farm day

here are a few more photos from our trip up north. it was truly beautiful.

r woke up in the middle of the night and crawled into bed with us and then k showed up a little while longer. ruskin was splayed across the bed diagonally out cold. so r slept on my pillow; k slept on top of me until she rolled over and banged her head against her father's head (he now has a bruise). so i suggested to him that he go sleep in r's bed alone and peacefully.

in the morning, ruskin said that he was not feeling well -- nausea and sweats. i thought it might be food poisoning. he rested. i got the kids ready and fed. ruskin said he felt better so we decided to go to the farm after all. we belong to a community supported agriculture farm (a CSA). we pay an amount and receive weekly supplies from the farm. they are fresh and bountiful and we support the farmers and their family. it is a win-win situation. we love that r and k can see where their food comes from. they learn about how food grows and what labor is required. it is also beautiful and though we are not helpful, we have a terrific time. last year, r dug up potatoes.

this year we left even later than usual. but it was the most beautiful day. as we drove, k got sleepy so i pointed out animals to her. she pointed out the window and said "i see hathi (elephant)." besides that elephant, we saw sheep, cows, bison, and horses. r liked the hay bales. at the farm, the kids ran around, drank cider, fell on the grass, looked at farm equipment, and had a good time. dad picked raspberries and everyone had a big lunch. we saw both kathleen aunties. r had many questions for farmer mike and farmer jim. farmer jim answered many of them patiently for a half hour! k guzzled fresh cider. it was a lovely day. on the way everyone except dad conked out.

masee came over (finally)! and there was much joy. the kids have wanted to see her all week long. so there was much rejoicing. children ate dinner. and k used her masee well and made her work by feeding her. we loaded masee up with corn and tomatoes and sent her home. when will we see you next masee?

tomorrow is a school day and r is still not asleep. it was a good day but i am a little frustrated with his sleep patterns again. i am not sure how long i can keep up working until 2 and waking up at 7 with multiple interruptions. but between dropping off and picking up the kids, meetings, and students, it is hard to get anything done during the day. but i will take a few days without sleep to have such a beautiful day in the country with my kids.