The Farm Report

Category: crafty

  • Well, that was a lot of snow

    Well, that was a lot of snow

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    As we consulted the radar, we discovered school had been canceled before the flakes even began to get substantial. Fearing the worst, Tom gave me some time to myself in the morning before I tackled the day with three snowbound children.

    When I emerged from hiding, I discovered my brilliant husband had brought bowls of the white stuff into the kitchen. For the next few hours we spent time digging, pouring, molding, microwaving (watch it melt!), cutting, and creating. Snownuts and coffee, anyone?

    Then we settled in for some real cocoa and a day full of documenting our Gnome-o-meter, our visual guide to the snowfall.

  • Christmas Eve: Cookie making

    Christmas Eve: Cookie making

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    I kind of forgot that Neko had her heart set on baking cookies for Santa.

    I hope Santa appreciated these cookies with whole wheat flour and year-old decorations, because, um, some parents didn’t have time to go to the store and get three bonkers-excited kids in bed at a reasonable hour.

  • Snow!

    Snow!

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    And here it is, our first big snow.

    Neko was beside herself with excitement. Still in her pajamas, she pulled on her boots and coat and headed outside. There she was, running and playing and doing snow angels. A bit later, she wandered in, looking for a big bowl. She had a snowman she wanted to bring inside.

    When I looked out again, I realized her snowman was waaaay down at the end of the property, on the hay cart (look for the small orange triangle above her head in the first photo). And there she was, a snowman half her height, loaded into the bowl. She would stop every 20 feet or so to put the bowl down and rest. I’ve never seen her so determined. Some time later, she popped up on the patio with a smile and a snowman.

    Why we bring a snowman inside to decorate, I have no idea, but I like the enthusiasm with which we’re embracing winter.

  • Gingerbread houses

    Gingerbread houses

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    Our friend Nancy H. invited us over to make gingerbread houses, to which we happily agreed. Tom’s aunt had kindly given the kids a gingerbread house kit, which was wrapped and in a corner of our bedroom, waiting to be opend in December. Somehow the dogs smelled it all the way through the box, and managed to eat a good amount of it before we discovered them.

    Needless to say, we were excited for a second chance.

    Little did we know, Nancy had made all of the gingerbread parts by hand, and had pre-assembled all the houses for ease of decorating for little people. We walked in the door, and there sat the gorgeous houses, ready for decorating.

    After some playtime, the kids settled in to work on their houses. They had such a ball. Big thanks to Nancy and crew for such a fabulous afternoon.

  • Thankful

    Thankful

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    This year I am thankful that we finally found something to fill that empty space above the fireplace. Tom, Chris, and I all found it independently on the internet in a short span of time.

    We decided it was fate telling us it needed to be ours. I mean, really, what kind of farm is it if you don’t have a deer head?

  • Launched

    Launched

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    We’ve been meaning to do a blog for Wire & Twine for ages. We finally put it on the calendar and made it happen. We’ll do a little about Wire & Twine and a lot about a bunch of other stuff. Because, you know, you needed more ways to spend time on the internet!

    See the beginnings here. Look for it to grow in the months to come…

  • Winter is coming

    Winter is coming

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    It’s getting colder. Today was the first cold-ish day we pulled out the cornmeal sandbox.

  • Lunch

    Lunch

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    Neko packed her own lunch today. The highlight was this personalized banana.

  • Making crayons

    Making crayons

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    It was allowance day, so the kids got to go to Target to spend what they’d saved for the past few weeks. Tom decided this applied to him as well, and spent his allowance on this crayon maker.

    I was a bit skeptical of this purchase at first, but have been amazed at the time the kids have logged making new crayons. Especially, Shep for whom this color mixing magic has been right up his alley.

  • Rainbow

    Rainbow

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    Shep created this rainbow today. It’s the first time he’s discovered making whirls and swirls out of Model Magic. Could not be more proud, that one.