30 hour vacation

We spent Friday night in Wabasha with Rory's folks for a little summer getaway. And it was awesome. It felt like a quality vacation and we still can't quite figure out how we fit so much in and how it felt so restorative. I'll give a full rundown in the next post, but for now I just want to say that I need to remember that a simple overnight is totally worth it. I think I may have believed that I'd need more than one night for a getaway to feel worthwhile, but this one felt great. We played hard and I came home feeling sad that it was over, but tired enough that I was glad to be home.

And we got to see Laura and Mary's Little House in the Big Woods. Which was very exciting for Ivar and Elsie who are very big fans of Laura and Mary.

home school and home making

Last week I started organizing all of my home school materials. I cleared out a few shelves in the laundry room and lined up all of the books I have purchased or found at garage sales, or was given as home school hand-me-downs. And I started to get really excited. Something about seeing it all lined up and beginning to think through our "routine" sparked a vision I had yet to see.

I have been so consumed with what others might think of our decision to home school that I had sort of forgotten one key factor: I am going to LOVE this. I was made for this! I went to college for this! I played school my entire childhood. I taught Sunday school for a decade and was a Bible camp program director. My mind is organized in lesson plans!  My brain thinks in educational objectives! 

So the next day I went to the ABC Toy Zone with a little list of things I'd like to include in our home schooling. And I about died of excitement. I wandered the aisles with my list and the nice lady helping me find everything and felt dizzy with math manipulatives happiness.

The fun part about this year is that it is Kindergarten. And our actual formal lesson time will likely last only about an hour each day. That will include math and reading. There are some incredible curriculums to choose from that were created for home school families, and the approach that resonates the most with me are the teaching ideas of Charlotte Mason. I plan to write a post on her but her thoughts on education sort of boil down to: read to your kids books that connect their hearts to people and places and time periods (ie: not text books, but good stories) and get your kids outside in God's creation as much as possible. Explore poetry, music and fine arts. Create good habits in the home, put the emphasis on quality the first time around, and focus on building self-motivated, disciplined, life-long learners. 

I may have just botched that explanation, but from what I've read so far, that's what has inspired me the most. The truth is, Rory and I are excited for Life School. All that our kids see us do each day is learn new things. They'll hear us talk about maybe getting goats, listen to us ask God about getting goats, and then watch us research all we can about caring for goats. Finally they will find themselves in their car seats as we go to pick up our new goats and test all the things we learned on paper until we learn what works for us. We learn by doing, by building, by trying, by failing, by trying again, by dreaming things up and then accomplishing those dreams. That's likely our greatest goal for our kids in Life School: This first year we want our kids to learn to love learning. 

So Kindergarten will include 45 minutes of math and reading, Bible lessons at bedtime and then each week or two we will have a different unit study. And that may look like any sort of combination of library books, art projects, map study, field trips or dramatic play. Can you imagine how fun this is going to be?!!

***

Another funny thing began to happen as I began gathering up my teaching supplies. I started thinking through my entire "typical" day as a home educator. And as a mother of a baby. And as a home maker. And as the lunch lady. And dinner cook. And laundress. And dish girl. And maid. And involved community member. 

And I started to get a little panicked. 

Soon I was googling, "organizing your home" and "time management for a new home school mom" and "menu planning." One of my biggest goals for this first year of home school is simply to get a rhythm and routine and structure to our days. I have told Rory many times that I will be my biggest challenge to overcome as I learn the self discipline it will take to keep all these plates spinning. The years of having all little kids are truly a haze of keeping everyone alive and fed and relatively clean. I feel like this next season might be the one where I surface a bit. Maybe not all the time because little kids come with so many unexpected daily demands, but maybe there will be some gained order over my days. Maybe. At least I'm feeling a teeny bit hopeful...

So with all this excited (home school) and nervous (home making) energy I ended up on Fly Lady's website. Over the years I have had many friends recommend her site though nothing seemed to gel. But something is different this time. I feel open to any suggestion, and if keeping my kitchen sink shining is the key to my tidy house, I'll try it! (that's her first lesson...)

Then my sister came over and I showed her my home school cupboards and told her of my plan to take the next two weeks to go room by room in my house and purge, organize and systematize the daylights out of every drawer, cupboard and, well, anything. I asked her if she wanted to join me and she lit up like a light bulb. As she left and I told her, "we are starting with the bathrooms! when you get home take a picture of your bathroom and send it to me. Then purge every drawer and cabinet, deep clean that baby so every inch shines and send me an after picture!" 

