Sunday, May 22, 2011

Last night Scott came in the bedroom from taking a shower and his hair was sticking up all over his head. I said, "You need to find a hair brush." His reply, "I can't find one; everytime I look there are no brushes." Jeff pipes up and says, "Yes, I can't find one either. For 15 years I've had the same brush and then one day, 'Poof', it was gone. Now I've had 5 brushes in the last 3 years and I can't find a single one of them! I asked when did you lose the last one? He replied, "The first day of our trip." Well, that's what comes from having children. We constantly buy things like hairbrushes, toilet paper, food, and it does all seem to disappear. Later in the evening, a little after midnight, we were going to bed and my sweet husband wished me "Happy Anniversary" since it was a few minutes into today. I aksed, "What do we have to show for this, these 18 years?" He chuckled and said, "9 munchkins and a big black bus outside". I said I am very happy with that and I have the perfect anniversary present for you, "A hairbrush."

Chocacola

Today was snail day or chocacola. I know I have spelled it wrong but that phonetically is the Spanish word for snail. This afternoon, Patty brought us our mail and stayed to talk outside. I also got an educational tour for about an hour in the garden (I hope this happens more often; I am learning a lot.) We are seeing tons of snails every evening. If you walk along any garden path after dark without a flashlight it is crunch, crunch, crunch. I showed her where we had picked a bunch of them off some plants (hollyhocks) covered with holes. Thus ensued a discussion on snail control. The little ones have noticed a few of them but for some reason this afternoon got more interested. They started digging around the plants and finding them everywhere. Pretty soon they had a whole colony. Patty suggested that she would find them a box and they could keep them (Ugh!) However, Elizabeth said, "Mrs. Stice, I have a box", and she ran inside to retrieve it. Sure enough, we have about 60 snails living in a couple of plastic containers such as strawberries and salad come in, outside on the sidewalk tonight. At least I won't make the mistake of sitting out on our bedroom porch tonight with Jeff and leave my slippers behind. This morning I found them covered in "snail tracks"!

Little Man and Oliver

We knew before we came that there were 2 miniature horses on the property named Little Man and Oliver. What we couldn't tell from Google Earth was where they were. We could see 2 large buildings on the back of the acreage and assumed they were back there. However when we were slowing down to turn into the drive on Sun. we saw the horses right up front next to the fence. So basically they are right outside across the yard from the front door. We have discovered Oliver's not so nice personality (2 of us have been nipped) and Little Man's sweet deameanor. He is also a frequent nippee of Oliver's. Little Man will allow us to put a halter on him and lead him and is also easier to groom. Oliver on the other hand is stubborn, shakes the halter and tries to bite you if you groom him. Yesterday we gave up trying to groom or ride him, he bucked his hind legs up. Now, Scott, on the other hand has decided that he likes Oliver and this is a great challenge for him. So, today, he groomed him and handled him very well. He decided to halter him and lead him around, albeit it at a nice trot. He seems to be very adept at keeping Oliver's teeth at bay and Oliver has developed somewhat of a respect for him. Well, the rest of us just love and pet Little Man; he is adorable. Scott leading a reluctant Oliver around who is trying to pull off his halter.

Little Man does and goes wherever you want him to. Harris is convincing him to move for an apple treat.

Harris decided to help Tio and Christian with their job today. He declared, and I quote, "This is fun."Sarah Kelly convinced Jackson to ride Little Man. She told me this makes up for the time at the zoo that he begged to ride the horse but it was too expensive so we didn't do it.

A great climbing tree (inside the pasture)

Elizabeth's turn. She was never scared like we thought she would be. She and Jackson are the light ones and the only ones who have ridden.

Similarities and Differences

Pre-School teacher and student

First Graders working on Phonics

Baby Katharine Ellis seems to like her new home; either that or she hasn't noticed she's somewhere different.

I spend some quiet time on this outside porch each day. (Our bedroom is through the doors here) and the sunroom porch doors are to the right (not seen).

Well we have had a four full days to explore our new home. While we haven't ventured into the city yet, (that would be an hour to San Francisco), we have explored the small town of Clayton and its neighboring town of Concord which is about 2 miles from the house. We've been to the grocery and the library. We're in the process of getting a library card as well. It was frustrating the other day when we were there. The little ones didn't understand why we couldn't check out books. It will be nice when we get our card and check out and we can read books together and they can look at them for rest time. We are working on a read-aloud for everyone that we brought with us though.

