Goop

More messy play this week!  We made Goop (also called flubber or flarp).  It is the borax version of the silly putty we made awhile back.  I have to say, I like this recipe much better.  It is less slimy and holds shape a little better while still oozing and being a lot of fun.  It bounces and makes funny noises and stretches and is great for making tracks.  With lots of supervision, I am excited that Josette is getting into these projects now too.  She still tries to eat things, but is starting to listen to reason when I tell her not to put it in her mouth.  She seemed to like stretching it out and playing with the playdough cutters. 

T-Ball, Week 3

This was the last week of T-ball and next week Finn will explore soccer.  This week, they introduced the kids to out-fielding.  Each kid got a chance to bat, while the others got to wear gloves and try to field the ball as it was hit.  It was quite fun to watch, and Finn was an over-achiever this week when he hit the ball, then dropped the bat and ran out to try to field his own ball!

The Art Process

We did a project his week where I wanted to get the kids' foot and hand prints.  Afterwards, we still had the paints out and Finn wanted to paint.  To be honest, I haven't brought out the paints since Josette became super mobile and still putting everything in her mouth.  But, since they were out, I figured I would give it a try.  Josette only tried to put the brushes in her mouth once or twice and was quickly distracted and she and Finn had a really nice time trying to paint together.  In the end, they ended up painting each other a lot too.  It was a fun experience and a fun bath after...all part of the process. 

She's a Real People Chicken

All of our chickens tend to come running when they see us as they know we typically bring food and water and treats of bugs and grass.  But one chicken in particular seems to enjoy just being around us.  She is a real people chicken, if you will.  This past weekend, Sean was adding hinges and a doorknob to the chicken door on the coop, and this one special chicken wanted to be a part of it all.  She jumped up on his leg and happily watched the progress and chatted with Sean as he built the door:

 And, here are more pictures of the kiddos tending their chickens:

 They really come flocking to Finn:

 Oh, yes, she is a real people chicken:

Making Pie

And, here are my kitchen helpers making pie:

Wild Blackberries, Too!

You may be thinking that we have more than enough fresh-picked fruit in the house, but I just don't think that is even possible.  So, we were really excited when we went exploring on our "magic road" this past Saturday and found the blackberries ripening beautifully.  We managed to pick a quart and enjoy a big snack of them in the woods.  They are so tasty warmed from the sun and there are so many yet to ripen, this will be a mandatory Saturday outing for the next few weekends.  We made a lovely blackberry pudding pie from a recipe in Laurel's Kitchen.  It was more like a custard filled with blackberries.  So, so good!

Life's a Peach!

I get a little crazy this time of year with all the pick-your-own fruit farms around.  I can't help it.  There is nothing more wonderful than picking sweet ripe fruit and taking home tons to eat and mix into all sorts of wonderful concoctions in the kitchen.  Peaches started a couple of weeks early this year and we couldn't get enough.  Oh, they are so sweet and juicy.  And, we couldn't resist hitting up some blueberries again too.  I am sure we will have many more trips before these are done for the season.

One of the fun parts about peach picking is getting to climb a ladder for the fruit up high:

 Josette is quite the climber too, and always eager to follow Finn:

 A pretty good haul:

 And, onto the blueberries:

 Friends in the field:

This time, we ate lots of fresh blueberries, but the rest went straight to the freezer.  We have been putting peaches in everything and we canned a bunch of peach-honey butter over the weekend.  We have a few more for a beautiful pie, but right now just sinking our teeth into them and letting the juice run down our arms is heaven.

T-Ball, Week 2

Finn had T-ball again this week and he was really excited to go.  When we got there and they started the activity, he was a little nervous to go running off.  He looked back at me once and you could tell he wanted me to go out on the field with him, but then all the kids started running with the coach asking if they could catch him, and Finn took off without a second look back.   He really gave it his all this time and seemed to really enjoy himself.

Practicing throwing:

 Retrieving balls, Finn loves to give a roll and dramatic grab of the ball:

 They got to bat from home plate this time:

 Running to first:

 And, he's safe:

 When he runs, he really tries to fly:

 Josette making friends with the other young siblings: