February 2017

February, the month of Mason and Josiah. We celebrate Josiah's birthday in the beginning of the month, Mason's at the end of the month, and we have their combo birthday party in the middle!

Josiah's birthday fell on a Tuesday, which is our homeschool group day, so we started the morning early singing happy birthday and enjoying donuts for breakfast.

This week in art we're studying the great artist Degas, and his painting of ballerinas. Mason drew a beautiful picture of a ballerina with chalk. I cannot get over how impressed I am with his artwork!

On our Classical Conversations lunch break I took the kids to Chickfila and treated the kids to chicken nuggets and ice cream in celebration of Josiah's birthday.

Our closest neighboring town with a grocery store is Fitzgerald. They're known for their wild chickens, and every year they have a wild chicken festival. These chickens are all over this town, you can hear them crowing outside the grocery store, and I can't tell you how many times I have seen a chicken cross the road. This chicken, photographed below, was just outside the bank.

This February we ordered another batch of cornish cross meat chickens. 52 arrived for us at the post office to pick up, and just in time too, since we're about out of chicken from our last batch.

Look at those cute little peeps

Once upon a time my chickens were free to roam my yard, and I truly enjoyed it for a time. But the warm and fuzzy feelings of seeing my chickens free range in my yard slowly wore off when I couldn't keep up with, or grew tired of all the poop on my porch. I was sweeping and scraping poop off my porch everyday, and I had had enough. So now my sweet little laying hens and their mean butt rooster now stay in a chicken run with their cozy little coop. Our meat chickens stay in a separate chicken tractor where they get to enjoy fresh grass everyday as we move their tractor. I like it better this way, my porch stays poop free! Our laying hens enjoy their chicken feed, and the kids and I will pick weeds from the yard to give to the chickens as a salad, we'll also give them scratch (or treats) from the feed store, and whatever leafy greens I have leftover in the kitchen.

laying hens

meat chickens

 Mid month the weather was warm enough to build and enjoy a fire in our backyard. Mitch grilled italian marinated chicken, asparagus, and we baked potatoes inside. We enjoyed our dinner outside, and for dessert we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores.

sexy

I know its early, but with this warm weather I'm getting the itch to start a garden. So I planted a few things, such as 3 knock out rose bushes, herbs, a tomato plant, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, and lavender. We would later get a 4 day and night cold snap. My tomato plant may be done for, only time will tell, and a few weeks ago Josiah decided to dig up and shred my herbs to pieces, so they're all gone, but all can be replanted around Easter.

A friend of mine introduced me to the Back to Eden gardening method. I hope to start a large garden in my front yard this spring. We called our power company, and they were more than happy to drop off this load of wood chip mulch to us for free. We were told to call back whenever we want more.

For Valentine's Day night, after all the kids were fed and tucked in bed, Mitch and I prepared and cooked together a special dinner for two, rib-eye steak, lobster tail, broccoli, and a cheesy garlic bread. Even though we were at home, it felt like a romantic night on the town, only it was just the 2 of us and we were in the comfort of our own home.

For dessert we made a chocolate lava brownie, with ice cream and berries. 

A friend of mine (the same one who is sharing her gardening secrets) shared with me her homemade flax seed bread recipe, and I have been baking this bread weekly ever since. I love the way the house smells when I bake bread, and all these little fingers around asking for a slice with butter and honey.

For Mason and Josiah's birthday we celebrated with friends and family at the house. We rented a large bounce house and bounce slide, and did I seriously not take a picture of that thing??? The kids had a blast!

Eating carrots from a friend's garden

Mason's birthday fell on a Sunday this year. We would have made it into church, but I was convinced that Maddox broke his foot the night before carrying and then dropping a large fence post on his foot. Maddox was in a good bit of pain and his foot was swollen and bruised, so we didn't make it into church that Sunday. Maddox spent his Saturday night with his foot iced and elevated on pillows, with lots of babying and attention. Mitch and I would debate whether his foot was broken or not. I had my money on broke, and Mitch was convinced it was just bruised. Fortunately an X-ray from Monday showed that his foot was not broken. By Sunday afternoon, Maddox was hoping around on one foot and in good spirits so, broken foot or not, we celebrated Mason's 5th birthday with donuts and candles for breakfast, loaded nachos for lunch, all day play outside, and cupcakes for dessert that evening. Mason's birthday present from mommy and daddy was a toy chainsaw, weed-eater, goggles, and tools. (Do I seriously not have a picture of that either???)

Mason started piano this year! He has always loved music, and has loved singing, I swear he was singing songs way before he could form sentences! So when he showed interest in Skylar's piano, I knew it was time for lessons. He's doing great! With his very first lesson he could already show us where middle C is,  and play and tell the difference between a whole note, half note, and quarter note. We are so proud, and so impressed!