Hair Cuts

This morning I gave the boys haricuts with my new Wahl clippers. They don't look too bad. A little shorter than I was expecting, but I won't have to cut their hair again until the Spring at least, maybe longer. Viva la doing things yourself!

Jewels in a Basket

I was thinking about the eggs that our chickens lay each day, and then I pulled them out of the refrigerator to look at them. They are really beautiful. Each one is different, each hen does not lay the same egg twice. Sometimes they are slightly spotted or bumpy, sometimes they are perfectly smooth and uniform in color. They are also precious, life sustaining, nourishment for our bodies. Chickens and cows are probably the two most useful farm animals to keep, as they provide sustenance on a daily basis, and they also can be eaten themselves. But, unlike a cow, chickens are easy to keep. They don't require alot of special care, they do not need to be milked twice a day, and they don't need alot of room. They provide us with entertainment (have you ever seen a chicken run?). I am also waiting for their manure to fully compost so I can start using it in the garden. I hope to always be able to keep chickens. I hope to bring in a few jewels in a basket for the rest of my days.

An October Day at Our House

Today was a pretty productive Monday. I made blueberry pancakes for breakfast this morning, and after that I started the laundry. The dishes had gotten away from me last night, and I could not face them this morning either, so I got the kids dressed and we started school. Tristan did his reading lesson, with lots of moaning and groaning. This makes my heart sad because he loves to be read to and loves to sit down and look through books, and I am such a bookworm, I hope, hope, hope it is just a five year old phase that he will grow out of. Next was his math lesson, which he really likes. There are lots of manipulatives that came with the curriculum and he always wants to make up stories after the lesson using them. Finally he did his handwriting for the day, which he is always happy to do as well. Then it was Piper's turn to learn her letter of the day, which was "M". After our lessons I switched the laundry and we all headed to the backyard. The kids played and intermittenly helped me plant our winter crop of veggies. Broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, arugala, cabbage, cilantro were all started today. I am grateful to the Southern California weather for this reason and this reason only: I can garden all year long and get lots and lots of practice. Otherwise I would be looking forward to the cold winter setting in right now. After lunch, which was peanut butter and honey sandwiches for the kids and leftover pasta for Sam and I, I headed to Trader Joe's for the weeks groceries. Then home for dinner which was my made up creation of some sort of cheesy chicken chili. I tend to make up a lot of stuff for dinner with whatever we had. Anyway, this one was really yummy, and for desert...apple pie. Now it is evening and I must head back and finish my laundry.

Ten Simple Things

Here at the Olmstead's Homestead, I am always trying to think of ways to simplify. Today I made myself think of ten simple things I enjoy. I know there are more than ten, but these are the ones that came to mind, and in no particular order.

Watching chickens run. It always makes me smile.

Training pea plants to vine up a trellis. I did this today, and it's almost like helping a baby to stand.

Watering the garden. This is usually my Zen time.

Dirt under my fingernails. It makes me feel like I have acomplished something.

Not driving the Suburban for more than two days. I think the longest it has sat in the driveway was four days. I really try to make all our trips count.

Deciding to turn the TV off. This was one of the best decisions Sam & I have ever made. So much creativity has evolved out of time that otherwise could have been spent watching it. This is not to say that we do not enjoy a movie from Netflix now and again.

Deciding to Homeschool. This decision will lead to the simple pleasure of having quiet mornings. No rushing to get everyone ready to get someone to school.

Reading to the kids. Need I say more?

Home cooked meals. NOTHING tastes better than something you make yourself.

Baking bread. This goes along with home cooking, I know, but I had to put it by itself because what is better than a slicing open a hot loaf of bread and slathering it with butter?

Simple things. Simple pleasures. All part of the daily rythyms of our house. Our home. Where we are comfortable. Where we love, laugh, and simply be.