Butterflies

Posted May 15, 2009 by jules
Categories: family

The butterflies we purchased on our trip to Magic Wings have all hatched.  Kenna had four caterpillars that made their way into our little butterfly-hatching house.  We propped it up in a prime spot in our kitchen, in the hopes we wouldn’t miss any of the excitement.  Michael was a bit worried about his and Priscilla’s, since they had been blown down by the wind  – even after we put a big rock inside to keep it in place.  He was positive that we had killed their butterflies-to-be.  

We woke up to one of Kenna’s Painted Lady chrysalis’ much darker one morning, so we kept a close eye on it all day.  Late in the afternoon, it started it’s journey out…I’m sorry to say that this poor butterfly was not destined to fly in our yard.  It struggled for several hours just to get out of the chrysalis, and it’s wings never did flatten out.  The girls were a bit sad, but they handled it well.

The next three Painted Ladies all did their thing in the proper manner, and they were much more fun to watch.

 

Priscilla’s Tiger Swallowtail hatched next.  We knew this one was about ready, so we were watching for it.

 

Last of all was Michael’s Spicebush Swallowtail.  This one we expected the day before, and I was a bit concerned that it hadn’t done anything.  But, when we woke up the next morning, there it was, flying all around!

 

Every year we try to add a few host plants and nectar plants around the yard.  We’ve always had a fair amount of butterflies in the yard, but we’d certainly love to have more.  Maybe next time we hatch butterflies, they will be ones we have found in our own yard!

Comments: 1 Comment

A Day in the Woods

Posted May 1, 2009 by jules
Categories: letterboxing
Tags: , ,

Yesterday was our first letterboxing trip of ’09.  It was the perfect spring day, so wonderful to be outside watching the kids explore the woods and appreciate the little things they found there.  When I was a kid, I grew up exploring the woods around my house, just like every other kid in the neighborhood.  It’s a different world now, and that’s one of the things that strikes me the most, watching my children and their friends, how tuned in everyone is to the tv, the computer, the video game, the phone, the ipod…whatever it is.  Every spare moment they are entertained by something.  I want my kids to have time to daydream, to think, to explore.  And yes, to be bored.  I’m mean like that.

Did I mention we went letterboxing yesterday?

We picnicked alongside the river, next to an old foundation of what used to be a grist mill.  While the kids were devouring strawberries, watermelon and grapes, my dad picked up a trash bag and started picking up trash along the riverside.  He told me that they have been letterboxing in so many states, in so many beautiful spots, and that they are so sad to see these beautiful places spoiled by thoughtless visitors who scatter their trash…He then told me that he had decided that being angry about it wasn’t productive, and he had added a trash bag to his letterboxing supplies, so he could do something about it.  I am so lucky that my kids have someone who is a living example of the things I try to teach them.

Yikes!  No more tangents.  Here is Priscilla exploring the foundation of the old mill.  I think it’s so cool how a bunch of rocks all stacked up could support a big building with no cement or other modern materials…

Once we had packed up the picnic supplies and returned them (and Dad’s very full trash bag) to the car, all we had to do was call the monkey boy Michael down from his perch and we were off to find waterfalls and letterboxes.

It was a short way to the waterfalls.  McKenna didn’t like how noisy they were, so we backtracked a bit and observed from a little cliff overlooking the falls where it wasn’t quite so noisy.

On our hike to the Bear’s Den and Bear’s Den 2 boxes, Michael got to try some leaves my dad told him tasted like mint.  I was impressed by my picky boy, he tried several different leaves looking for that minty taste before spitting them out and giving up.  “They just taste like leaves,” he said.  

The kids had such a good time that we decided to go find the Quabbin View letterbox as well.  What a neat little spot, tucked away unmarked where you’d never think to look.  It had a nice picnic area (should have gone there first!) and what a view of the Quabbin Reservoir.

 

Ok, one last small tangent…see that vest my dad is wearing?  I think it was meant for fishing, but it is perfect for letterboxing.  The whole back is mesh, so it stays cool, and there are tons of pockets.  I had designed a backpack that I was going to make each of the kids, with a spot for everything they needed…but, sometimes procrastination pays off.  Instead of backpacks, I am going to make them vests instead.

Comments: 3 Comments

Magic Wings

Posted April 28, 2009 by jules
Categories: family
Tags:

My parents took us to Magic Wings last week.  The girls were so excited to see the beautiful butterflies.  Until the first ones flew too close to their heads, that is.  They got a little spooked by that, and it took them quite a while to recover and appreciate the butterflies so close to them.  

They had lots of other critters there, as well, and the girls actually seemed to enjoy the hands on more with the creepy crawlies than the butterflies.

They seriously wanted to take the little chameleon home…and the helpful staff person was quick to let us know that they had some for sale through the gift shop.  Gee, thanks!

I think Sugar was Michael’s favorite.

