Hiking with family

It is remarkably warm here at the ranch in contrast to the sub zero temps we had almost two weeks ago.  Typical of this area, we go from ten to 80 degrees in a very short time.  But I'm not complaining because we had a very mild winter compared to most people in the U.S.

Now the water problems are slowly being repaired, my house is returning to normal and the sunshine beckons us outdoors.  I've spent so much time trying to dig out of the piles of laundry and dishes left over from going without water in the house that I was really getting cabin fever.  So when we had our first warm day that wasn't windy (those days are few and far between February - May) our family decided to go arrowhead hunting for the first time in almost a year. 

We have to take the ranch dune buggy to the area we like to hike.  And when I say 'hike' let me clarify my version of hiking.  It really means walking on big rocks.  We live in terrain that is hard to really go hiking in because we're surrounded by things that will poke, cut or bite you. 

This will be the first time to take the Punkin since she has really started walking and it will be good to get her out in the rocks and get her used to it.  I have always carried her in a backpack,  but now that she is two she will be able to get around with her brother and sister, who navigate the rocks like little Auodads. 

Punkin is not as excited about walking around by herself as I thought she would be.  The grass is really high.



Thankfully her big sister likes to hold her hand and walk with her.  She loves to be a little mommy.  She babies Punkin more than any of us.

My son is little too adventurous and so most of my time was spent making sure he didn't fall and break his arm.  Our dog Diego never leaves his side.

We're only out and hour or two before someone starts crying for a diaper change, a snack or because one of them finally falls in to a cactus.  Daddy has taken all the whining he can stand and waits patiently in the dune buggy.

Now that Mommy has been outside to get her much needed Vitamin D, I feel much better.  Sometimes it just takes a little sunshine and exercise.

Bad Mommy Days

Sometimes I have a bad Mommy day.  There's nothing else I can do that sufficiently explains why everything just goes wrong inside this house.  I can blame it on all different kinds of factors, but sometimes...its just me. 

As anyone that knows me can tell you, I have the patience of Job.  I seldom lose my temper. However, I feel like I am at maximum capacity today.  The deep freeze of the millennium has left us without water for almost two weeks.  Apparently the freeze burnt a pump out and although we had water, it was nary a trickle and I couldn't wash dishes, do laundry or take a bath for over a week.  You can imagine the pile up that has occurred in a house with three small children and a working man.

This is unusual for this part of Texas and even more frustrating, it was unaccompanied by any type of moisture, which we desperately need.  Apparently, according to the older folks in town, this has not happened since 1962, a tale that has now local folklore because all of the women who told me about this also remember their husbands being out for days busting up frozen water troughs while they stayed home giving spit baths to their own children.  Of course, dishwashers and washing machines were still a bit of a luxury and they weren't smack down crazy trying to figure out what to do with themselves without these appliances.  I thumb through my mother in law's grandmothers journal trying to find some reference to how she handled something like this but....she had people!  I don't.  I AM the people.

I haven't mopped the floors, the towels lie molding in the corner, no one has clean sheets, dishes pile up in the sink still swimming in their pre super bowl glory, and laundry is stacked up in piles waiting to be put away as I've loaded and, then unloaded them after two hour round trips to town to wash. 

Anyway.... back to the reason I'm so grouchy.  I'm frustrated and overwhelmed and I'm projecting this on to my children.  The chaos is everywhere and I think chaos is breeding chaos like jackrabbits around here.  Not to mention all three of the children are sick which makes them whiny and temperamental.  It's a trifecta of craziness!  So apparently all of the habit training Charlotte Mason talked about is out the window!  No one is cleaning up after themselves, there's UFC fight championships being  held over stuffed animals, the littlest scrape sends them over into full throttle breakdowns, the baby keeps getting into markers and using them for makeup, school doesn't get started until 9 a.m. and even when it starts it just stalls.....and I find myself whirling through the house yelling like a character out of some Edward Albee play.

When children sense frustration, instability and chaos, it makes them nervous and when they're nervous they take it out on each other, you and the living room furniture.  Slowly but surely, you have to redirect their energies to something productive and then get back on a schedule.  I have to calm down.    I've resorted to using my Mary Poppins voice.  I don't really mean anything I say with my Mary Poppins voice, but it's like being a greeter at the Gap, eventually you'll start believing yourself and the mood is changed.

Ten Days of Charlotte Mason with www.ourjourneywestward.com

I sometimes have a hard time explaining our homeschooling method, the Charlotte Mason philosophy, to people who are interested in how we teach our children.  I say it's a philosophy because it's not a curriculum but a way of life. 

Cindy, at www.ourjourneywestward.com is hosting Ten Days of Charlotte Mason, sponsored by Heart of the Matter's blog hop.  She is doing a wonderful job of explaining the intricacies of the Charlotte Mason method and explaining key points of the method such as narration, living books, copy work, artists and composers and nature study.  So if you can, join us for a great discussion!

