Since all the news of the week happened at the farm I decided our spring fun deserved it's own post. Spring time at the farm is my favorite. The air smells of new grass and blooming bulbs. Everything is bursting with life and there are lots of new plants to undercover from their winter leaf blankets. For some reason when we actually make it up to the farm the weather decides not to corporate. This weekend's trip was no different. Friday morning we headed north, prepared for what, at the time, was the only day that it was forecasted to rain. Turns out Friday was the most beautiful day of the weekend and we took full advantage.
In the morning the boys practiced their tree climbing skills. Recently the mulberry tree has had wooden steps added to the side of it so that the very brave can try to master what has been named 'The Mulberry Challenge.' I personally haven't taken the challenge, but of course Zane has made multiple trips up. He gets up without any problem, but getting down isn't always as easy. Sometimes he does it without any problem, but about fifty percent of the time he can't quite figure it out. There were a few times I thought we might have to go get the scoop tractor out to get him down. Rowan, never to be outdone by his big brother, climbed a few red bud trees, which were just a little bit smaller.
Friday afternoon a friend I have known
since high school brought her soon to be adopted son out to "learn how
to be a boy." This little guy has spent most of his life in the hospital
with various kidney issues, but thanks to Brandi and her husband his
life has taken a whole new path. They are officially adopting him at
the end of March and hopefully will be placed on the kidney transplant
list soon after. The boys proceeded to put on a workshop about how to play and
be a boy, both things that are new to this little guy. Until he is
officially adopted I can't show pictures or post his name, but trust me
our new friend is all kinds of adorable and I think it is safe to say
that he, and my boys, both had a blast. Zane and Rowan showed him all
over Grandma's farm, in the tree house, taught him how to play pooh
sticks, went on adventures, planted potatoes/onions, dug in the big dirt pile, and explored until
their little hearts were content. Playing at Grandma's farm can be
exhausting and I hear that after his day of boy training our new buddy
had a wonderful nights sleep. Hopefully he can join us for farm camp
this year as well.
Here is my friend Brandi, after nailing The Mulberry Challenge, with some assistance from Zane.
The dirt pile is all kinds of new fun since we brought the CAT digger out, courtesy of Grammi and Papa. The pile now has multiple shovels, little tractors, a tiny dump trunk, and a little wheel barrow. The boys have all decided that a much bigger dump trunk is in order soon. Maybe the Easter bunny will bring one to the farm.
There was lots of bicycle riding, Zane did circles around the driveway and oil well road. He was working on riding up the ramp and made it up a few times.
Saturday morning was rainy and cool. Zane found the snake grasper in the garage and spent most of the morning practicing with it. He picked up sticks, pieces of garden hose, and on one great adventure down to the old well house he found, and grabbed, and old armadillo tail with it! Nature find of the day for sure. The next day he and Maggie went back and found an armadillo skin. All the nature finds are now being used as decorations in the tree house.
Zane's face is full of joy in both pictures, however Maggie and Rowan are not quite so sure.
Construction on the tree house continued over the weekend and was greatly helped by our nature hunt down to the old chicken house where we found a treasure trove of wood and shingles that Zach used to put not only a roof on the tree house, but also a little turret as well (my idea, just saying). It looks amazing and was finished just in time for a rainy Sunday. The kids were able to continue their decorating/painting in the rain without getting too wet. I loved to see them take ownership of their space, adding their own signature touches, with the overall theme being nature, of course.
Here is Zach risking life and limb on the main roof! Brent showed up shortly into the roofing project and his height was a great asset.
Nails sticking through the ceiling were quickly covered with pine cones (a.k.a bats).
One turret complete!
Here's the collage of all the different art that is happening on the walls. Of course their is a big snake, that everyone helped to paint and lots of other, smaller, creations as well.
Nature decor! Maggie and Zane also managed to nail quite a few pine needles on the window sill, in addition to the pine cones.
We found the OG sign, from our tree/clubhouse growing up, in the old chicken house as well. It was quickly rescued and moved to the new and improved tree house.
This saw was another chicken house find and was turned into the official Blakley Family Treehouse sign. Lots of room for more names, I'm looking at you Blakley family!
Sunday afternoon we gave in to mother nature and joined the rest of Enid at the movies for Zootopia, very cute! Since we had missed a day of outdoor fun due to the rain I caved and stayed Sunday night with the boys. Monday, the day we had to go home, was gorgeous! This is how it always works. We did manage a nature walk/snake hunt practice in the West pasture in the morning before the wheels fell off. We didn't find much nature, but it was a good refresher in rock climbing, looking in holes, without putting your hands in them, rock throwing, and plant identification. This tiny water ecosystem on a rock was about as exciting at it got, but everyone had a good time..
The pond/large puddle had red algae growing on it, something we are warned about a lot in these parts but never actually see. The little boys practice their rock throwing, which is coming along nicely.
Here is Rowan working on the crouch and look, keeping his hands out of the hole. All important skills to practice before May's big snake/lizard hunts.
Not sure what Zane is doing, but everyone had fun and left exhausted.
Before rounding up our things and falling into fits about having to leave we painted a few gourds. Gourds are the perfect for painting and can be made into many things. I personally made the Easter bunny, two ducks, and a penguin (with plans for a whole penguin family) over the weekend. The kids did mostly free form art which will be hung in the tree house once they have dried.
We had lots of fun and came back home weary and with lots of things to get done before I headed back to work for today. There is so much to do and so little time when we're at the farm. In good news we are all heading back up for Easter weekend and are excited that Uncle Able and Aunt Kari will be able to join us!
After running around getting our errands done Monday the evening ended in yet another facial injury for little Rowan. Zach hadn't been home five minutes when Zane hit Rowan in the face with a light saber, cutting a pretty deep gash in his eyebrow. Every younger sibling has an eye brow scar, I know Zach and I both have them, but I wish that and his chin scar (which lots of people also have) could have come a little bit farther apart. We spent the rest of the evening debating whether he needed stitches, again, while trying to stop both Rowan and Zane's panic attacks. Zane felt horrible about the whole thing and Rowan can remember the last set of stitches and was not excited about possibly having to do that again. Life at our house is never dull!!
It was pretty deep and very oozy yesterday, but looks much better this evening. Crisis averted.... for now.
