First half of June 2021

School is out for the summer! We are hitting up lots of parks and splash pads. I've reached a new level of parenting where I don't have to be right next to kids the entire time on outings like this. I can take turns with my olders as we play with/watch the Youngers. It's amazing! My olders are so willing to help out in this area, for which I am grateful. It also is awesome because Miles especially is at this age where he's getting a little old and "too cool" for parks etc, but they're also still fun for him. Having an assignment to take care of a younger sibling gives him permission to still play on the playground etc. :) When he doesn't feel like it, he hangs out with me on the sidelines. 

Richie and I are trying to be better about weekly dates now that our older kids are capable of babysitting for longer stretches of time. This week was my turn to plan and we headed to an amazing greenhouse in Boise and then to get a treat.

Scenes from the Homestead: We got another round of meat birds to harvest and hopefully sell this time around.  We have been a tiny bird hospital for a while now. Some chicks weren't accepted by the hens and were pecked etc, so for the last month or so, we've had tiny chicks in the house we're trying to doctor up.  Garden is in full swing! The kids and I go out every morning to weed for 10 minutes. anymore and it becomes dreaded. We sold the 2 male goats. I wanted to get more milk from the mamas, and without a real way to separate the mamas and babies on our property, we decided to at least sell off two of them. Since most Americans don't eat goat meat, the calls I got were all from "out-of-towners". This couple that came to look at the goats were middle eastern of some sort. It was obvious this was not his first rodeo and it was a little shocking to watch him stuff the two goats in the trunk of his beat up Honda civic. I tried not to attach human emotion to it...but I still made them pause for a picture. On the plus side, I'm definitely getting more milk these days! We are drinking it now, but I hope to buy the supplies for soap making soon.