Of course, no adventure is complete without a trip to the gift shop.  In my kitchen, we have praying mantis eggs (natural pest control, hooray!), two chrysalis’ residing in our butterfly house, and a lovely cup full of caterpillars…these were so tiny when we got them, and in just a few days they are huge, and already starting the transformation process.  The girls are so excited to watch it, and even Michael keeps remembering other times we’ve seen butterflies emerge.  I hope we remain observant enough that we don’t miss it!

Comments: 2 Comments

Spring Chickens

Posted April 21, 2009 by jules
Categories: down on the farm
Tags:

We have baby chicks in the bathroom again.  The girls are thrilled, and asking every five minutes to hold the chicks.  Kenna has two favorites, “the tiniest brown chick”, and “the black one with the bright feet.”  She named the black one, but it’s escaped me…Roly-Poly, that’s it!

Really, I will be so happy when we relocate the henhouse and get these babies outside.  They generate a lot of dust, and more work is not what I need right now ever.  I can’t wait for my own fresh eggs again!  As cute as they are when they are babies, I like them so much better when they are all grown up.  I love to see them wandering around the yard, dust bathing in their favorite spots, and watching them put themselves to bed at night.

The fresh eggs and dust-free bathroom are a bonus.

Comments: 1 Comment

Milk

Posted April 20, 2009 by jules
Categories: Health
Tags: ,

Well, we have our unofficial answer.  When we saw the pediatrician, he told us to go a whole week dairy-free, and then give her a glass of milk.  Well, Dave wasn’t too happy about the idea of purposely making his little girl feel like crap, and in all honesty, I’ve been so busy that I kind of forgot about it.  She’s been fine on the raw milk; I’ve been making yogurt and butter and just avoiding cheese until I figure out how to manage that.  When the allergist’s office called to confirm her appointment tomorrow, I realized I had never done the milk challenge.

One cup of milk at lunch, followed by yogurt that Dave bought during a momentary lapse of sanity….followed by hives 15 minutes later.  As far as I’m concerned, I don’t even need to waste my time at the allergist’s office tomorrow, but Dave seems to need the official stamp of approval, so we will go.  Silly man.

Comments: Be the first to comment

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Posted April 15, 2009 by jules
Categories: kids

McKenna opened up a new toothbrush today, and I told her she could throw her old one away. “Why, Momma?” she asked me. I told her we are supposed to get a new toothbrush every three months…”Why, Momma?” she asked again. So I told her it would help her to keep her teeth extra clean.

“And so you keep spending your money on more toothbrushes, right?” she asked.

I didn’t teach her that, I swear….

Comments: Be the first to comment

Soap to Nuts

Posted April 13, 2009 by jules
Categories: Reduce-Reuse-Recycle
Tags: , ,

Recently I learned about soap nuts, and couldn’t wait to try them.  They are dried nuts from the soapberry tree used as a laundry detergent.  

Dave is quite picky about what goes into our septic system (that means no powder – laundry or dishwasher), and I personally can’t stand the smell of most laundry detergents.  It’s been years since we’ve used fabric softener, and I’ve been looking for any excuse to dump those stupid plastic bottles of detergent that pile up in the recycling bin.  

My soap nuts arrived on Saturday, just in time for me to go to work.  You can’t get more earthy-crunchy than this, can you?

I’ll admit that if I do a load of laundry, it’s an occasion worth marking on the calendar.  I’m spoiled, and Dave does 99% of our laundry.  You will recognize, then, just how inspired I was this morning, when I ventured downstairs with the girls’ sheets and comforter, to brave the wild space that is our laundry room.

Five nuts go in a little bag (included) inside the washing machine with your clothes, and they last for five loads of laundry.  After that, you throw them in the compost.  Inside the earthy-crunchy cloth bag is a plastic liner, because they are a bit sticky.  I threw them in, started the machine with a splash of hot water to activate the oils in the nuts, and then swapped over to cold.  I’m too lazy to try to figure out the evils of heating my water with oil vs. using detergent in a plastic bottle.  I really do care about being kinder to the enviorment, but I have five kids, two jobs, and a life.  If the nuts work, they stay.  Otherwise, we’ll chalk that up as one of my kooky ideas and go back to buying whatever laundry detergent happens to be on sale.

How did they work?  Well, the girls’ sheets are fairly new, and white with a flowered pattern.  I’ve been a bit worried about that, because they seemed to be getting dingy recently, thanks to the super-suckiness of my washing machine.  They are now bright white and odor free.  There is not a single bit of smell to the sheets or the comforter, though the nuts did smell a bit vinegary.

If these things can clean my kids clothes as well as the sheets, then I am sold.

This last photo I add for those of you that know me well; notice that the little sack inside my washer is wet – I really did do laundry!  

Comments: 9 Comments

Sketchbooks

Posted April 10, 2009 by jules
Categories: homeschooling
Tags: ,

My mother has spoiled me by coming weekly and bringing an art project with to do with the kids.  So, generally speaking, art is a subject that I can ignore, guilt-free.  However, I really want the kids to be able to draw better than I can, and to for art to be something that they see and enjoy daily, rather than something important that’s stuffed away in a museum somewhere.

