Adventures On a Rural Homestead

Bird Study

Alex has been very interested in birds lately. We've enjoyed reading about John James Audubon and are doing a free 10 week Audubon bird study. Alex has been keeping our four bird feeders full, and giving them other treats too like oranges and popcorn. While I read aloud in the mornings he's been busy drawing birds. 

I love to see the shading he is learning, and the time and detail he puts into his lovely bird drawings. 

Eli asked if Alex would give him a bird drawling lesson. Alex made a wonderful numbered page showing Eli the general shape of a bird, Eli was delighted and spent time drawing birds this morning. Our next project is making homemade suet feeders! 

 

Art Show

The boys were looking for something to do this morning, and Eli asked Alex to have a business with him. They decided to have an art show, and spent the day creating things to sell. Alex made figures from Sculpey, paintings and a finger-knitted snake, Eli colored cards and bookmarks. Nick hung lights and moved tables into the garage. The boys got everything arranged and priced, and invited Grammy and Grampa to come see their artwork and shop. 

It was so fun to see them spending hours making things, and their pleasure in showing others their creations. 

Eli enjoyed making bookmarks using colors that Grammy and Grampa picked, and Alex made Maple leaf rubbing bookmarks. We had a great time examining what they'd made, and talking about Grammy and Nick's time doing art shows. 

Weekend Fun

We had a wonderful weekend home together. Saturday started with buttermilk pancakes and creating. Alex watched a wonderful video on Red Ted Art and learned how to finger knit a snake, and even increased the stitches for a wider head. 

While Alex made a snake Eli did some beading and made a necklace. The boys were both very pleased with their creations. Alex made a snake for Nick's artwork shelf at work, and Eli made a bracelet.

Sunday morning the boys picked apples, and were delighted to get 2 1/2 5-gallon buckets full of apples. I woke up Sunday with a stiff neck and migraine headache, and had planned to relax and sort homeschool materials and make some sweet treats. Instead I needed to can applesauce! My sweet mama came to help, and my dad came later in the day to visit. 

We canned 27 pints of delicious applesauce, and enjoyed pizza and ice cream together for dinner. It was a wonderful weekend of fun and food preservation! 

 

Friday Creating

We had a lovely day yesterday. Over mid-day breakfast we listened to Susan Wise Bauer's "The Story of the World," while sitting on the back porch. After eating I read aloud from our chapter book "Sees Behind Trees," and more from the Trickster Tales graphic novel. 

Then Alex printed some of his block print bird cards, he's making some more sets to sell. It's so wonderful to see him printing all by himself, and he even cleaned up when he was finished! 

While Alex printed cards Eli played CatStax, a fun puzzle game.

The boys had both asked to go to my parents house, so we headed to visit them after lunch. Eli asked Grammy if he could see her bead collection, and have some to make necklaces and bracelets. It was very sweet to see them discussing the stories of where the beads came from (my mom made some of the glass beads!), colors and materials. He brought home jars of beads and made a necklace and bracelet last night, and is eager to do more beading projects. 

It was a lovely day of good food, stories, creating and visits. I am so thankful to spend these days with my boys! 

Make It Monday

The boys have been working on carving blocks to print for cards. Nick started our Christmas card on Sunday, and for Make It Monday Alex and Eli both drew a card design and started their carving. Alex made a neat design of Petey and Levi on our rug, Eli drew a sweet scene around a Christmas tree. 

While the boys worked on carving I worked on winding more of my embroidery floss onto paper tabs to go in my organizer, and made needle felted acorn ornaments. We create throughout the week, Alex draws every single day and Eli likes to draw and build cardboard box creations. But it is nice to have a set day that we all pull out our handwork projects. I'm glad that Alex asked me to do Make It Mondays again! 

Make It Monday

We revived our tradition of Make It Mondays yesterday, starting by baking chocolate chip cookies. Alex asked if he could bake cookies. I showed him the recipe, he gathered all the ingredients and did the mixing, I helped put them onto the trays to bake. I told him tips like that the cookies are done when they lose the glossy look, he liked knowing that. 

Then we finished the pinecone bird feeders the kids had made and took them outside to hang for the birds.

Alex also started working on carving a block to print for cards. He plans to make another set to sell before the holidays, like the bird greeting cards he carved and printed last year.

The boys both asked to knit, so that is our next project, as well as making felt reindeer ornaments through the library's' (free!) Creativebug program. 

Family Culture

Yesterday afternoon, while Nick split firewood and I painted the kitchen, the boys played games. They played Monopoly, checkers, and an ant board game. I love seeing them play together, (mostly) peacefully enjoying each others company. It's so important to me that our family culture is one of peace. 

After they played games they each painted a canvas. It was fun to hear them work together, like when Eli needed help opening a paint cap. I dearly love these boys, and the family culture we are creating. 

Alex woke up with a stomach bug today. We watched a Mystery Science and did the included paper airplane experiment, then he went back to bed. We've spent time together listening to Brains On and I've read lots from our read aloud, "Henry and the Paper Route." Alex told me that as he lies in bed he watches "bird t.v.," the birds in the Maple tree in our backyard. Sometimes even sick days can be good down-time to relax together, to shower the sick with comfort. Eli has been making drawings for Alex, and has taken him lip balm and water. Chicken and potatoes are roasting in the oven, and I'm looking forward to a quiet family evening together. 

Alex's Cards

Alex designed, carved and printed sets of bird greeting cards to sell this winter. He printed 100 cards a couple of weeks ago, and they were sold in one day. He printed more this weekend, and has had fun selling them. I love the action in his birds, especially the red cardinal with an ant in it's mouth. The cards include envelopes, and are sold in sets of 8 (2 cards per design) for $20 shipped. Just send me an email if you would like some lovely handmade cards!

Morning Project

Nick brought home a container of air dry clay for us last night, and the boys were eager to make things with it after breakfast this morning. I joined them, and Alex helped me make a little Marley dog (our dog that passed away recently) to keep on top of my dresser. When I put together the form it looked too cat-like, Alex showed me how to change it to a dog face with a few simple touches. 

The boys had fun using the googly eyes they got at the Creative Reuse store in Lancaster in their clay creations. After they dry they plan to paint them, another little project for a few mornings from now. I love having this time to sit down and create with the boys! 

 

Alex's Drawing

Alex has been doing a wonderful job when he wakes up early in the morning of quietly going downstairs to draw while he waits for us to wake up. I love this drawing he made of the chickens. This is what he told me about it: "Big Brown Eyes invited Mousey (on left) and Bucket (on right) over for tea and cake. While Mousey admired her digging pit Bucket let out a loud crow, but Bigs was prepared because she was wearing ear protectors. And that is a famous painting hanging on her wall." Ha! I do love his lively imagination, and the boldness of his drawing.