You have never seen two women more enthused to clean their bathrooms. And though that spirit waned in the process, I do have one sparkling and organized bathroom to show for it. The next morning we talked and decided we were on to the fridge! This meant the outside had to be organized and washed down (even the dusty top) and inside every surface was to be cleaned. I even cleaned my oven as a bonus. It's actually all very addictive. Over the weekend I hit the garage and it was so clean you could eat off the floor. (Which was immediately proven by the chipmunk breakfast the cats were eating as I took the trash out the next morning. No kidding.)

And today I painted my laundry room! We have lived here for four years and somehow last night was the night I felt inspired to buy the paint and tape up the walls. Today I gave it two coats and I cannot believe it took me four years just to do it! And now that I know I can paint a room in a day, no wall is safe.

Tomorrow I am heading to Annika's to tackle her Paper Organization. We're going to create some sort of "office space" for her...maybe in her basement, maybe in a little nook, maybe just on a few book shelves. We both have homes that are short on spare rooms so we're going to get clever. And I know something awesome will come of it. 

All this to say, Jump On In! We are on a roll. September is right around the corner and life is going to pick up real fast. So pick a room a day. Or pick a problem area. Or go read some Fly Lady and join me as I wear my tennis shoes each day (her second lesson) and shine my sink. It feels good and is contagious. Send me a picture of your before and after. This is going to be fun!

three is company

Hattie is so proud to play with the big kids! They are so great with her.

Today we were outside sitting in camping chairs under the oak tree and I asked the kids what their favorite part of the farm was. I said, "Lately my favorite part has been the fireflies at night." Elsie said, "My favorite part is those bushes by the chickens with the hearts on them." (bleeding hearts) Ivar said, "My favorite part of the farm is Legos (the rooster) and the goats, and the barn." And then we tried to guess Hattie's favorite part of the farm and at that moment we watched Canvas the cat climb nearly to the top of our tallest Ash tree. And as we watched we decided that the cats are Hattie's favorite part of the farm. We'll confirm this with her when she is able to talk.

travel tips

I have a few travel tips that I think are worthy of passing along. Part of the success of a family vacations is keeping a few things in order, so here are my bits of learned wisdom...

+Pack with your three-year-old.
Elsie was packed for Mount Carmel four days before we were to leave. But upon investigation, her suitcase was very heavy on the board books and pajamas with very few outfits or underwear. So I got out index cards and wrote the days of the week and drew a picture if we were going to do anything special that day. (Tues had a birthday cake, Sunday had a cross, Friday had a car for going home.) Then I drew a card the moon and stars for pajamas and a card with the sun and waves for beach attire. I laid them on the floor and together we picked outfits for each day while we were away. She loved this system and so did I.

The plan was that we would leave her suitcase packed, as each outfit had a card on top of it. Unfortunately, my super-organized niece Sonna got to her suitcase before I could explain the system and had Elsie unpack all of her underwear into her dresser drawer. By the time I saw what was going on, Elsie's clothes were strewn across the room. I had to take a deep breath. And you know, she had clothes on each day. Just not the outfits we had planned together, but she was dressed! (I am discovering that I am growing in my need for control in some parts of my life as I age. Organization is one of those...which is hard with little kids!)

Also, just a side story on this organization theme. I told Rory when we moved into the lodge room that I really wanted to keep it tidy. That this mattered to me and my peace of mind. So you can imagine how hard we laughed when we came back from lunch the first day we were in our lodge room and found all birthday presents, linens and toys turned into one epic boat/fort.

Okay, on to more tips...

+ Pack your Room Darkening Curtains and Painter's Tape
This is basically genius. I said to Rory as we were about to leave, "What could we bring to use as room darkening curtains?" And he replied, "Room Darkening Curtains." Of course! I ran up to the kid's room and took the curtains off the rod and packed them in the car. Then I threw in a roll of painters tape and guess what?!! Their room was as dark as a cave. So even though they stayed up until 10 most nights, they slept in until 9 most days. I used the tape to adhere the curtains directly to the walls. People! Admit it. This is brilliant.

+ Thermarest in the pack-n-play
I don't know if our pack-n-play is getting old, or if we are just more compassionate for our third baby, but that little pad is so, so thin. No wonder babies don't sleep as great in there! We have been price checking foam pads to cut to size and even tried finding a couch cushion that would fit in there. But then I had an idea. I called my mom and had her measure her base-camp thermarest and wouldn't you know it was the exact width?!! And if it was folded in half it fit perfectly in the pack-n-play sheet and snug in the crib itself. Hattie slept well and we had peace knowing at least she was comfortable in there.

