1st Park Day of 2011!

Blueberry Girl loves the swings!

I love park day. I love that we can keep the relationships we have formed over the years, five years now, in the Des Moines homeschooling community even though we have moved an hour away. I love that it happens right after Lil'Bug's art class. I love that this park is so perfect, easily accessible, nice bathrooms, variety of play opportunities and sand (I hate mulched playgrounds; I'll take sandy pants and socks over splinters any day), and I love the freedom.

Baby Zap had never sat in the sunshine outside before. He wasn't sure what to think.

I notice that sometimes they play on the equipment, but so many more times they play in the trees and run around the grassy field.  There is room to play. If someone they are not getting along with is there, there is room to move along and play something else. There is also a variety of cultures that meet. The casual exposure creates questions and learning about how each family lives, without the pretense of show and tell.

Playing.

We keep going and it has not been easy. We almost quit after a teenage bully, also a homeschooler, started targeting 6 year old girls....but we worked through that and in a way that left Lil'Bug and her friends feeling empowered and infused with a dose of empathy and kindness. It also demonstrated to Lil'Bug my trust in her, which happens in little noticed little ways everyday but when tested in a big way held up.

More playing.

It is nice to also have moral support for how we live. Homeschooling is a lifestyle and not many people outside the homeschooling circles actually get that. I have for the last 6 years so surrounded myself with people who do get it, that I forget how alien, misunderstood, misrepresented our lifestyle choice can be and what expectations are placed on us as such. Lately, that pressure has been exponential and having a safe place where people get us is really a quiet relief.

The view from the camera falling, luckily the only thing that seems broken is the UV lens.

Only one other family made it to this first, glorious park day of the year. It was unexpectedly 70 degrees, not windy, sunshine, and not terribly muddy. It's Iowa, it may not be that perfect again until May! Ha. A perfect day for Baby Zap to have his first park day, and for the girls to run off some winter blahs. At 4 pm they didn't want to load up and that's when the camera was "moved" out of the car and onto the parking. All is well though. I think.

Farm Work Day: Status of the Flock

Marshmallow. Not pregnant or not far enough along to see in ultrasound. Was exposed to ram for a very short time in the last 6 weeks, so we will recheck in a month, maybe two. She was injured in the dog attack in late December/early January but has recovered really well.

Male llama, intact. Not yet named. In my mind I call the two of them, Brothers Dmitri and Ivan.

Flurry - a cinnamon (phaeomelanin) coloured unregistered Icelandic ewe with a poor bite (her teeth don't match up to her upper palate) but she had a lamb with no mouth problems. She is 3-4 years old. We call her Cinnamon. She is pregnant. Was injured in the round up today, cut her lip, but she should be fine.

Bianca - a white unregistered full Icelandic ewe, probably about 4-5 years old. Thought this one was MB, but her name is now Wether-NOT. Lily thought that was silly so we'll call her Lady Bianca. She IS with lamb.

Buttercup Not pregnant. Healed from dog attack. Her injury didn't even bring her into the house. Was exposed to the ram only briefly - we didn't want her to lamb this year since she had so much trouble with her *5* lambs last year.

Cream Puff - white ewe, Poppy's daughter of last year, sired by Blizzard (before he was wethered) so she is 50% Icelandic and then has the Rambouillet/Suffok/Dorset mix genes. Her ears have tan coloured tips. She would probably throw coloured lambs, is not pregnant.

2nd male llama.

Mary. Leg injury from dog attack. Not pregnant.......because she's a he? Just checked the records and it seems that the white lamb that came with Marshmallow is actually a ram/wether lamb not a ewe. Which means the lamb we lost last week, Wilbur, that we thought was a wether, was actually a ewe? Think we'll change his name to MerryWether. Odd thing is, the vet didn't notice he is a she is a he?

(born 3/29/08) Poppy -Peeking up behind the whether in the front of the picture. A great mother - Rambouillet/Suffolk/Dorset mix ewe, Poppy is pregnant.

Blizzard - a white unregistered full Icelandic wether, well tempered, probably also about 4-5 years old.

Ferdinand - a black Shetland wether who is a real love-bug. He is second only to Poppy in affection and kid friendly interaction.

Dolly. Has been exposed for 6 weeks. Not far enough along to detect if she is pregnant. Would be due in November. Dark brown and white female, registered, mother of Stormy. Not extremely approachable but tolerates shearing.

 There is also another wether, a white icelanic, but I didn't get pictures of him. There is one more ewe who is pregnant too. Again, I missed getting her picture and do not have name confirmation on her. We really, really need Claire to come for a visit and help us get these names straight! :) 

Farm Work Day: Bellies

Mostly this series of posts is to log pictures for our own records. I'll do a long one with each sheep's status later today, we have 4 ewes with lamb in my field notes, we verified the identity of the wether that the coyote killed in December, and we know that Buttercup and Marshmallow are not with lamb (which is intentional).

Farm Work Day: Lovely Childhood

I somehow captured this smile while documenting the vet in the pasture. Blueberry Girl ran up beside me and said, "Here I is! Smile!" I love, love, love the moments of sheer windblown happiness on the farm.