An Evening Race

Tom and the kids ran in an evening road race a couple of weeks ago. The kids ran first and since Millie was one of the oldest in the 5-and-under group, she started out fast at the head of the pack. Unfortunately, she and the other kids up front had no idea where to go, and once they figured it out she finished the race somewhere in mid-pack.
Silas just clung to Daddy's hand and ran. But both kids had a very fun time, and wore their medals with pride for several days afterward.
Right after the kids' race finished, a huge storm came through and delayed the start for the 5K race. It was late and dark once we finally finished and headed home. All three kids fell asleep on the drive home, tired from a fun, memorable night.

Harvest in Hand

I'm having such mixed feelings about the garden this year. Some things have done ever so well (lettuce, peas, cherry tomatoes), while other things have me puzzled and disappointed (swiss chard, beets). I suppose that this is really no different than other years, when the high hopes of the garden meet reality. And then with the incredibly cool weather we've had, I'm never sure whether to blame myself or blame the lack of heat.

Despite all that, we are harvesting some things. I suppose the real issue is that it's just not as much as I'd like. But here is a sampling of what we've gathered over the past week:

Summer squash and bell peppers

Carrots, peas, bell pepper and one of our first ripe tomatoes

Zucchini, cherry tomatoes (plenty of those!), another tomato, and a funny green tomato that was accidentally picked.

It's ever so pleasant when I have an eager helper. Though he does sometimes get distracted and drops things. But at least he is enjoying harvesting and snacking from the garden.

And what about you? What are you enjoying from your garden or from the farmer's market?

This post is linked to A High and Noble Calling

Inconspicuous

I love when the verse or quote on my calendar is just what I need for that day. This was the reminder that spoke to me this evening:

He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. -Micah 6:8

Most of us would like to do something "special" in life, something to distinguish us. There is nothing conspicuous about God's requirements. But they are worth more to Him than any sacrifice. --Elisabeth Elliot

Another Nightgown

I wanted to be sure and get a picture of Millie in this nightgown before she outgrows it. I actually finished this several months ago. I cut the fabric sometime in January. Then finally got around to sewing it sometime in April, I think. It came together really quickly considering it was the third time I used this pattern!

I realized as I was sewing this long-sleeved, flannel nightgown that with summer coming maybe she wouldn't get much use out of it. But I consoled myself with the fact that at least it was a nice spring color, and she wouldn't have to wear her christmas pajamas anymore. Now, though, considering that we're in the middle of the coolest July on record here in 40 years, she is indeed still wearing this nightgown some nights. And she's as cute as ever in it!

T-Ball

This little guy is loving playing t-ball.

Silas is a very serious 3-year-old when it comes to this sport.


While for Millie, let's just say that playing t-ball may not be her biggest strength.

But she sure is having fun.

Reading, Thinking, Planning

I had my usual tough-to-get-back-into-a-good-routine spell after we traveled over the 4th of July, and it seems life just hasn't slowed down since then. One thing that has kept me from writing here is that I discovered Christian agrarian essayist Wendell Berry, and couldn't bear to do anything but read as much as I could in whatever free time I've had. Then thinking, pondering and discussing with Tom about all that I'd read. These books provided much food for thought:

The Art of the Common Place: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry, edited by Normal Wirzba

Another Turn of the Crank by Wendell Berry

Then, not Wendell Berry, but still fascinating:
The Transformation of Rural Life: Southern Illinois, 1890-1990 by Jane Adams

After all the agrarian reading, I got on a homeschool researching and planning kick. Millie turns 6 in August, and I think we're finally ready to embark on some first grade work. So while things will still stay quite relaxed around here as far as school is concerned, I am going to make myself write out a plan in the hopes of introducing certain subjects and reading particular books. So I read through these three books for some additional research and planning purposes:

More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levinson

Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp

A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick

On the topic of homeschooling, these are a couple of very good links:

I loved this article at Pioneer Woman about teaching creative writing.

Then my sister passed along this link which has lots of free printable planning resources, with everything from lesson planning sheets, to grocery lists, to handwriting pages.

As for the kids' reading, Millie has listened to Anne of Green Gables on audiobook twice in the past couple of weeks. Now I'm looking forward to watching the movie with her. And a really wonderful treat for our whole family was reading through Little Pear and His Friends by Eleanor Frances Lattimore. This chapter book is set in early 20th century China, and was pure delight, even for Silas. At this rate we'll be finishing up our summer reading logs in no time!

Growing Along

Here's some of the latest from our backyard garden...

The first zinnia bloom. Zinnias are surely one of my favorites, for being so easy to grow and making such a nice cut flower.

The kids are still loving the blue-podded peas for a quick snack.

My mom was here last weekend and said that from the pictures I've posted you can't tell how tall the pea plants have grown. So here's a bit of perspective:

First zucchini! Which Tom picked and promptly ate raw. I do like to catch them at this baby stage before they get lots of big seeds inside.

I don't think that I've mentioned this little spot where I have beans, corn, and sunflowers growing. The sunflowers all came up volunteer, but I moved them over to this spot. The corn is actually field corn, not sweet corn. The kids got the seeds from the Museum of Science and Industry. We planted them just for fun, but we may try to catch the ears when they're young and see how they taste.

And finally, lots of blossoms on the tomatoes!
I'm hoping for a good harvest of tomatoes, and have lately been thinking about trying to can some salsa. I've never done any canning, but I think it's about time I learn how.

We're off to my hometown for the 4th of July weekend. Hope you have a fun holiday!

Wordless Wednesday - Nap

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