I think I had one more hot tip, but I don't remember it now. If I think of it, I'll add it. Until then, just trust me on that room darkening curtains tip. It's a real winner.

Brave Girls in the Bible

I saw this book at the Mount Carmel book store and was so thrilled. Elsie is into princess everything. I love that little girls know they were created beautiful and powerful.

I have wondered what to do with all of this energy towards princesses, because the Disney storylines all lack the actual values I want to instill in my little girl. So I was so excited when I saw this book. The women are not all royalty, but the stories are told showing how each one (over 30 women!) was brave. The writing is fantastic and Elsie has had us read ten stories to her already. (Rory likes the book too.) And the pictures are beautiful.

If you have a little girl in your life, I'd recommend this book as their next gift. It's part devotional, part story and ends with some processing of the story pointing out how that woman was brave and showed strong character. Here's a link to Amazon where you can get your own. :)

family camp

We spent most of our week at Mount Carmel down at the beach. It was a great week to be on the water, building rivers in the sand down to the lake, floating with noodles and sitting in camping chairs eating snow cones.

We lived in that yellow cabin below for the first half of the week. It's a duplex and Annika's family was on the other side. This thrilled all of the cousins to no end. The second half of the week our family moved into the lodge and shared a hotel-like room. The switch was due to our late registration, but in the end we sort of lucked out as we moved into air-conditioning for the hotter half of the week!

The camp looked great and most exciting was to see the Youth Chapel looking all spiffed up after a total overhaul by volunteers. This was my 33rd summer attending family camp. I've only missed two summers, both because I was working at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp in Montana. Which I think is a good excuse: one Bible camp for another.

My kids love Mount Carmel so much. It is such a joy to have their excitement match my own! I'm not sure I ever thought that would be possible, but it definitely does. They love this place like I do and as I told them on our last night, "one day I'll be a grandma, and you'll be here with your own kids and we'll all play at the beach together." I told that to my mom and she said, "and that is true! I was here with my grandma when I was their age. Just think of that!" It is a wonder to think about. If any reader is interested in coming to Mount Carmel next summer, PLEASE DROP ME A LINE! They already have their speakers and teachers and preachers lined up. You could get your week on the calendar (and get the best cabins! I'll tell you what you need to know!) even before this summer is over. :) Because Family Camp is the best!

back from vacation

This yearly picture of the back hatch all packed and ready to go is becoming one of my annual favorites. There's lots going on in that picture above: a certain 5-year-old's fishing pole, a certain 9-month-old's favorite animal pop up toy, a certain 3-to-turn-4-on-vacation-year-old's birthday presents. And the art supplies of a wishful mama that never got used during the entire week away. Which means it was a good and busy time.

We are home again now and had a fantastic time at Mount Carmel Family Bible Camp. This was the longest we have been away from our farm in the four years since we moved here. We were gone six nights and it felt just right. We loved every minute up there and were excited to come home to see our animals, sleep in our own beds and check out the garden. But oh, vacation. We all have an ache now that it's over. Vacation just feels so good. Only 51 more weeks until we go again. :)

three kids

Well, it seems blogging has taken a back seat... But mostly because motherhood is taking the front seat. And it's good. I'm absolutely in love with these three and my gig as their mama is so awesome. And exhausting. My friend Kari sent this thought written by Joanna Gaines to a group of friends today...I loved this thought and felt inspired. I hope you do too! Joanna wrote:

"There's an Adonis blue butterfly bush I planted by the girl's window almost five years ago when we were renovating the farmhouse. I wanted butterflies by the girl's windows that they could see and enjoy. I never told them about the bush and honestly I forgot about it over the years. This morning I found my little Emmie sitting by her window looking excitedly at the bush and saying "Here she is! My little hummingbird comes every morning mom!" First, I didn't know she looked out for her bird every morning. Second, I forgot all about the bush and never told her if she looked out the window she would see the prettiest butterflies and hummingbirds gathered around it. It's hard not to think this is a lot like parenting... You sow seeds early on and work hard to be intentional and then over time you move on to new lessons and challenges. Then one day you look up and the seeds you planted in your little children's hearts are now in full bloom. Be encouraged today to keep pressing in and tending to their hearts. It will be worth it."

playing possum

I read in a book recently about the whole "no girls allowed" phase and I thought naively to myself, 'boy, Ivar is so good at playing with his sisters. I wonder if he missed that phase.' I think it was the very next day I found this sign outside of his little fort. He told me it was a picture of Elsie and Harriet and that they were not allowed in his Possum House. And I couldn't decide if I was more amused by his awesome drawing or the fact that he was playing possum.

