Perfect song for today

Hurrican Force winds

Thank goodness,

I brought the chickens in to the house.

Does he remind you of anyone?

He says, 'I just need to finish this, then I can have a little break.'

Happy Birthday Hatchling no3

Today's birthday is a particularly special one.

Because, today, Hatchling no3 turned 5.

That's right, the big 5!

(She was terrified of the candle, hence we went with just one, a nice safe tea light, with glitter of course.)

Now, five may not seem a big deal to most, but this little hatchling has waited a very long time.

You see, this hatchling, aged just 2, told us, 'Next bird - day, I am gonna be five!'

And then, she turned three.

She was not a happy girl. 

She took it in good stride, and asked daily, 'Next birthday, can I be five?'

'Please! Please! Please!'

Along came her fourth birthday, and she was heartbroken.

I told her, 'You can be five for two years, okay.'

However, her sisters promptly corrected her. 

They did not feel she had earned a five yet.

And so this little hatchling spent another long year, waiting to be five.

And today, her dream, has finally come true.

I am so proud of you!

You amazing five year old.

I sincerely hope that being five is everything you could ever wish for!

Snowy sunrise

I had wanted a photo of the birds standing on the snowman's carrot nose, but my coming outside (and the carrot falling down) sent them away.

Here is a photo of the sunrise instead.

I had wanted a photo of Mrs. Chicken in the snow, the tone of her voice, when I opened the door, was priceless. "Brrrrrrrock!'

She went back inside, all the while tutting at me for trying to lure her out with treats. 

The Mrs. Turkey is not at all phased by the snow, and proceeded to gobble up all the treats. 

The hatchlings have taken every duvet, sheet and table cloth to build a big den, and today we must head into the village for hatchling no5's appointment. As such, I had better get some hatchlings bathed.

I hope your day started as lovely as mine.

Snowman 2013

Today, has been well spent.

I shamelessly bullied the hatchlings into coming outside and playing with me. 

I made sad faces through the windows, and told them how much I really wanted to make a snowman.

Eventually, they obliged, and they even let me pull them around on their sledge.

They are good to me, and I am thankful for my hatchlings.

Happy snowy day!

Snowy island morning

For, roughly, the last three days, we've had snow.

It rather feels as though it is constantly snowing sideways.

In truth, it is just the wind rearranging the snow from here to there, and back again.

The sheep stand and glare at the cold ground. 

They seem about as thrilled as I would be, if I had a bottom covered in ice.

This snow is different from the urban snow I have previously experienced. 

This snow is loud and aggressive.

Not at all like the gentle flakes that fall soundlessly in the lamp light.

This snow is three quarters hail, and the wind has been at 60mph gusts all week.

This has held back our sledding plans.

My hatchlings do not like being pelted by hail, and so we sit and watch from the windows.

Mugs of hot chocolate, muffins hot from the oven, and enjoy the view.

Met office alert!

A level 10 'Boy - nado' hits happy town.

Girl hatchlings are understandably not amused.

Belated blog Party post!

Welcome to our family blog!

We are a home educating, goat wrestling, chicken chasing, duck minding, turkey growing, strawberry eating family. 

We live up on a northern Orkney isle, and spend our days crafting and cooking when it is too cold to spend the day on the beach.

Come on in, grab a brownie, have a look around, and thank you for visiting!

Thank goodness its Friday!

Because some days, I tell ya. 

Some days.

I love this song.

And I am sure I have met that genie.

Roll on Saturday!

Distracted

Do you ever become distracted?

So much so, that maybe 

you loose just what you had fought so hard to get in the first place?

Now, obviously the goal is to never let it get quite so bad, but sheesh, does anyone else struggle with this like I do? I feel like I jump from one distraction to the next. 

Each, perfectly reasonable, and with good intentions...

I start off organising the paperwork, de - cluttering closets, and begin my week with a perfectly laid out work plan.

Then, I get side tracked, by cleaning out the car, and start a completely different work project entirely! (I am self employed, hence I have that luxury.)

Home education has been the biggest offender in terms of distraction for us. I will spend weeks researching, sourcing, and preparing for a term. And by mid - term we have gone off on some complete tangent. 

We were supposed to do biomes. We are now doing the periodic table.

We had meant to be revising multiplication to improve their automatic recall, instead we have strayed into geometry and area calculation. 

We had a day that was meant to be dedicated to lap books. Then we had a call to come see the seals giving birth on the beach just down the road from our house. Needless to say, the lap book projects were put off.

One hatchling was meant to be putting more effort into her sight recognised words, but all she wants to do is subtraction with carrying over. She is only 4, and to be honest, I am just happy she is enjoying it so much.

It isn't terrible, but it does kind make me feel like I do not follow through as often as I'd like to say I do. 

Life just does not seem to follow the plan I devised on paper. Stomps feet

Most of the time I am okay with it, but for that little voice that says, 'You should always finish what you started on.'

Do you have that voice? Is it really that important? Because I am this close to squashing my Jiminy Cricket. 

Now, I am not going to throw out my conscience.

But, today, I am not going to feel guilty for being guided by life. I am choosing not to feel frustrated that I am not always in charge. 

And I think I feel a lot better for it.

Life, it happens, and that is alright.

Naughty is as naughty does

'I swear, I did not eat your bag of organic stoneground bread flour.'

