Girl Time!

I had a blast last week when four of my girlfriends and I whisked away to the big city and left our kiddos with spouses (and brothers and grandparents and friends- thanks everyone!). Our purpose was to attend an all day lecture on the wonders of a classical education applied to listening, reading, writing, and speech in your home school. I know, I know, you are so insanely jealous of our awkward notes, numb rear ends, and just the utter joy of attending an all day lecture with two men who enjoy speaking in Latin and utterly baffling us simple housewives. Let me just say this, we are dedicated home educating mothers.

I ask you: What are five unchaperoned ladies who have numb rears and good will offerings from their husbands to do? Shop, of course! And shop we did. Anthro, C&B, Pottery Barn, Williams and Sonoma, Paper Source... and the list goes on. We also had some tasty food thrown in and to top it all off, over EIGHT HOURS OF GAB TIME! We might have all had to wake up at 3am to do it, but by golly, I'd do it again! So thank you thank you to my dear friends for the invite!

#6 Girls!!! Whoot Whoot!

One good photo? Please?

Today is sunny! I grab the kids, dress them, brush hair, wipe faces, and head to the back yard to take a few good photos. Okay... let's be realistic...to simply take photos! My kids are so amazing at so many things, but it is difficult to get good photos of them. I cut them some slack because I do not like having my picture taken. I had to share these adorable little 'out-takes' of my boy.

Wow, the grass has really started growing again. Slacking on lawn mowing duties, eh mom?

Is she "for reals"? Isn't a smirk close enough to a smile?

Honestly, Lady, are you STILL trying to take a photo of me?

Oh man, this is getting painful.

Okay, okay, I'll smile, but I won't look at you!

I try a different tactic and our dorky dog decides to stick out this tongue. Crouching down also shows the burn barrel. Boo. 

At this point we have literally been outside for about five minutes. Four smiles, check! Let's call it a day! :)

There you go, the four most wonderful kids in my universe. 

Oh Me Oh My Oh Mushrooms!

I love the idea of foraging for food and living off the land. I remember being a young girl gathering wild strawberries and eating wild lettuce. I have yet to eat any fiddlehead ferns or find truffles, but hey, I'm still young. My darling kids have gotten caught up in the simple beauty of eating treats from the wilds. They are every bit as excited as I am every spring for our annual morel hunt. Eating aside, mushrooms are just plain cool, and very abundant this time of year! I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I found myself outside this morning walking in the cool rain looking for fungi with my brother. We took several species inside and he showed me how to take a spore print. After he left I rounded up the kids and we went back into the woods.   I snapped pictures, Natalie sketched, and Macy thumbed through our mushroom book. I delighted at hearing my four year old holler, "Mom! I found a polypore! Come look at this fungus!" We were hoping to find some oyster or chanterelle mushrooms, or perhaps another Lions's Mane, but no luck today. We had a wonderful time, and were even blessed with a bit of sunshine. These photos are just a small look at all the amazing fungus' we found.

 Orange Witches' Butter, and Polypores

Bolete

We never touch LBM's. (Little Brown Mushrooms)

Birds Nest Fungus

Puff Mushroom (see the little slit on the top right side for letting out spores)

Polypore

Western Amethyst Laccaria 

Coral