In between

This is kind of a strange time of the year for me (and the kids). Ramont and my dad are planting beans like crazy, and are thus gone from home from early till very late. Luckily we still get to see them at mealtimes - and it's a treat to eat outside these beautiful days. And oftentimes we give them rides between fields or other "supportive" tasks like that.

A lot of the time we wait...for summons, for the chance to get to ride in the tractor, for faspa, for the next thing.

It feels like we're not quite in control of our schedule. Which is the reality for most people in the world - but still, a hard adjustment for someone so very...particular as myself. It's hard for me to deal quickly and smoothly with last minute changes in plans, especially to break the news to two little toddlers who have been raised in the same rigid way as I am! "But I have to...[do the original plan]" says Jonathan 19 times a day, upon learning that plans have changed.

But since flexibility is absolutely a necessity in farming - especially during planting and harvest seasons - I "twy my best" (as Anna says from the potty).

 And in reality, it's quite the good life. So much outside time, so much diversion and change of scenery, so much tractor-riding, so much seeing daddy during long work days, and so much LIFE.

 However, I should also say that if you've written or called in the last few weeks, I most likely haven't returned the e-mail or call yet, and I apologize. We're probably somewhere beside a field.

And one last random note: Anna's had an itchy big toe for weeks now. Yesterday at breakfast she dealt with it this way.

What we do during therapy

Three times a week my mom goes to physical therapy for her hip replacement operation. She's not supposed to drive yet, so the kids and I bring her to the Good Samaritan home in town. Then we have to find something to do for about 45 minutes.

The problem is not in finding something to do. The problem is settling on the best thing, and thus not doing all the other things.

Going to the park by the lake (Lawcon Park, for those of you from here) is a winner for all three of us. The playground is amazing, the number of other kids is nil (a big plus for me, a big minus for our little extroverts), and the view is quite fine.

Jonathan's favorite thing to do is climb, climb, slide down the fire pole, and climb some more.

 Anna's beginning to like climbing a lot, but alas, still favors the labor-intensive swing above all else.

When the time is up, we pack ourselves up, go pick up Oma, and more often than not end up here: the sweetest coffee shop/MCC thrift store combination ever invented.

So that's where you can find us on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings.

[If we're not driving between fields and thus forcing Oma to haul herself to town, as this morning :) ]

Fence (I know, it's the title that draws all you readers in)

Last fall Ramont's dad (and mom) came to visit us at just the right moment for him to build a picket fence -- behind which Susie and Sally were going to spend the winter. It's a great-looking fence, but definitely needed paint. Which required temps of above 50 degrees or so. And this week we hit it! Above is the "before" picture, and below the "in progress":

As you might imagine, these types of projects (i.e. anything with paint) tend to become family affairs.

Luckily Ramont has tons of patience (his spouse, not so much).

[They loved it.]

And here's the "after." It's quite eye-catching.

Completely unrelated, here's evidence of our very first Sunday afternoon terere/popcorn OUTSIDE this spring!

The tomato and pepper seedlings in the bottom right have been going in and out of the garage nightly since I got them about two weeks ago...it is just too cold this spring.

Planting season

This week Ramont and my dad tilled and planted our (Ramont's and my) very first field, just southwest of Delft.

It was a beautiful day, and we brought out supper in the late afternoon.

Life is a charm.

Jonathan surveys the fields (with satisfaction), having helped Opa and Daddy fill the planter with seeds. For some reason that job really appeals to him. It's almost as if something tickles him when the seeds pour into the planter box.

Here Anna keeps Oma company while we get lunch ready at our house one day.

Or rather, Oma keeps Anna entertained.

And finally, how can three farmers tell if it's raining?

Hmm...

Around the yard

I haven't been sitting at our computer much lately, for a number of reasons: I've been giving rides to/from fields and therapy, bringing out meals and faspas, our new computer is shot (one week shy of its warranty, thankfully), and mainly, the weather has been so beautiful and who wants to be inside. Until yesterday, when the rains came again. So here I am. And here are some random pictures from around our paradisaical yard this spring.

I'm not sure if Anna's pose here is intentional or not...

Jonathan has become quite the climber. This requires a lot of fears-squashing on my part.
 

 How's the air up there, Jonny?