My mother emailed me a bunch of Julian Beaver’s sidewalk drawings last week.  All done in chalk, and many in 3D, they are amazing!  My kids are still talking about it and trying to figure out how it’s done.  The teeny-tiny section of walkway we have is covered in sidewalk chalk.

It was beautiful outside today, so instead of being cooped up inside with our books, we went for a long hike in the woods.  We saw our first butterfly of the season.  Then we came home and everyone chose a crocus to sketch.

Last time we tried sketching out in the yard, McKenna was in tears.  She is very easily frustrated by her lack of perfection.  She almost lost it today, but pulled herself together nicely and drew a beautiful picture.

Priscilla stole Michael’s sketchbook, stopped repeatedly to throw peanuts to her duck, Susannah, and scribbled bright red scribbles all over my sketch.  She had a delightful time.

Michael conveniently took himself off to another corner of the yard to work, far away from the prying lens of my camera.  I did manage to sneak a shot of his work after Priscilla stole his sketchbook, though.  He has a knack for adding depth that I can’t quite capture.  I wish I could get him to spend a bit more time on his drawings.  I’d love to see what he could do with some effort.  He whipped this out in less than 30 seconds and took off to the trampoline.

Usually in the springtime, my father looses patience with my mom’s art lessons and wants to take the kids hiking.  I’m planning to stock everyone’s backpacks with a small sketchbook and some colored pencils, so they can have something to do when Priscilla’s little legs need a break.  I hope to have a refrigerator door full of these sketches soon.

Comments: 3 Comments

Homemade Yogurt

Posted April 9, 2009 by jules
Categories: Health
Tags: ,

We’ve noticed lately our 2yo seems to break out in hives after eating dairy products.  While we aren’t entirely sure this is the culprit, we are actively trying to change our dietary habits so that we can comfortably feed this child without having to break out the Benadryl afterwards.

With great trepidation, we made the switch to ‘raw’ milk.  That’s fresh from the cow, unpasteurized, whole milk.  Priscilla, thankfully, took to it right away, and we’ve had next to no issues with hives since making the change.  Michael and McKenna are blissfully unaware that their sneaky mother is mixing our regular milk with the raw milk, so they are well on their way.  After the initial shock of creaminess and flavor, I started to really enjoy it as well, and now I think I like it better.  Dave?  Well, he’s all for the rest of us drinking it, and he doesn’t mind me cooking with it…but he’ll probably never drink it voluntarily.  So, our milkman won’t be out of a job altogether.

Since we already make our own ice cream, I started thinking about yogurt as well.  I was planning to buy a yogurt maker, but was a bit concerned about the heat ruining all the good enzymes that make the raw milk so tolerable.  My dear friend, Mr. Google, led me to this post about making yogurt in the crockpot.  Genius!

I gathered together the necessary supplies, and got to work.  Such hard work it was, too.  Read the recipe, and you’ll see…plug the crockpot in and turn it on, pour in the milk, cover…yeah, this was almost unbearably easy to make.  So easy I was convinced that it would never come out right.

Sure enough, though, when I sniffed it in the morning it smelled just like yogurt.  The smell made me brave and I tried a little taste.  Perfect!  I had a yummy bowl of yogurt and fruit for breakfast.

Now, if only I can convince the children that yogurt from a Mason jar is the same as yogurt in those wasteful little plastic cups, I will be one happy woman.  Until then, they are enjoying daily yogurt smoothies, because that somehow makes mom’s homemade yogurt acceptable.  Go figure.

Comments: 5 Comments

Chief Metacomet

Posted August 24, 2007 by jules
Categories: letterboxing
Tags:

The road we live on dead-ends at the state forest. Well, technically you could drive through to NH, but you wouldn’t want to. Anyhow, there’s a waterfall there, one of three in our little, quiet town. We’ve always hiked in from our road, because…well, it just makes sense. There’s another way in, however. Nick’s been that way, back in his Boy Scout days, but not the rest of us.

My oldest and youngest babies…

Back when Nick was a Boy Scout, he hiked this trail. Ever since then (just recently, even) he’s been telling me he wants to camp out in some shelter on the waterfall trail. Sure enough, we hiked right by it, and let me tell you! I’d like to camp there, too! So.Very.Cool. Check it out:

Inside are four bunks and a loft. Outside someone wrote the GPS coordinates on one of the beams; there’s a firepit with two benches. The whole thing overlooks a brook with a footbridge. I’d be totally creeped out to be there alone in the dark, but it was a really neat place. We could have spent the whole day there, I think.

View from the porch of the cabin. Firepit is lower left, look down the tree with the birdhouse to find the footbridge.

This was a series of four letterboxes, all hand-carved stamps. We also explored an old cemetery, saw two beaver dams, several trees the beavers were working on, some really cool rocks in the river that were shaped by the flow of water. Oh, and the rock that looked like an Indian profile.

I think the thing that struck us the most was the people who had signed the logbooks back in January…they spent the night in that cabin. They said it was eleven degrees at 7:00 in the morning…Crazy!

Comments: Be the first to comment

« Older Entries
Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started