The library is great, nice, and surprisingly large for the size of the town. The grocery store is cheaper on some things and more expensive on others. For instance green peppers were 10 for $1.00. No, that is not a typo. But other things were more expensive than we're used to. Jeff went Sunday pm and got the basics to get us through breakfast and we went Monday and got the large order, enough for the first week and some beyond. It was quite a trip. I did a meal plan through Sunday and got what I needed plus all those ubiquitous supplies you never seem to need at home but are needed for start-up, such as baking powder, baking soda, spices, etc... Some of the basics were here but we ended up with 2 carts of food. Now, why is it with all that preparation I still had to run back out on Tuesday for 2 things? And today for 2 more things and of course more milk?

One difference in the grocery stores is that there are aisles (plural) dedicated to Mexican foods that have Hispanic written over the top. This is only in the larger stores. One store has hybrid car only parking spaces at the front. There are foods that I cannot pronounce and have never seen. Also produce is sold by the pound. You take tongs and fill bags with broccoli, carrots, potatoes, and more, all loose. The other store though had it bagged like we're used to. And like back at home, all the stores vary on prices. For instance, in one, watermelons were $7 but in the other store, watermelons were $4. One store, Fresh and Easy gives you a $6 coupon everytime you come in. When I checked out on Tues. it is all assisted check-out, my cashier used 2 of these and I got $12 off the bottom line and a $6 to use later. So of course today that's where I went to buy my few items needed and came home with another $6 coupon. I'm liking that store. That one I can best describe as a combination between a "GO" (Grocery Outlet) and a Trader Joe's. I know, a weird combination. Safeway is the other much larger store.

The weather was cold and rainy until yesterday when the sun finally decided to come out. Today was very much warmer and so pleasant. It is fairly dry here even with the rain; it is such a gentle rain when it falls. We have gotten to really explore outside now the last 2 days and it has been wonderful. Is it possible to become intoxicated by smelling the roses. Patti (the owner) came by today with Tio (more about Tio later) to bring us a rocking chair for the baby. She had already set up a crib but was looking for a rocker. She keeps asking if I have cut any roses and to please cut them and any flowers for the house. I've truly been so overwhelmed with the beauty of the garden that I walk through it in somewhat of a daze. There is no way ever I could describe it. Maybe it is similar to the Garden of Eden. As well as cutting some flowers to put in the house tomorrow, I will try to take some pictures to post. It is unbelieveable. We have enjoyed it from so many places, the front porch, the sunroom porch, the porch off our bedroom, the porch off of the family room. There is not an undesirable place to sit at all.

Wednesday we eased back into school. Today we eased back in even more. We had to get a feel for how and where. The little ones use the family room for their BJU lessons but we do the paperwork part and their other subjects on the farm table in the sunroom which is also where we are eating all of our meals. Today was nice enough to open the small doors which have screens beside the large french doors for some fresh air. I didn't know those little doors were even there until Scott pointed them out. Everyday I discover something I haven't noticed before. Sarah Kelly and Scott both have a desk in their rooms so they do some work there. Scott uses the computer for both his writing class and his science work so he has to wait until Jeff is here in the evenings for that. So our school days are similar but yet different because there is a lot to do outdoors so we take breaks to feed the horses (there are 2 miniature horses here) and to groom them and Jackson and Elizabeth are light enough to ride them. Sarah Kelly has been learning about these horses from a book in the library so she gave us information on which brushes to use yesterday. I bought a big bag of carrots and each day everyone gets to feed them a portion of a carrot. Grooming, feeding, and playing with the horses (they discovered halters and lead ropes yesterday) adds much excitement to their day. They discovered when Tio comes to feed them hay in the mornings and they are wating to to help. We are waiting for bath day, they want to help with that too.

All in all, this is such a pleasant place to be and God is so good to provide this within the parameters of Jeff's work budget. A week before we left, we had no home to stay in and all I was desirous of was a 3 bedroom house with a working bathroom and a roof. (Some of you know that Jeff and I have not had a master bath in over a year and a half and we all share a bath in Landrum. So a one bathroom house would be manageable. The contractor should be finished by now and hopefully we'll have that bathroom after we get back and Jeff finishes the shower.) I just wanted to know we had a place to live. I knew about this house but it was too expensive and we didn't have the extra beyond his work budget to make it happen. Then she dropped the price and called me back. It was exactly where we needed it to be. God is amazing in that He provided more than we needed and I am so thankful for the beauty of His creation which I see every morning out the window and when I step into the yard.

