{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Inspired by this blog and, ultimately, this blog.

And yes, I realize it is not Friday, but I was so inspired, I could not resist.

What I did today:

in somewhat of an order, but not really;

• looked at baby chicks in the incubator that hatched overnight
• went back to bed and snuggled my son
• drank a cup of coffee and checked email
• took pig slop to pigs
• took pictures and video of Auntie Jenn and Ed and Eddie & Dillion and Andrew ride motorcycles in the driveway
• fed and watered chickens
• made horse buckets
• collected eggs
• coo'ed and awe'd at baby Xander and talked to my sister in the kitchen while we swatted at flies
• made sausage-egg casserole with lots of veggies in it
• talked to Dana and Paula and the new puppy
• hung laundry on the line
• kissed baby Xander
• did dishes
• did more laundry (but did not put away any of it)
• ate leftovers
• did more dishes
• hung out with Xander while Auntie Jenn rode motorcycles with Ed and Eddie
• messed around in the barn topping off feed and water
• got a shower!
• Becky, Steve and the kids came over and visited for a while
• Jim Bowles came over and visited for a while
• met Aunt Betty and her daughter Katrina at the fence in the chicken pasture - talked to them for a while and they gave me a catalog to one of the coolest places I've never been
• had a full-on conversation with a three month old 
• went over to Becky and Steve's for pizza and conversation, some ridiculously funny movie(?) and then came home
• told Xander he was a trooper for staying up so late and had another great few minutes with him.  He is such a happy baby!  So happy to have my sister and nephew here.
• forgot to  mention the coffee I had at Becky and Steve's which is why I'm awake.  While everyone else is asleep.  And I'm here.  Writing this.

It's ALL good.

on un-schooling *

Since sending my boy to Pre-School (Pre-K) last school year (2009-2010) I have fought the internal "mommy-instinct" to keep him home. I kept him in Pre-K because "he needed the socialization" and because "that's what you're supposed to do" and possibly because I thought I needed it (the time, sans child, that is).

*I started this post a long while ago (September 27th'ish) and because I am an unknown variety of field-mouse, I have no idea where I was headed with this post, but because I often bounce around from field to field, I came across this draft unfinished. Unfinished...hmmm, if I were to ever change the name of my farm....ahem. Where was I?

Ah, yes, un-schooling.

We sent him to Kindergarten in August of 2010. Cutest darn kid I've ever seen get on the bus at 6:20am, in the dark, to ride for an hour and a half, then wait on the bus, while the other kids finish breakfast, because I don't want him to eat the school slop, er, I mean, food.

WHAT?! 6:20am ? Dark? Hour and a half? School food?

His teachers were great. His classroom was bright and colorful and organized. The school and it's administrators are great. Even the receptionist is great (and has a covetable wardrobe, with the style to pull it all off!).

Our little man came home with a rubric for his day. Smiley face = good day. 1 = okay day, but needs to work on sitting still and following directions. 2 = not a good day. 3. bad day, not listening at all. 4. horrible day, the parents will be getting a phone call. I don't think he ever got a smiley face in the two or three weeks he was a "Kindergartner." He came home devastated, not understanding the combined concept of sitting still, listening and trying to ignore the wild and unruly classmates of his in between lunch, bathroom breaks and what little outdoor recess time they had (from 8:05am until 2:25pm).

I don't know many adults that can "do good" in that setting with such a schedule. Then throw in an hour and a half bus ride home.

He's five. FIVE. Fu-Iv-eh.

He should be playing with sticks and digging in the mud and following his dad around stealing his tools.

We decided to un-school him. "Oh, are you homeschooling him?" people politely inquire, as they peer down their nose at me, just a bit wary of my seemingly lackadaisical certainty. "No, not really." I say.

Then I think to myself, "maybe next year, I'll homeschool him". Then it dawns on me, it's THIS YEAR! I have 8 months, whoops, it's February 2011 already, 7 months to get ready to "do this".

Un-schooling. I can do this. He can learn to read. We'll get the math straight. If I can re-school (my own pet name for returning to college after nearly 20 years) then we can un-school here at home.

Now, what can a field mouse eat so that it stays focused?

just for fun

From the summer of 2007 - Eddie had just turned two!

a few of my favorite things

January 1st, 2010 was a gloriously sunny, but cold day. Nonetheless, we found a little spot of sunshine, a brush and some quality time with April.

Sammy Jo, Becky's daughter, is a very bright and cheerful six year old little girl. She and Eddie play well together and took turns riding April nicely too.

April was appreciative of her clean, shiny coat and adored the children as much as a cranky old pony can adore children.

April patronized Sammy Jo and Eddie as they tried to steer her around the round pen, and graciously carried them around and around, with frequent looks to me as if to say, "how long do I have to be good"? She stood patiently while they switched positions and then gratefully endured another half-hour of grooming after the riding was done.

I anticipate that they will be actually riding her on their own and steering her with good results by the end of summer. They are both the perfect size for her, so that I will not worry that she's having to work too hard, or carry too much weight.

What a blessing to be able to teach children to love and ride horses, while spending time with said horses. These are a few of my favorite things.

It is January 21st, 2010, far too long since the kids rode April. It's amazing to me how quickly time gallops by.

It has been several years since I've ridden April, and while I believe she's strong enough to carry me, I won't ride her again. It's been bittersweet realizing that she is no longer the pony of my youth. No longer will we fly down the trails (look ma, no hands) with her mane and tail flying in the wind....we will now saunter. But! she will carry Eddie, my son and that is a really, really cool memory I'm looking forward to making.

When I was 9 years old, my Mom traded Bubbles - one of her young fillies she was starting - for April, who was in foal. "Little bit o' November was born the 22nd of (yes, you guessed it,...) November. I don't remember what happened to the filly, but I can tell you that April has been in the family for 27 years. She was 7 years old when we got her.

Tonight, as I look outside, it is dark, and raining. The mud sloshes onto the hems of my jeans as I walk up the saturated driveway to feed the horses. I hear them nickering in the dark. They know what time it is, why I am in the barn, and now that they've heard me, they are suddenly starving.

In the dark I measure out the hay, pour water to soak the pellets, get the specials (supplements) and check the water.

Tomorrow morning I'll pick up poop right after they get fed, and do some grooming. They like to roll and the mud sticks to them - while I groom them I look over both horses for anything out of the ordinary (a cut, scrape, bellyache, limp, whatever...) and then sigh a big sigh.

Later in the morning, I'll sneak up on April laying flat out in the corral. She will be sleeping soundly, and sometimes moving her hooves as though dreaming. I'll feel a big lump in my throat and my heart will swell, and I have to catch my breath.

These are a few of my favorite things.