Five goals for February

For February I'm following the lead of Jess at  http://www.makinghome.blogspot.com/ and posting five goals I've made for myself.  As I told her, I tend to make lofty, unattainable goals that leave me feeling like a big loser, so this month I'm going to keep it simple.

1. eat healthier.  This doesn't mean I'm going on another crazy diet with my friend Rachel.  I did the Cinch diet last month and actually gained two pounds.  How anyone can gain weight from eating spinach and raspberries for five days is beyond me. 

No, this time I'm concentrating on eating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables and staying away from fried foods and sugar.  I'm also going to stick to the Deceptively Delicious and Sneaky Chef cookbooks and trick my kids in to eating healthier as well.

2.  Posting more regularly on my blog.

3.  Keeping my school room more organized.

4.  Start my mornings off by reading scripture.

5.  Pay more attention to my toddler during school hours instead of parking her in front of Dora.

If you need a good laugh this Christmas...

Go on over to the Prairie Mother.  She has a post that will make you wet your pants its so funny.  And in the middle of cooking, frantically cleaning and getting ready for the onslaught of hunters arriving the day after Christmas, I needed a good laugh:

http://prairiemother-prairiemother.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-letter-of-failure.html

Michelle

A Frontier Christmas

The kids had the privilege to attend the Ft. Davis National Historic Site's Frontier Christmas last week with the local home school association.  We are so lucky to live in an area where we have an amazing historical treasure like Fort Davis and their living history presentations are a true gift to our children.  It was completely authentic, interesting and interactive.  Their volunteers and experts were engaging and friendly and the reconstruction of the fort and the day to day operations of the fort and the culture of the frontier is awe inspiring.  It's hard to put in to words how wonderful it really was so I'll let the kids tell you.

We met our friends at the Fort

We learned old fashioned games like pushing a hoop and the ring toss. 

It wasn't as easy as it looked.

Then we went in to the barracks and the soldiers showed us the uniforms they have to wear.  They are mostly made out of wool.

I like wearing the soldiers hat.  Later on, they showed us how to stand at attention and hold our weapons.

The ladies of the fort showed the girls what kind of clothes women had to wear in the 1880's.  There were bloomers and slips and bustles, corsets, capes and bonnets.

Some of the girls got to try on clothes that little girls would've worn back then.

There were many nice people who told us about what it was like to live here back then.

 There was only a few stops between San Antonio and El Paso and the road was very dangerous.  It was hard to get supplies

All of their supplies had to be transported by wagons from very long distances away.

All of the supplies were kept in the commissary, which was like the grocery store at the fort.

 





 

We then went to a house where soldiers wives showed us the wood burning stove and let us make cookies using an old recipe.

The wood burning stove was very hot.

Because the wood burning stove is really hot, the cookies had to be very small.

I really like the cookies

We made old fashioned Christmas cards to send to our soldiers

Our friend, Mary, gave us a tour of the Officer's house

It was beautifully decorated for Christmas.

Mary also showed us the beautiful hand made ornaments on the Christmas tree

We hiked up a trail to see some old photos posted along the trail.

We had a great view of the entire fort

As an added bonus, we got to meet Santa Claus for the first time.
 I guess he stopped to deliver goods to the commisary.

We had a great time at Fort Davis.  I hope we get to come back next year.

Merry Christmas!





Decorating in a land without Hobby Lobby

For those of you who are geographically challenged as I am, it's sometimes hard to find decorations that are sophisticated and affordable.  Our nearest source of any home decor items is the local Dollar store or the hardware store, neither of which are very inspirational.  Now don't get me wrong, I like folksy, americana style made in china versions of snowmen and santas as much as the next girl, but I am always on the hunt for something more authentic.  So I started looking in the pasture.....

A friend of mine, who I have to say I've never met but we've become great friends through the miracle of the Internet, has proven to be a big decorating inspiration to me.  She lives on a ranch in southwest Texas, in a lovely rock home that has been her family for many generations.  She is wonderfully talented for using indigenous materials to decorate her home.  The photos I'm posting due her no justice, but I've had a downloading malfunction so bare with me.

I tried to copy her idea this year by taking a large, shallow, wooden bowl and placing antlers, leftover pine sprigs and pine cones in it with a ribbon garnish.   She used fresh apples and pine cones, which I think is a better idea. 

My version of my friend, Shawn's, centerpiece - I like hers better

One thing you will never have a shortage of when you live on a ranch is antlers or horns of some kind.  You find them lying all about the pasture.  I have used antlers for many things.  In fact, in my house you find a lot of wood, antlers, leather and rock. 

I used an old Hereford Association trophy to make a floral display and added ribbon for the holidays

I gathered rosemary from my backyard and made something to hang over the door so my husband can complain about it every time he walks in the door. falalalala

I am sparing you anything made with bandannas or barbed wire.

And I would love to hear ideas you have as well!!!