Tomorrow I'll post some pictures.

Monday, May 16, 2011 - 7 loads and counting

Where I spent a lot of time on Monday, divided between the grocery store and organizing the kitchen of course. Our first home-cooked meal in about a week came out of that though.

Our California Home away from Home

I promised several of you I would post pictures of this home, our new, yet old, but temporary home here in California for 5 weeks. What a house! I hadn't seen very many pictures ahead of time, only ones of the outside and 1 inside picture so I didn't know what to expect. As we were going through the house with the owner, Jeff gave me a "knowing" look. That look meant, this is your kind of house. I absolutely love it and would take just about everything back home with me. It has antiques, old-style mixed with new, very ecletic, this house just has "me" written all over it. I am finding all kinds of little ideas that I am studying and thinking about for when I build a house someday. Apparently this house is very old, circa 1910 (or most of it; some is not original) and was moved in 2 or 3 sections from a farm back in the 1960s. And wait until I send pictures of the garden and yard. It is so beautiful outside. Everyday I take a different path or paths and never end up in the same place. The owner is so nice and kind and has made it so easy for us just to move in. All I had to do was go to the grocery. As Jeff walks by the rosemary bushes everyday he says he smells like it all the way to work.

Downstairs bathroom the boys are sharing. We have a bath off of our room, the girls have one, and there is a 1/2 bath near the kitchen and laundry area.

2 of the boys are sharing this room, called the bunny room.

Our bedroom; she even put up a crib for "little-bit". On the other side of the bed not seen, there are french doors which open up to a covered porch with comfy sitting furniture. I cannot decide where to relax there are so many spaces to do so.

This room has a fold-out couch and is also downstairs near us. Jackson is sleeping here. Never having slept in a room by himself ever, he is hesitant each night to sleep alone even though 2 of his brothers are next door and we are across the hall.

Looking from the downstairs hall going to the bedrooms towards the foyer and the living room beyond.

A comfy, cozy, living room. I curled up on the sofa today in front of the big picture window where I could see the flowers for some quiet time.

Upstairs there are 2 bedrooms, Scott is using this one.

Looking the other way from Scott's bed is a work area. Jeff worked here all Monday morning as there is a fast-speed internet connection and he can set up his printer and other materials.

The girls are sharing this room upstairs. The doors open to a balcony outside.

From the kitchen this porch/sunroom is accessible and has 4 outside french doors. The table has 8 chairs but could easily seat 10. I love the old farm table. We are doing school here and eating most meals here. There is a sink beside the door which I am loving; a great place to wash up when they come inside and before and after meals.

Kitchen, brown door goes to porch.

Looking at the kitchen from the dining room towards the 1/2 bath and laundry area.

Standing partially in the Dining Room looking into the Living Room. Foyer and stairs are in the background.

Looking into the Dining Room and the Family Room is to the left.

Looking into the Family Room from the Dining Room. There are 3 doors in here. We spend about 15 minutes each night checking the 9 outside doors making sure they are closed and locked. The whole 3 acres is surrounded by a fence and an electric gate which we keep closed and only open when leaving and coming.

This used to be a garge off of the family room. It has been converted into a playroom. The floor has been painted and the wall added where the garage door was has a mural painted on it. A stained glass door fits in the space where a side door used to open to the front porch. There is another side door which opens to a path in the garden.

Arrival in Clayton, CA on 5.15.11 7 pm Pacific Time

This picture of Elizabeth asleep in her bed after a long journey says it all.

This is the front of the house; I'll post more pictures tomorrow.

We made it! We're so thankful to God for a great journey. Now we have to unpack, no small feat. Thank goodness we have an army of children to help. We met the owner of the house and she is wonderful and is so happy to finally meet us and delighted to let us have her home for the next 5 weeks. And what a home it is. The house and gardens are so amazing I cannnot even take it all in, a wonderful blessing that fit Jeff's work budget. We will continue to write about our adventures here and post pictures. Stay tuned!