What's your guess?

Here's our latest purchase. Can you guess what it is or what it's for? Please leave your guess in the comments.

Just a little more about this machine: It is one that Ladger has been wanting for as long as I've known him but he felt it was necessary this year in particular because of the flash flood we had last spring. I'm thankful that this is not our seeder or cultivator as we'd be on the field for a veeerrrrryyyyy long time as it's only a few feet wide.

Thanks for your guesses - it was fun! I certainly wouldn't have had a clue what this was but it's called a Rock Picker and that's exactly what it does. The middle part rotates around and drags rocks into its interior. Too bad it isn't small enough to do my garden *grin*

Seeding has begun!

We finally started seeding on Monday and it's been going quite well so far. But before we started we had to clean some seed and as you can see from these pictures - the boys were lovin' it! 

A great link!

Carol's storybook linked to this excellent post dealing with perfectionism versus grace and mercy in view of raising our children. Thanks Ann for such an honest and thought-provoking post!

Easter happenings! Rory lost his first tooth during Easter dinner - he didn't even realize it! The other middle bottom tooth is hanging by a thread. Rory is feeling particularly rich today thanks to a certain tooth fairy. 

The Empty Tomb, the Hunt and the Nile River

Happy Belated Easter to everyone! I invited Ladger's folks over for dinner on Sunday (noon meal) and then was asked to help out on the worship team. That meant I had to have the house 'company ready' Saturday evening, get up at 6:00 am Sunday morning to prepare the dinner and make it to a 8:30 am practice. And then speed the children out of church so the potatoes wouldn't get overdone. Oh and I had to also prepare the treasure hunt Saturday evening as well and then do the hiding after lunch was done. We decided to do toys instead of candy (Grandma usually gives plenty of candy anyway). And I wrote out clues for this treasure hunt and Rory did a great job reading them and figuring them out. I think it surprised Grandpa who was helping him.

I was exhausted when all was said and done and so yesterday was a recovery day for me - about all I managed to do was Rory's schooling. We did do a project - making a model of the Nile River and planting grass seed along the banks and then 'flooding' the river to make the crops grow. We should have some grass sprouting in a few days.

But the best part of Easter this year for me was Saturday evening when I took the time out from housecleaning to watch the Passion play aired on the Miracle TV station with the boys. Rory had so many questions as we watched and it was a really special time of remembering what Easter is all about. He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!!

Our newest guinea pig...

is Paxton. Yesterday I watched out the window as he lifted up the enclosure where we keep the guinea pigs when they're outside and sneak under. And he stayed the longest time playing with the guinea pigs. It struck me as funny as I bought that enclosure for the boys when they were younger to keep them out of trouble but neither would ever stay in it.

And then I couldn't believe my eyes....Paxton leaned down and started drinking from the guinea pigs' water bottle! I guess when you're visiting the guinea pigs you do as the guinea pigs do.

What's Keeping Me so Busy?!!

Well it's been awhile since I've taken the time to sit and write here. Carol asked me what's up in my last comment section and I'd be hard pressed to say exactly. Umm...taxes, an awesome high school jazz concert, MOPS, music lessons, homeschooling and homeschool policy meetings are the things that come to mind - most of it just regular every day things in my week.

But taxes...well need I say anything? I figured out my taxes with childcare expenses added in and found out that it reduces my child tax supplement more than the benefit from adding those expenses. So, this year I spent a chunk of my earnings on childcare (an expense I didn't have last year) and I may as well not claim a cent of it as it's to my disadvantage. What kind of system is that?!! Oh you better believe I love the Stephen Harper's childcare plan. (He wants to give a childcare allowance to each family with preschoolers to help with childcare as they wish - the Liberals and NDP's just want to give advantages to families who need childcare spaces in day care centers which is of no value to me) . Oh well, I wouldn't do anything differently - Rory had a good year staying with friends of ours and it was so much easier for Grandma not to have both boys two days in a row.

All That Jazz - An evening of jazz put on by our high school students was something worth being jazzed about. The calibre of musical talent was exceptional - a wonderful evening with cheesecake dessert and coffee to top it off. And it was special for me because I've been working with two grade nine students who were allowed to join the jazz choir on the condition that they could get some extra coaching with their music as they're not in the high school and would miss a number of practices. Both of them have amazing talent and I can't wait to see where their music will take them in the future - exciting!

And Ladger and I are part of a committee of homeschoolers in Southwest Saskatchewan that is coming together to put forward a homeschool policy for the newly formed amalgamated school district and board. We've been to a couple meetings and have a policy drafted that is ready to be presented to the school board. We have great respect for the homeschooling families in our area - it's exciting to be a part of it all.

Guess who's been bugging me to buy seeds and get some plants started...R5 is busy planting watermelon, cantaloupe and sunflower seeds. I think I'll just retire and let him take over my garden :-)