March Days

I was feeling kinda blue this past week. Dustin has been working more and as we are a one car family in the winter, I've been home with the kids more than usual. Avery's molars have been pushing through so she has been a bit cranky. Noah hasn't been socializing as much as he'd like so he is wanting more attention. Needless to say I haven't had much time to myself and have found myself practically pleading to be left alone to sit and look at a book or whatever for just a few minutes, which in turn has the opposite effect I'm going for. I end up with two kids climbing on me, tackling, tickling me, bringing me books to read, wanting me to play with them, I know, poor me. I can see how silly it seems, "poor me, I don't want to play that I'm an Ankylasaurus getting eaten by a Tyrannasaurus Rex anymore!  I want to make lunch and sweep the floor!"


On a brighter note, we've been getting outside to play when it is warmest (teens and twenties) in the late afternoon. Noah is into digging and hoeing snow ditches. He has been placing old pvc pipes on the hillside and then burying them with snow. He wants me to bring water out for him to play with, so far I've avoided this adventure, the prospect of going back and forth through the house, taking boots off, putting them back on, hauling water  from the kitchen sink hauling to get dumped onto the ground is not appealing. One or two pitchers would never be enough. Avery is pretty entertained by just walking back and forth on the driveway. She likes to visit the chickens and the goats. We've been brushing Chana, who is shedding. I got Noah to take some pictures of Avery and I yesterday, with much guidance as to where to point the camera, (down, towards Avery, back up, towards me, up a bit) he managed to get us in the frame a couple times.

 

 Avery has been having fun putting her brother's hat, gloves and boots on and pretending to go to town. Although after we say "bye bye", she gets frustrated when I don't open the door, so I guess she isn't really pretending.

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 D has tomorrow off so we are thinking of taking the kids to town for a visit to the ice park.  There are slides made out of ice in addition to other toys made out of ice and lots of cool ice carvings. The weather has been clear and sunny, getting down to zero at night and up near twenty during the day. The difference between standing in the sun and the shade is huge. Indoors we've been basking in the sun. Our living area is filled with sun from mid morning until sunset and we love it. On overcast days I find myself looking at the sky periodically hoping for a break in the clouds, a glimpse of the sun. I forget how much I love this time of year. This is one reason we live in Fairbanks Alaska as opposed to other areas in the state, we get lots of clear weather year round. Yes it is dark for a few months, and cold, but at least the majority of our spring, summer and fall days are clear and sunny. I'd rather the weather be cold and sunny than warm and overcast...I guess I'm a Fairbanks girl.


We have three does looking rather pregnant, they are due in five to seven weeks. Xoe's udder is filling so we are sure she will be kidding. The other two, we won't know for sure until their udders fill, or they kid. I'm relieved that at least one doe will be kidding shortly, for we are just finishing the last of the frozen milk and chevre, and I am already panicking. Next year we will be milking a doe through the winter and not breeding her so that we will not be out of milk, ever!