Then Elsie assured me, "it's okay because I am playing blossom over here!"

Harriet Joy: 9 months

I remember laughing hard, hard belly laughs throughout my pregnancy with Hattie. I don't know if it was the hormones or just an added measure of happiness, but I laughed deeper and fuller and was so aware of it. There was a bliss and a joy during those nine months, a sincere giddy expectancy, already over the moon for the baby inside of me. We named her Harriet Joy, sharing that middle name with her Grandma Marlene, and also because of those joyful months of hard laughs that filled my body. 

And now that she's here I know that those laughs must have affected her very being, because she is the embodiment of all of that joy. To know Hattie is to know a happy, contented, freely-smiling little baby. (...except for the recent babysitter...she might not say that! Hattie seems to be attached to her mom and dad at the moment...) But if you are her mama or daddy or big brother or big sister, you are certain to find a very charming, happy and ready-to-smile little sister ready to share her joy.

catching up on summer

Well I hardly know what to say. I haven't taken this natural of a break from my blog in a long, long time. But I suppose it has something to do with the fact that it is summer and this is the season that is packed full of farm projects. We have done a few house projects (big windows! natural light!), built a kitchen garden off to the side of our house, are finishing the upstairs of the barn and growing into the rhythm of farm chores every morning and every night.

Plus Hattie (9 months today!!!) is crawling all over and sticking stuff in her mouth all day long. She is in a much more hands-on season and this is likely why the camera is never handy to document the moment and why I am too spent to write much at the end of the day. I know from Ivar and Elsie that 8 months-18 months tend to be pretty demanding in terms of mobile babies that need supervision every moment of every day. And of course it doesn't end at 18 months, but just let me have my moment.

The whole concussion thing took it out of me for a few weeks there, so we've been making up for lost time! Rory and I are suddenly really into state parks. We have visited a few, checking out cabins and yurts to stay in, deciding what time of year would be best to stay, scoping out the beaches and bike paths. It has been a really fun summer project, sort of a "get to know your state" and has me so excited for adventures ahead.

a storm kit

A few Friday's ago I took the kids to the local pool. It was a muggy day, the week school got out and the local pool was the place to be. We met a friend and even Harriet and I got into the water to try to stay cool. But the clouds were building and the sky was growing dark and thankfully we were already beginning to load up because by the time we got in the car, it started raining cats and dogs. We got home and Rory said we should have a storm emergency drill, so the kids could practice going down the basement.

The thing is, our basement is not just another playroom. Our basement is literally from the 1890's, limestone walls, dirt and broken concrete floors, pipes, vents and storage. And the stairs to get down there require that everyone signs a waiver not to sue if they should collapse. Even Elsie has to sign the waiver. To have Ivar and Elsie "practice" being in the basement was actually a great idea, even though the storm didn't seem too severe. While down there I made a running list of things that would make the basement more accommodating for us. Like chairs. Or blankets.

Then a few nights later we watched a Daniel Tiger for family movie night that just happened to be about thunder storms. This episode showed a big storm coming to Daniel's town and his parent's had a storm kit with supplies to keep them safe.

Well you can imagine how excited my kids were to put together such a kit! We drew pictures of the things we'd need and then I took the three kids to the Dollar Tree where we got all sorts of exciting things to put in our storm kit: their own flash lights, batteries, special snacks and water bottles. Then we came home and gathered blankets, pillows, card games to play and books to read. I made a fancy sign and we put the Kit by the door to the basement for Dad to carry down.

And to their great joy, the very next afternoon, while Papa was here and I was living through day one of my concussion, the weather got so severe that they got to go down the basement! The kids were thrilled! They even went down the basement long before they had to. It was all very wonderful. Meanwhile, I stayed in bed and Rory told me he'd holler if I needed to take cover with them. I was so miserable that death by tornado didn't sound half bad.

Thankfully the kids survived and so did I. But I wanted to pass along this idea of a Storm Kit in case you have kids that are nervous of severe weather. Because this little kit has turned my kids into storm enthusiasts. Every time it rains they ask hopefully if we can go down the basement. Mostly they are hoping to eat a granola bar, but whatever. They aren't scared of severe weather and that was the goal!

