Marvelous March!

March 2nd.  Dr. Seuss's birthday.  I wore my sweet socks from Target a day early so the kids would see.  They were properly excited and there was at least one jealous one!

House sitting for a family I've worked for for almost 2 years now.  Since I do late nights over the winter, and the dad is gone, I've stayed over night quite a few times when I had to be back that direction early the next morning--so nice!  Anyways, that made me feel quite at home, and other than the first day (Sunday evening) being boring, I had a blast and didn't want to leave.  Here's a glimpse why:

Magazines in front of the wood stove.

Hauling and splitting wood.  Fun in an "accomplishment feeling" sort of way.

Breakfast warmed on top of the wood stove and eaten in front of the wood stove.

Warming toes in front of the wood stove.  (Hm, it sounds like I wouldn't like this place much in the summer.. hehe.)

My latest favourite--grapefruit juice.  Next to the computer, where I spend time catching up and researching.

Red barn, green grass, fresh rain.  Lovely, lovely, lovely.

We had some beautiful days one week--to the park we go!  My Tuesday/Thursday boys, excluding the one on the far left--that is Curtis' friend from school who happened to be there.

When I buy my own eggs... I expect to be able to eat more than two of them!

Another nice day, another park day!  Two of my M/W/F kids.

Kailey does so many odds and ends for me.  So I told her this time for taking care of the recycle for me, that I would take her to get frozen yogurt.  I immediately had kids of all ages begging to do it next time.. nice try, kids!  After we picked our treats and got settled, I pulled out my phone and said, "You know it's a tradition when you get froyo with me, you have to get a picture."  She glares at the phone.  "AND you have to look like you're enjoying it." Cheeeeeese!

We also went to Fred's, where we tested chairs.  Though this one was not the best looking, it was by far the comfiest!  I want it!

We took so long at all the different places we went, that we were still in town at supper time.  Off to Spooky's we went!

Sweet little Landyn drew me a sweet little giraffe.  I like that kid.

I started adding chia seeds to my grapefruit juice, since I ran out of my "healthy fat" pills.

My first duck egg (I got a couple to sample in the dozen I bought from the neighbors), homemade apple cider, organic homemade hashbrowns, and an orange.  Too much for me--I couldn't finish it!

My clown of a sister.  She asked Mom, " Do I have to go in the store?"  She didn't, so off she went, dressed like her normal little self.

Mason checking out the Capital Press.  "Pii-kup, pii-kup, too maany pii-kup!"

I've halfway started to keep up with the photography group challenge again.  This was for "green."

And this was for "view from a room."

Photo shoot with five kids.  Let's just say I think goat kids are harder to photograph than human ones.....

Kailey snuggling her favorite one.  All five were bucks!

Transporting them was quite a chore.  

Ohh, so sweet!

My with my favorite pup.

Momma goats were all lined up waiting for their babies back!

I used one of the next two for the "Spring" challenge.

I've told a few people that this is suddenly the year where I feel like I need to get interested in and try new things.  First up, gardening!  If you look realllly close, you can see a couple green sprouts there!  I planted some "cool weather" crops, such as Romaine, spinach, kale, and garlic.  I'm keeping a journal so I can learn what works and what doesn't.

These pictures are not in order, as this was my "before" picture!  Wooden crates, cardboard for lining them, Perlite, compost, and coir for potting soil mix, wheelbarrow to reconstitute the coir, washtub for mixing the soil, and seeds hiding there somewhere.

Garlic sprout!  I've already learned lots about garlic.  First, you are supposed to plant it in the fall.  Second, you are not supposed to just use garlic from the store.  Third, if you do plant it in the spring, you're supposed to prepare them by putting them in the fridge for three weeks and then separate the cloves and let them harden for a day or two before planting.  Guess which ones I did.  Yep, NONE!  I figure the worst that can happen with them is nothing.

And the "after" photo.  I thought it would look cool to have greens growing in there against the brick wall.  However, sugar ants attacked the first box with sprouts so it got moved out by the horseshoes.  Since it has cooled down and the wind picked up, I haven't seen them on any of the newer sprouts.  Not sure if it's coincidence or they moved out but I'm hoping for the latter!  

Rats.  I just realized that you can't even see the writing on the cutest box.  The one on the far left says, "TEA GARDEN" on it.  My plan is to harvest all of the early crops and replant the boxes with herbs.  I hope to find peppermint for that box.