Restoration Place

'Nuff Said

Dark-Eyed Junco ~ First Spotting of the Season

Katie spotted our first Dark-eyed Junco of the season as she was finishing up breakfast yesterday. She always watches the birds outside the window while she's eating. "Mama!" she called, "A junco! Come see, quick!" I ran down the hallway to the kitchen, grabbing the camera from the counter. "Yes, it is! They've returned for the winter!" (Yes, I drop everything and run for birds. Always.)

I only got one not-so-very-close photo before it flew away. The larger, gray bird to the left is a Mourning Dove and the Junco is to the right, much smaller, black with a white underside:

Pretty soon there will be a small flock of Juncos twittering around the bird seed scattered on the ground.

Quiet Days ~ Sick Days

The last few days have been slow and quiet. Maggie's just now recovering from a stomach virus (enhanced by a two-day fever) and I've been groggy from the nights of helping her, checking on her, and just simply fretting.

And now I'm waiting. Waiting for the next "shoe to drop." I'm wondering how long it takes for this virus to incubate and if all the children get it, one after another, how long we'll be in restoring our health.

But I'm praying, too--praying that the rest of the family will be protected and spared from it.

For now, it seems right for us to all take it easy with read-aloud (it's a good time to start all those other books they've been begging for!) and video camp-outs (The Nutcracker, Franklin, 101 Dalmatians) in the family room, blazing fires, and mugs of hot mint tea with lots of raw honey.

I'm grateful for more moments for me in the midst of it all. I'm slowing down to see what's around me and taking a little time for my creative self. I'm also taking much encouragement from these slower moments and thanking Him for new mercies on this rainy, gray autumn morning.~smile~

 

 

 

 

Front Porch Joy ~ Autumn/Winter Light Garland

I was so inspired by Kelli's autumn front porch garland (thanks so much, Kelli!) that I showed it to Karl and he said, "I can do that. Easy!" And you know what? He did! 

 

I drove around yesterday searching for grapevine swag but couldn't find any. Today, Karl suggested going for a walk in our woods and cutting some vines from the trees. He selected and cut vines (while I took a much needed nap!), went to Home Depot for lights, secured the vines, twined the tiny white lights all around, and gave me a delightful gift of light that lifts my heart, just in time for these darker days.

Isn't he fabulous?

 

Eden Mill Autumn Hike ~ Nature Journaling

Yesterday all was dropped (except for morning chores!) for the sake of a beautiful autumn hike. We headed off to Eden Mill nature trails. The weather was brisk, sunny, and breezy.

 

 

 

 

After enjoying a rest with hot chocolate and snacks, we discovered a couple of the children had ticks crawling on their pant legs. Guess we shouldn't have just plopped down on the leaf litter.

Throughout the walk we were chatting about finding something to record in our nature journals when we got home. The children gathered many treasures and thought they would make a choice about what to sketch. But on the way home, we spotted a woodchuck/groundhog in a grassy area by the side of the road. We've seen that chubby, cheerful fellow many times, so the children wanted to learn more about woodchucks.

Once home we gathered up some mammal identification guides, and our worn copy of the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock and began.

 

As the children drew, I read from the Comstock book. I so enjoy her lighthearted style and all the nuggets she shares:

Every boy knows how to find whether the woodchuck is in its den or not, by rolling a stone into the burrow, and listening; if the animal is at home, the sound of its digging apprises the listener of the fact.

Of course, you know where Jacob's mind went! We'll be searching for a woodchuck burrow any day now.

  

Happy Birthday, Maggie ~ The Big 11!

After the week we've had, I'm just now getting to around a birthday post for Maggie. Her birthday was October 20th. Don't worry--we had our celebration. ~smile~

Maggie, you're passionate, fiery, spirited, full of a sense of justice, perceptive, wise beyond your years, quietly contemplative, creative, aware of others. You're our up and coming family manager, a dance worshiper, a champion of the less fortunate, a devourer of good books.

We delight in who He's made you to be and watch with joyful anticipation the unfolding of this new year!

Need A Breather ~ Back In A Couple of Days

We're celebrating Maggie's birthday today and tomorrow, plus we've experienced a very unexpected and upsetting event this weekend (please don't worry, we're all well--just rattled) and we're trying to process it.

I need some time to "regroup." See you in a couple of days or so.

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Salsa

Maggie surprised me with breakfast: cheddar cheese scrambled eggs with fresh salsa (no, she didn't make the salsa). I was delighted!

As Maggie edges toward 11, she's doing more and more "older" things, and though I'm taken aback at the passage of time, I'm thrilled for Maggie and who she's becoming.

Oh, and sorry, I don't have a recipe to share. I think she wants to keep this one secret. ~smile~
 

Brown Sugar & Spice Cutout Cookies

Inspired by As We Walk's Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies, but lacking both the pumpkin and butterscotch chips, we made Brown Sugar & Spice Cutout Cookies instead.

Making cookies here is always--ahem--more than I expect. This time there was much examination of the various ingredients with the hand-held microscope, way too much flour and brown sugar on the floor (in which the dogs delighted, and the children kept slipping), and cookie dough on the ceiling, but the results were wonderful!

  

 

 

We doubled the recipe and added in two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. The cookies taste like a mild gingerbread cookie. We had planned to make frosting, but over the course of a couple days they all got eaten up during tea and and reading time before we could get to it. Maybe next time.

Picture Narrations ~ Little Pilgrim's Progress

The children narrate from several read alouds each day, and sometimes they like to draw instead of tell or write (or dictate to me, for the younger ones). I really enjoy seeing what they choose to portray in their drawings, and was especially pleased to see Ben get in on the act in response to our Little Pilgrim's Progress reading this morning.

Ben (just turned 4) can't write, but he sure can tell (and often has to be reminded to wait his turn to share!) and he's drawing more and more. What looks like a page of colored pencil scratchings takes shape as he tells me how to label each part. It's a little blurry, but you can click on the photo to open up a new window and get a clearer view:

Here are some close-ups:

 

 

Katie's narrative drawing:

The details come to life with labeling:

Sometimes I feel too pressed for time to want to linger over the children's drawings, but it's a richness in their day that I must make time for, and it won't happen if I don't discipline myself to provide those moments.

Less hurrying, more lingering...