Sunrock Farm Birthday...

Hudson and Eli got a chance to head to Sunrock Farm in Wilder, Ky for a little birthday party.  It was a great afternoon of more pumpkin picking, hayrides, holding baby chicks, milking goats, collecting eggs.  It was quite possibly the  most informative birthday party they'll ever go to.  It was great to see the kids being connected to the land and getting intrinsic knowledge of where their food comes from.  Luckily, at their preschool they spend quite a lot of time outside and Hudson's class goes to a farm every friday.  Its amazing how much they already know. 

Eli's first pumpkin of the season, which he later carved:)

The gang showing off their pumpkins while the 'mommarazzi' snapped a million photos.

Eli feeding the goats which was impossible to get a pic of the food in his hand. That goat was fast!

Waiting for a baby chick.  I felt kind of bad for them; they were only 2 days old.  Eli didn't want to hold his which totally surpised me cuz last winter he was our chicken wrangler when we couldn't catch our chickens little 2 year old eli could.  I guess he's grown into a little fear which is not a bad thing for Eli!

Farmer Katie teaching Hudson how to milk a goat.  Huddy was only a little intrigued by this ...

Eli thought squirting milk was pretty awesome and he looked up at Farmer Katie with the biggest grin across his face like, "Did you just see that?!?"

Eli getting the best seat in the house next to sweet Maya as she cuts the brownies...

Happy 5th Birthday, Maya, we enjoyed being with you!

Paying Homage to the Wilmes'

        This post is a very special thank you to an incredible family, who has inspired- us in many ways. 
The Wilmes' have encouraged us to do many things in the last few years, the most important was to introduce us to our current next-door-neighbor, without whom, we would have never found our house.   They bugged us to move to Northside for 2 years before we finally did.They encouraged us to read Alfie Kohn's book, Unconditional Parenting, and continue to inspire us with their dedication to their family.  They know how to work hard, play hard and reign it in. And over the years, as we have worked so hard to complete our home their family has sacrificed weekends to our cause.  John, has painted, plastered, hung drywall, shop vacced, done demo and been generally fun and encouraging to have around the job site.  Fernanda, Lila, and Lucas have given up their husband/dad on many weekends and evenings over the past 3 years. Also, they have been patient with us as we have holed up to do our work and not been available for as many social events.

Thanks guys, The Fryer's are eternally grateful and encouraged by you... Love you guys.

John and Lila at Huddy's b-day

Keith and John bantering over how to hang drywall. (The ONLY person Keith would banter with)

John teaching me painting techniques

Demoltion during Labor Day Weekend.

Lucas hangin out with Hudson and Eli's cousins

John's beautiful wife, Fernanda. 

THE WILMES'

Thank you, Thank you soo much. You've been a tremendous help!

Growing A Sister: Hudson and Eli's quest for a sister continues!

Okay, so we were out in the garden last night and Hudson says,  "Mom I think we should just grow a sister."  So I asked how one would go about doing that and he informed me that "a seed needs to get into an egg".  So Eli ran in the house and got an egg and hudson pulled off a seed pod from the milkweed and they cracked the egg on top of the seed and they now have baby sister growing in the garden....

Hudson's marriage plans

Caitlin and Hudson at Turner Farm

The conversation I overheard shortly after Hudson's field trip:


"I'm going to marry Caitlin when I grow up.  I think I will like kissing by then."

Eli's response, " EWWWWW!"

Hilarious Car Conversation

    So were driving home from gymnastics the other day and of course while we are trapped on the Interstate Eli says he has to pee.   I tell him I can't stop yet because there isn't an exit and he tells me to pull over on the side of the road.  I tell him its too dangerous because the other cars might hit us and he goes into an elaborate story, "Well, a super hero will swoop in and carry us up to the sky before a car can hit us."  I say, "What if the super hero doesn't know we're in trouble and doesn't get there in time."  Hudson chimed in while rolling his eyes " Mom, that's crazy talk." (Of course the super hero is going to save us)

Impromptu picnic at Spring Grove

Cincinnati is having a beautiful fall this year. We've been so lucky to be out enjoying this gorgeous weather. Right around the corner from us is Spring Grove Cemetary and Arboretum. It 733 acres with lakes, ponds, gothic stuctures (aka the witch houses coined by Hudson and Eli) and many native and non-native tree species. It is a gorgeous and inspirational place Adolph Stauch a renowned landscape architecht was responsible for the grounds renovation and it served as inspiration for Central Park in NYC.

The digger in the background was to help clear out a drainage ditch.  The boys were in heaven.

 

Meshewa Farm Field Trip at school

Well,  we couldn't be any luckier that the Waldorf School is super tight with Turner Farm.  They have the nature tots program there for 18months to 3 years.  And our older ones have a place to commune there.  I was privileged to go to all women's gathering this fall and now Hudson's class had a day on the farm.  Pumpkin picking, gathering sweet potato vines, and feeding sheep.  Amazing to see all the beautiful fall colors in a horse drawn carriage. 

Gathering Sweet Potato Vines, which were mulched with a low grade wool. 

Jolie, Jonah, and Hudson

The one sheep who was willing to take a bite of our sweet potato vines.