Smoothies!

Maple Sugaring

We boiled twice (or "did two boils" in maple sugaring parlance) the last few weeks. We boiled down about 80 gallons of sap over an open fire. We ended up with about two gallons of just-past-the-syrup-stage stuff. The first boil produced a kind of maple sauce, the second a maple candy. Oh, but for a hydrometer. And an evaporator might be nice too.

Last year I guess they didn't go far enough and ended up with watery syrup. It's a learning process, I guess.

Which is, of course, great for the kids.

Is this Sap Stuff Really Sweet?

Checking a Bucket for Sap


Collecting the Sap

And, I should mention that marshmallows (and roast potatoes) were involved.

The Fire

Oh, and Clara got her picture in the local paper, which was fun.

Just Kidding, Says Mother Nature

Yes, it's snow again. But forget all that dry fluffy stuff, this is real March snow. Perfect for snowmen. Or just really big snowballs.

First Day of Spring

The past few days were so warm and sunny. It was a nice change, and the girls were outside for hours on end, just playing, riding bikes, and making "nests," or rather piles of clothes left around the neighborhood that are full of "treasures," or rather rocks and marbles. Do I need to translate everything?

Clara has been having a ball on her Like-A-Bike, which has no pedals. ("Get it? Like...A...Bike!" says Lee). I think one of Clara's favorite things to do with it is to use it as a kind of accessory rack. She's thrilled when she can get her mittens, hat, fleece, scarf and socks all hanging on it.

Our new patio faces south, so it was really warm there yesterday. Lee actually had to set up a shelter for herself.

Oscar Sleeps Outside

This cat does not suffer for lack of attention.

Quiet Time

I instituted quiet time after lunch as of the New Year, and it's really worked out quite well. The girls are thrilled with it because they go to separate rooms and one of them gets Oscar all to themselves for an hour or so.

And as a side benefit, a few days a week Clara will actually nap with Oscar.

Artichokes!

Tarpon Bay Kayaking

It's always magical to escape the wind on the beach and enter the still world of the mangroves.

School During Vacation

After a few days in Sanibel, when the novelty of the beach and pool wore off just a little bit, I found the girls in their bedroom in the morning DOING SCHOOL!


They were very busy; writing, doing word searches, and all sorts of other school-type activities. Although I don't entirely buy into unschooling, there is the basic truth that when left to themselves, children really do teach themselves.

Nesting

We went down to the beach at the lighthouse a few times. I really like that beach and (usually) it is protected from the wind. The girls started building houses with stuff they found on the beach. Uh, oh, I thought, we'll never get them to leave.