I will serve my family.

"...through love serve one another."

Galatians 5:13, NASB

Solutions for Busy Families

Solutions, solutions, solutions!

I love a good solution!  We've had to make some adjustments lately for our busy family of six.  With two Blossoms in college, five jobs between the two of them, other relationships to consider, plus the rest of the family's 4-H, craft show, homestead, and church schedule, we're all on the same team.  That's what I keep telling everyone.  

We're all on the same team!

~ Sunday nights, we have a big pow-wow about what the week is looking like, and what needs to be done.  This helps to relieve the frustration of Daddy walking in and saying, "Grass needs mowed today," and the resulting panicked responses of, 

"I have a huge exam today."

"I have a lengthy paper that I'm finishing today!"

"I have to go clean the airBnB today."

"I was already planning on going to ______ today."

Our Sunday night pow-wow helps to gauge everyone's stress level and what kind of expectations we have for each other.  It helps those of us who have an easier week to pick up some slack or pitch in and help other family members.  It blesses my heart so much when one of the other Blossoms says, "Don't worry about that.  I can do that for you," to one of their sisters.

Our Sunday night pow-wow helps the younger Blossoms to be aware of what to expect for the week.  Meaning, it won't be a week in the hammock reading. It also helps us nail down open time slots for concentrated family time because...

~ We now schedule family time!  During our Sunday night pow-wow, we look at what evenings or afternoons we are all home and available.  We block a certain amount of time out on our schedules.  It doesn't mean we do anything fancy - hang out in the living room or on the porch and chat, throw a ball in the back yard, listen to each other, line dance in the back yard, or have a pizza night.  Because the time is blocked out, sometimes we get to do more - go fishing or go out for ice cream.  Either way, the quality time takes TIME.  We're prioritizing that time by eliminating the "I wouldn't have scheduled  _____ if I had realized you wanted me to be here for family time!"

~ We now have a weekly homestead work list.  Saturdays have always been homestead work day here.  There are different work schedules to consider and we still try to all be doing homestead work on Saturdays.  Some weeks there are just different demands though (like Saturday craft shows for the Younger Blossoms).  Since there is a list posted, all Blossoms consult the list and work on the weekly tasks in more convenient time slots.  We're perfecting this approach, but this solution is helping us stay on the same page and stay on top of things.  Ya gotta stay on top of the demands of farm life.  Otherwise, the poop piles just get bigger and grosser.

~ Morning pow-wows after devotions are still very important here.  We each talk about what our schedules hold for the day, as well as the imperative tasks to accomplish.  This really, really helps to keep everyone in the loop and be understanding of one another.  Blossom2 works early mornings two days a week, so we're still figuring out how to keep us all on the same page when she misses that morning's pow-wow.  For the most part though, it's still working for us.  

~ We invite each other on Google Calendar.  When I really don't want the girls to miss their cousin's graduation ceremony or I really need them to be home to watch the Younger Blossoms, I set up an event in my Google Calendar and invite them (and vice versa).  It probably seems ridiculous, since we all live in the same house, but it sure helps us all to plan around important things.  

~ We had a Fair: What To Work On list on the whiteboard.  The Older Blossoms know the drill but the Younger Blossoms were mistakenly thinking that summer meant you do nothing... all day... every day.  That's not how we roll here.  There's plenty to work on independently, and Mom doesn't have to be looking over your shoulder all the time.  I talked through each item when the list was posted.  I instructed how to access some of the resources needed to accomplish the tasks and they whittled away at that list.  It helps.  

As you've noticed, no solution 100% solves a problem, but it helps.  That's what we need, tools that help keep our family's relationship a priority and tools that keep us on the same page.  We're constantly tweaking these things to work for our family, but the more we communicate, the better daily life can be!

Vacation 2024

We look forward to our vacation all year long.  

It's a very intentional reset, a time of refreshing and re-bonding.  

It's something special that happens when there are no bars of service on the phones big skies and mountains dwarfing us.

It's a time to keep an eye on the Hurricane Debby-inflated waters, 

so we can kayak at the perfect time for each Blossom's skill level.

We come together over delicious food too. The Rugged Mountain Man cooks it all wondrously over a grill and a tripod on the firepit the girls and I built one afternoon ages ago.  I'm responsible for simple side dishes... like steaming our homegrown sweet corn and then we feast, feast, feast, feast!

This year, I can't tell you how thrilled I was when the Older Blossoms took over a couple of breakfasts so that I could have a real break.  WOW.  Just wow.

And then when Blossom2 brought me a special latte she whipped up one morning, 

my heart was happy, happy, happy.

We tend to take time to notice the little things... and the big things too.

There are some non-negotiable traditions, 

like swinging into the creek 

or scenic drives together

or hikes.  

(For a mama who highly values quality time, those are activities that make my heart overflow.)

This time, one Blossom really, really wanted to check out a coffee shop an hour away.

And someone wanted to check out the four-wheeling trails over the mountain.  

We chat, we plan, we roll with the punches (like when ANOTHER bridge is out...) 

and we rest together.

We are oh so grateful.