 This nice piece of texture on the yard hides a multitude of rabbits, which are chomping the flowers and new greens to bits. Ramont's been on the hunt most evenings, but there doesn't seem to be an end an sight.

Coming in for lunch.

I planted half of the flower garden as the "kitchen garden," for convenience while I'm cooking: herbs, greens, swiss chard, onions, radishes, carrots, and there will yet be tomatoes and peppers. All of these are or will be in the industrial garden as well.

Ramont put Susie and Sally out to pasture last week.

And that's how it looks around here these days.

Hip surgery, part 2 or 3

Two weeks ago my mom had another hip revision surgery. Some of you might remember that she had an original replacement about 15 years ago, which was then re-replaced last year. In the process of recuperating (or not) from that, her leg bone was broken and never healed. So this year the orthopedic surgeon put in a bone piece between the two broken parts, bound it all together with some kind of cable, and while he was at it, replaced the socket in the hip bone as well.

That's my (at least) third-hand, layperson's interpretation of it.

Unlike last year, much to everyone's relief, the recovery has been much smoother, quicker, and I think it's accurate to say, less painful.

As usual, she had to leave the hospital three days after the surgery. Since she couldn't yet move around by herself, get into/out of bed, etc she has spent the last week and a half at the Good Samaritan Home in St. James. Thanks to lots of good physical therapy, she is moving right along and hopes to come home this week yet. We sure hope so!


Because this is all that we're up to around these parts:

In our defense, it's been cold and non-stop rainy for three full days now, with the sun not scheduled to come out until the weekend.

Circus

Yesterday the kids and I joined a community group of toddlers and parents going to the circus in Sioux Falls, a town about two hours away. I was pretty apprehensive about the whole, day-long ordeal...would there be car-sick vomiting, bathroom emergencies, crankiness in very close quarters, or worse?

None of that happened, thankfully. But wow, 8.5 hours in tight seating with two very, very active (and then also overstimulated and tired) little ones was a bit much - even though they were extremely good-natured the entire time.  

Ramont sometimes says that taking in Jonathan's words and enthusiasm is like facing a fire waterhose full on. Even though it's all good stuff, one needs a break after awhile. Here I caught him in a tiny break.

So here we were, at the three-ring circus. They had heard about these things from a Curious George episode, but clearly didn't know quite what to expect.

I've experienced a few circuses in my day, mostly in Ukraine (where each large town has a circus like our towns have movie theaters). But oh my goodness, they are really, really horrible. The loud music. The strobing lights. The exaggeration of everything normal (e.g. Jonathan kept exclaiming that the women had forgotten their briefs). The misuse of animals. The JUNK toys bought in truckloads by the parents and kids. The copious amounts of sugar and salt snarfed down anxiously to the throbbing music. Ugh.

 Anyway, I tossed aside some of my scruples and plied the fire hose with cotton candy, his dream come true (again, something know about thanks to Curious George).

It didn't really help tone down the excitement.

 "Anna, we're going to save the rest of the cotton candy for later, because it's not very good for us."

[Truly.]

What I did enjoy about the day was being with other parents (here is our neighbor and friend Marta Junker) and seeing our kids play with friends that will be in their classes probably their entire school life.

And the bus ride was, actually, fun as well. The kids read, snacked, played with the kids in front and back of them, looked out the windows, etc.

This photo seems like a glimpse into the (rather near) future. Yikes.

And here is that which he saved for later, namely right before bed. We do love and look out for our teeth around here.

And goodnight from our two very, very, very tired circus-goers.

Here it begins

Today was the start of paradise, at least in Jonathan's (and Ramont's) view. Today was the first day of planting for the 2014 crop year.

Dad (here with J.) planted corn on the home place,

while Ramont (here with Anna) got the next field ready at the "Schultz land."

 Contrary to photo evidence, Anna is definitely more with the program this year. [I'm imagining her spending hours in the tractors while I finish the garden and paint the new chairs and the barnyard fence. Not going to happen, but fun to imagine.]

My main job now is actually to bring food, serve the mate, give rides, and soothe a pained Jonathan when we have to go home and take baths before bed.

Last round at the home place.

And ready to move on to the next field.
Suffice it to say that we're all excited by this new season!