Elsie's magic trick

Elsie: Mom, did you know that I am magical?

Me: I didn't know that. What's your trick?

Elsie: (seals her lips tight)

Me: Is that your trick?

Elsie: Yes, but did you know that I just said something? I did! But you couldn't hear it! I could hear it. I said, "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" but you didn't hear. So that's magical.

Me: Oh, yes. I get that. You are thinking things in your head, but not using your mouth to say the words. That is pretty magical!

Elsie: Also, (she runs from one couch to the other) when I run fast, my hair spreads out very lovely.

***

Another magical thing: My mom came and took the kids strawberry picking so that I got to play and make a pie and strawberry popsicles without doing any of the work of getting the berries. Magic.

concussion

Last Tuesday morning I got up to get Hattie a bottle, change her diaper and put her back to sleep. She usually wakes up once a night now, around 4 am. And then sleeps until 7. It's a pretty good deal as she goes down at 7 or 8.

But I got up and felt a little off, made her bottle and she was holding it as I changed her diaper on her dresser. I felt woozy and sort of knew I was about to faint. I called for Rory and by the time he got in the room I was passed out on the floor with Harriet quietly drinking her bottle on the changing pad. We thank the Lord she stayed still and didn't roll looking for me.

I hit my head on a wood desk on my way down and came to about ten seconds later, thinking I had been out for hours. Fainting isn't that uncommon for me. I have a lot of fainting stories...sometime I'll share them all. But I usually get to the ground before I actually faint. This time I didn't.

Rory got me back into bed and woke me occasionally to ask me questions. In the morning I stayed in our dark bedroom and napped. I ate some toast and iced my head. Noises bothered me. Rory's dad came over to watch the kids and we consulted my cousin if we should go to the doctor. She thought we should, but it wasn't until I had a vertigo spell and began throwing up that we decided we definitely should go. I had a new doctor who we loved and he ordered a CT scan that thankfully came out clear. He said I had a mild concussion, likely due to dehydration. I was ordered to sleep a lot, rest, and not look at any screens or read. I need to "rest my brain." What a great request!

So for seven days I've been napping an incredible amount, listening to a book on tape, and enjoying the good care of four grandparents who have all come over to take shifts with the kids.

I'm still not actually supposed to be on any screens. The doctor gave a two week recovery estimate. But I'm basically dying of isolation. It's amazing how disconnected a girl can be when she can't text, email, blog, read or watch any tv! I've broken the rules a bit, but I am trying to heal so here's to more books on tape...

Also, all of the information the doctor gave me on concussions referenced athletic injuries from full contact sports or car accidents. Very little was written about getting your concussion from full-contact mothering.

the little chicks

Almost two months ago, our niece Madi called to see if she could get a chick. She was on her way to a farm supply store and was deciding on a whim that she should get a chick. But she needed to be sure it had a home after it outgrew her apartment. Rory was thrilled to say yes, as he thinks animals are the most fun we've had in a long time, and is ready to support any animal adventurers. 

She called an hour later and nervously explained that there was a six chick minimum. She wondered if we'd take six chicks. And because we've got the room, we thought six sounded more fun than one and told her to go for it. One chick had been acting lethargic from the start and died the next day, but the other five chicks have thrived. Madi loved them like her own little babies, gave them baths and blow dried their feathers. And she gave them their own instagram account. Be sure to scroll to the beginning so you can see how teeny, tiny these chicks began.

They are adorable and we are pleased to have more chickens on our farm. Two weeks ago we got a text from Madi asking if we were ready for her chicks. She and her husband Chace brought them on a Saturday and it was a sad farewell. She really, really, really loved Pam, Taylor, Mountain Wind, Lindsay and Teensy. She even had a funeral for the sixth chick that had lovingly been kept in a ziplock in her freezer until she could give it a proper burial in our field. 

It was a sad goodbye, and though I couldn't promise to give them a blow dry each day, I did promise we would take good care of them. And Rory promised too. And maybe that is why he built them their own adorable little coop. We knew they couldn't go in with the big birds, but these ladies needed to get out the barn. They stink! Chickens are so smelly! The goats and lambs hardly have a scent. But five little chicks can fill the barn with chicken smell, and we were ready to get them out doors. 

