Garden baby

Summer 2013 memories part 1

Lounging in the shade.

Bella

Outdoor baths!

Puck.

The BBQ was so hot from the sun that I baked Kale chips.

Brothers

Goal!

For the love of the game.

Patrick's Graduation

Our Graduate!

His younger siblings were so proud.

Taking turns with the cap - Kira

Hanna

Griffin

Turn around and you're grown!

Today was Patrick's last day of high school.  His last day of wearing the school uniform that looks so cute on him.

Honestly, it seems like yesterday that he was starting kindergarten and was disappointed that he didn't have to wear a school uniform with a tie.  I remember I finally let him wear his shirt and tie for picture day.

My shy boy has grown into an intelligent, witty and compassionate young man, with a bright future ahead of him.  He has accepted an offer of admission at Carleton University to study Political Science, but has decided to defer his studies for one year.  It seems like just a few days ago, I was singing "Turn Around" to him.

Welcome Nikki!

After going about 1 week past her due date, Lily delivered a healthy, but very tiny black and white doeling.  She looks a lot like her older sister Clarabelle.

     

It was quite a relief for us.  During the last days before she kidded, Lily spent her time driving us batty.  She woke me up at 2 am crying for water.  She got her head stuck in the fence a record of 17 times in one day.  And here she is wearing a chair from the firepit.

Iced in.

We woke up a couple of weeks ago and looked out the window and saw this...

...and this.

We watched the lights flickering and saw this.

The barn was safely entombed in a coat of ice...

...but the apple trees seemed to be taking a beating.

Hanna had been looking forward to being a piggy for "Dress like an animal" day at school.  She was even singing in her sleep, "I'm a piggy, a little piggy."  So we went ahead anyway and dressed like animals.  See Hanna's little curly tail?

And her toilet paper roll snout.

Kira is a horse, that's her blanket on her back.  I have to giggle at Campbell.  He actually planned to wear that to school.

Griffin wanted to be a daddy lion.

There they are making the best of being iced in.

I was just out picking up chicks...

Polish chicks...

...and Wyandotte chicks,

...adventurous chicks,

...and sleepy chicks.

Griffin's solution to bathroom line ups

Griffin: I need to go pee!
Mom: Then go pee!
Griffin: But Hanna is in MY bathroom.
Mom: Then go in MY bathroom.
Griffin: But I want to go in MY bathroom.  I wish that every girl had a weiner.  That way they could all pee faster and I could go in MY bathroom.

This kid amazes us with his wit and logic every day!

Clarabelle's departure and grown up kittens

Clarabelle finally found her forever home.  A lovely couple had adopted a calf and raised him as a pet.  But recently they have found that he seems lonely and they were looking for a livestock companion for him.  It was obvious that they dote on their animals and I think that they are going to love sweet Clarabelle very much.  We are hoping that Clarabelle and Ringo hit it off too!

Clarabelle is grazing as she waits for her new owner to pick her up.

Clarabelle looks very happy with her new owner!

 The kittens are full-time barn cats now.  They are still ridiculously friendly with all people, goats, and chickens and any dog that is not coming at them with "that look" in his eye.  Captain Crunch is still the mellow and emotionally dependent one.  Bullet is the hyper-affectionate and adventurous one.

Captain Crunch can't get close enough to the camera lens.

Bullet returns from a hunting trip.

Milk Machine

Look at what followed Matt home from the local Zellers store closing sale...

The Zellers restaurant DOUBLE milk machine!

We stopped at Reid`s Dairy and bought two 20L bags of milk.  We go through about 4L of milk a day, and Matt has been wanting a milk machine for a while.  Now we have learned that it is NOT cheaper to buy milk in 20L bags, it actually ends up costing more.  We are not yet sure if we can get money back for returning the milk crates that the bags came in.  I am going to research and find out if there are cheaper ways to do it, perhaps if I call wholesale during the day, or buy it from a different dairy.

Goodbye Mr. Snowman

Mr. Snowman has been hanging around too long!  The first day of spring has come and gone.  His frozen olive eyes are creepy and his twig smirk is irritating.  And his nose and eyes keep getting knocked out by birds.  We are looking forward to saying 'goodbye Mr. Snowman'.

Winter Wonderland 2013

Yesterday, the buses were cancelled so the kids stayed home.  It snowed and rained all day and night.  This morning we awoke to this.  Kira almost forgot her snow pants, but then remembered squealing with delight that it was the perfect snow to play in and it was warm out (1 degree celsius).  See the kids in the top photo waiting for their bus?

Christmas preparation