'You umm, did not want those bulbs in there anyways, right?'

'Don't look so disappointed, you know I hate going poop outside.'

Happy Birthday Hatchling no2!

It is awfully cold out today, and my suggestion we go somewhere

was met with all the stoney daggers a newly seven year old could muster.

'I'm going to stay in and play. No friends; just me, my family, and my presents.'

I can't argue with that.

She quickly added,

'And don't forget the cake!'

Birds and the bees

Hatchling no4 asked his big sister, 'Where do babies come from?'

She replied, 'Well, there was a little egg in the Mama's tummy and when it became two cells, why then the Mama's life, it begins!'

Hatchling no4 looks serious, 'What next?'

Hatchling no3 laughs and says, 'Well it takes a long time for the Mama to wait and grow, and then when the baby is big enough, Mama's happiness is born.'

 'Do you understand now?'

Hatchling no4 says, 'Yes, I am Mama's happiness.'

Hatchling no3 frowns, 'No, I am Mama's happiness.'

'That is what I said,' Hatchling no4 smiles confidently, 'I am Mama's happiness.'

Ugly truthes

I am not anti - education, far from it.

But here are some ugly truths:

A degree will not offer job security. 

Or even a job.

Universities are not charities helping people in need, they are businesses.

Many jobs would rather hire someone with four years experience in the field than someone who has only ever read books about it.

Don't buy the myth.

It is terribly expensive.

Just make an educated choice before signing up on this one.

Thoughtful

Sometimes we just need the space to think.

To work out what new information means and how best to address it.

Which is remarkably hard to find in our 24/7 digital society. 

Sometimes, I crave a little bit of downtime, but the number of distractions and to do lists tends to mean that the reality is juggling act. 

I was once told a change is as good as a solution. I guess I had better hope so. I had thought that by moving to a larger open space that my thoughts, habits, and general being would reflect that, and yet, I can't say it has. Work is ever present, and there is always something more to be done. It is not that I do not crave to be useful, it is just that sometimes, I think I need a little space to sort through the many thoughts whirling about my head. 

When I feel like this I tend to clean, like really clean, scrub the ceilings and the lot. Slowly, clean corner by clean corner, I begin to find peace of mind.

How do find or create your downtime? 

Because we only have so many trips around this sun...

Reorganising, rediscovering, and kicking up a fuss

Change.

Change.

Change.

Nope, no matter how I type it, it still looks like a swear word from where I am sitting.

Comfortable.

Now, there is a word I like.

Life is rarely ideal, but comfortable, that is just about the way I like it.

It is what I know.

What I like, and most importantly, what I can usually predict.

(Unless a hatchling happens to be helpful. This little hatchling handwashes my favourite coffee mug. To help mama, no matter my protests, and I am thankful. Now, the first clue that there was change would have been the half a litre of dish soap gone astray. Nonetheless, my mug of coffee, bubbly coffee, that smelt and tasted of lemon, certainly was not comfortable. Thank you hatchling no 4!)

Motivation.

There is my achilles heel.

I have goals, and I am motivated to try to attain them.

Often this requires change. Dirty word that one. 

Even worse, is when the path to my goals changes.

I get all flustered, and start to fear that maybe, my goals have changed, and I must find new goals.

What is up with that? 

 I hold each goal up to the light, and inspect it carefully before placing it gently back in my 'to accomplish' box.

They (my goals) are steadfast.

Thank goodness.

But the road there is not as simple or as short as I thought.

Go figure, that is blooming par for the course!

I have a handful of hatchlings and as they grow, the world turns and everything changes. 

It is enough to make this mama stomp her feet, fling herself on the floor and have a proper paddy.

Honestly, just when I have a perfect set of jigsaw puzzles, a wide range for every age group, the hatchlings, they do not want to play puzzles. Seriously, who is going to play puzzles with me! I still like puzzles... 

I digress. 

Because the terrible truth is I even seek it out, and I invite it in for tea. 

I crave change, and all the new possibilities it brings. 

Oh, I am all female! I reserve the right to want it and then fight, kick and scream about it every step of the way.

Yet, I do believe.

I am exactly where I need to be.

And when I think I know what is best for me, when I want to yell, 'but I want, and I want, and I want this!'

I am re - navigated, forced to stare the big ugly, yet harmonious beast of change in the eye.

So, I am going to change and follow the path that is mine to take. 

I will change and go where I need to, and try my best to learn all I can from where ever I am meant to be. 

And no this is not a potty training post. Just in case anyone had wondered, if perhaps it had actually become a fight of that magnitude. Though honestly, boys do want to do this at some point, like as a commitment right? Not a I can do it correctly thirty times and then not again for two weeks! Just cause ya know, I am just not feeling the potty mojo here. Meh, one day he will want a girlfriend, it has to happen at some point!

Happy new Year!

Happy new Year!

2012 was good year for us, and I think we hope that 2013 allow us and you to pursue goals, live dreams, and keep learning, while staying healthy and happy.

That is not too big as ask is it?

I had been going to post a goals and resolutions post, but 2013 is not the year for staring new year's resolutions for us.  

Each time the sunrises is a fresh new start.

I can not wait on the calendar,

Perhaps, I simply have too many things that I need to work on.

To those who've made resolutions for the coming year, I wish you the smoothest of journey to success.

Happy new Year!