The Snorkel//Mid Jan '25
January is off to a windy start - one of our shade sails loosed an anchor and wrapped itself up like an umbrella! These are quite unseasonal winds so I do wish they’d stop, it’s very unsettling for so long. However it’s not blazing hot which means the boys and I have been able to be outside - we even walked all the way to the sunflowers with Leif on his balance bike! He braved the “big hill”, which has a nice gradual descent for boys who don’t have brakes.
Last week we were overnight at Luke’s parents so that I could go to a meeting with a naturopath to see about Pip’s diet issues. It was really encouraging and we have lots of things to slowly try! The hardest part is how gradual everything has to be. If we try a new food or supplement, it’s a teensy bit at breakfast then at least a 24 hour wait to see what happens. For example, on Saturday morning we tried a supplement that might have helped with his amine reactions, but it immediately constipated him tremendously (and he was up til 4 am that night) and he is still constipated today, Wednesday. So before we can attempt any other possible items, we have to get him un-constipated, which will take more days at the rate it’s clearing up. It was worth a try though!
Over the holidays my phone’s SIM reader died, so I finally retired my iphone 7 which now functions as only an alarm clock (so that there’s no scrolling temptation yet all the alarms lol), and instead I have an iphone 12 mini! The camera is so much fun for my newsletter! Unfortunately, my best photos are of the boys, and y’all ain’t gettin’ those (okay you can have a few as a treat).
I’ve been organizing the house and putting away items that Pip isn’t using (exersaucer got put away! Where has the time gone!!), and yesterday we did a big errands trip getting small bins for Pip’s clothes. Leif often bikes through stores with me since we walk most of our errands whenever we can. He had excellent listening, and so many people chuckled or complimented him especially because he had his sunglasses on and was listening and obeying so well. He knows that if he has “bad listening”, he can’t bike. But he was so good that we even stopped for sushi for him! (His favorite, even over ice cream!)
I’ve been working on my gouache paint setup but no photos of that yet since it’s in progress, but I’m already loving learning how to do it! I’ve scheduled to have a friend over to paint with me, and I have two other friends I’m itching to have over as well. This has made me realize that I’m finally not only settling into community, but in adopting new art and being able to learn it, it shows how well I’m doing!
Here are the wildflower trials that I’ve been looking forward to! Luke did a test of planting five strips of predatory-insect-friendly flowers to see if that helped with insect control for the crops. Aren’t they gorgeous!! We love them! I have no idea if they’re doing their job.
The farm has been so beautiful lately, and because the boys are so active it’s been a wonderful reason to get outside, especially in the cool evenings. I found a $5 American football at an op shop in the South Island, and Luke’s brother Ben pumped it up for Leif when we were in Auckland, so I’ve been teaching Leif how to catch it. We had a fun family night this week driving around the farm, taking a walk (over a mile!) around the fields while Leif biked with us, then throwing the football around and mostly tackling Leif while Pip sat on the grass screeching with joy. I’ve also been doing water aerobics again after dinner when Luke watches the boys for a bit.
Lastly, I saw this bumper sticker and laughed out loud. This is so me.
Alright, I gotta run, both boys are napping so I feel the weight of my list bearing down on me! They’re both in a “all I want to do is nestle in Mama’s arms” phase which is lovely… except when I have to do anything that requires my hands lol.
Oh and I made this meme for how I feel about the ocean. Yeah yeah the Great Lakes has stuff in them too but did YOU have to break a little boy’s heart and tell him we couldn’t wade at “dada’s beach” because there was a sea lice and jellyfish bloom?? I MISS YOU LAKE MICHIGAN
Anyway, I hope your January is off to a great start!