So using nothing but scraps around his shop Rory built them their own adorable home sweet home. And they seem quite happy about their new digs. They spent most of the afternoon exploring the great outdoors which is quite the change from the walk-in closet they came from. But I promised Madi that the life we would give these chicks would be the very best life a chicken could ever hope for. Minus the blow dry.

lessons from ivar

Before church on Sunday I sat with the kids eating rice krispies and told Ivar, "Hey, I'm going to run upstairs and get you a different shirt or pair of shorts for you. Usually when you put an outfit together if you have lots of colors on your shirt you just wear one color on your shorts. Or if you have lots of colors on your shorts you pick a shirt that is just one color. So do you want to keep wearing your shirt or your shorts?"

Ivar looked down at his colorful duds and told me quite plainly, "Mom, I like this outfit. So this is the one I'm going wear." And then he looked back up at me.

I couldn't argue with that. I told him that was a great reason. In fact, I spent most of my morning at church praying that he never lose his sense of self and that I might grow in confidence to match that of my 5-year-old son.

second cousins

I have lots of cousins on the Bredberg side of my family. 17 first cousins and now with marriage and kids, that world of cousins and cousins kids has multiplied quickly. On Saturday a lot of us were together for Nik's graduation open house and some of us ended up at the park for part of the party.

I stood back and watched my kids and my cousin's kids play together on all the playground equipment that I swear I was just playing on with the cousins that now had the kids. Somehow we are now the ones who stand in clumps and catch up while watching our kids. The passage of time is a very crazy and surreal thing. I felt it profoundly on Saturday.

And oh it was so good to be together. We don't all gather for Christmas like we did growing up, or meet at Grandma's farm for the 4th of July. Our own families have grown and that chapter seems to be over. But it just felt so right to be together. And it got us planning future gatherings, weeks at Bible Camp, wiener roasts and road trips to make sure we see each other a whole lot more.

weekend roadtrip

On Friday I took a little roadtrip with the kids down to my Aunt Annie and Uncle Ed's farm. While packing up I said to Ivar, "Hey Ivar, I think we should pack up a few toys for our weekend." Ivar replied very enthused, "I was just thinking about that this morning. Like how there is probably going to be a lot of Grandma-Stuff there, like jewels, and diamonds, and glass candles..."

The overnight was wonderful and it was so good to be with family. We were down there for my cousin's son's graduation party and it was so fun to see everyone. Ivar and Elsie insisted I sleep with them, so I lay between my two big kids with Hattie in the pack-n-play at the foot of the bed. And I slept great, realizing of how sweet and short this season is when I can even fit in a bed with Ivar and Elsie. We fed the orioles grape jelly with Aunt Annie, explored their farm buildings and played in the tree house.

And as it turns out, Aunt Annie had a lot of other Grandma-Stuff too. The kids were in awe of her Light Bright and played with it for hours. And Ivar built a whole train out of a toy he had never seen before: tinker toys, and used some of the light bright pieces as jewels and gold for his train to carry. So Aunt Annie did have jewels and diamonds after all!

descriptive language

Me: Elsie, no. Just because you found cookies by the couch doesn't mean you get to eat one.

Elsie: But I want one! I need sugar!

Me: No. You have already had a lot of sugar today. You had candy with Karis and a rhubarb bar with cool whip. That is a lot of sugar in one day.

Elsie: (Elsie swallows and chews her tongue for a second.) But mom. My mouth doesn't taste like sugar. It just tastes like gooey water!

the three lamb-igos

These three may be my favorite addition to our hobby farm. I never knew I liked sheep so much, but now I do. They're pretty adorable. They have no tail, and this is really amusing to me. They look like stuffed animals and they don't say Baa as much as Maa. In fact, I think goats make more of a Baa sound and sheep make an annoyed-teenager-calling-up-the-stairs "Maa! What are we having for dinner?!!" 

We were planning on getting four lambs, but when Rory went to pick them up the farmer said, "now that one there has some protrusion." Rory asked what that meant and he said, "well, his rectum is hanging out." Rory explained kindly how new we are at all of this, and that protrusion sounded like a challenge were weren't quite ready to take on. 

That story made me laugh, mostly because Rory said the farmer was so totally fine with the new plan and not one bit bent out of shape. This farmer was totally chill.

Just like these three lambs. They are chill. And not quite as tiny as we had imagined they'd be. They are weaned from their mama and so gentle and sweet. Today they head out to pasture, which leaves a lot more room for story material lest anything go wrong...