Bennett did nap on Monday which allowed us to make the decision to go to Uhlmann's (ice cream) for dinner. This was a bit of a switch considering about a half hour before we had decided to have salad. It was an interesting conversation in the car with Bennett on the way there. "This is the way to the ice cream place, right? It's on this side, right? We can't be going there because it's not dinner."
On Tuesday Bennett didn't take a nap. When we got home he watched part of Peter Pan. After he went to bed I made some peach jam. Unfortunately it only used a few peaches, hardly making a dent in what we had picked. I guess I still need to make lots more jams, salsa, peach butter, etc.
After school on Wednesday (no nap) Bennett played with his Duplos before dinner. He "made a place for a dog, a place for a cow, and a house."
No nap again on Thursday. It was camping week at school and Dianne brought in her camper. So exciting! It must have been a busy day because Bennett fell asleep on the way home from school.
On Friday Bennett finally took a nap. This worked out well because Grandpa and Susan came over for dinner. After we ate we were chatting about the Pinewood Derby, playing with LEGO/Duplo, etc. Bennett decided that my stagecoach needed some horses to pull it and some people to drive/ride.
On Saturday Daddy woke up with a fever. Bennett and I left him at home and headed off to Sturbridge for Textile Weekend. We happened to notice that Doc and Blue had broken a fence and were out of their yard so we tracked down an interpreter so that that could be fixed. Bennett helped fill the wood box at the farm but he didn't want to whisk eggs. It was interesting being there with just the two of us.
Bennett napped on the way home and in the afternoon I left him with Chris watching TV while I went out to do some grocery shopping.
Luckily on Sunday Chris was feeling a bit better, but we still stayed at home. I made peach salsa and peach butter (and I still have more peaches!). Bennett and Daddy went to the playground down the street and ran around for a while. Bennett did not nap. But before bed he also made up a song, "I love Farmer Boy. It has oxen and cows, and Star and Bright."
On Monday we got back into our normal routine. And once again Bennett was back to not napping at school. Instead he fell asleep in the car on the way home. He woke up a couple of hours later very disoriented. We put him on the potty, changed him into PJs and he went back to sleep. I took advantage of the extra time and went for a run.
Tuesday was another day without a nap. This time he stayed awake on the way home. Without lots of other people to play with at home I think he might have been a little bored. He asked to watch George. This was the first time we turned the TV on in over a week. After an early bed (remember, no nap) I went for a bike ride.
Since it's "Car week" at school we brought in the Derby track to school on Wednesday so that the kids could have their own race. They enjoyed it so much that we left it set up for a second day for more racing fun.
At home Bennett enjoyed playing with some second hand Legos that we recently got. We also discovered that with a random assortment of bricks like this he does ok using his imagination and building creatively. However, if it comes from a set he is a firm believer that it much only be built in that specific configuration. And for the record, he did nap today.
Thursday was another day with no nap. And I guess he was pretty tired because he was falling asleep at the dinner table.
On Friday Bennett did nap which allowed us to go to Wegmans after school for dinner and food shopping.
Saturday's weather was a little iffy, but ok in the morning. We went to Tougas Farm and picked blueberries and peaches. Yum! Most of the blueberries got frozen to be used in pancakes. The peaches still need to be figured out. Some are being eaten as is, and others will go to jams and who knows what else.
After lunch and nap Bennett watched The Rescuers. He did really well
with it, which surprised me, given that there are a few scary parts.
And then we decided to try a bike ride. He started off doing ok, but was a little hesitant. We didn't make it very far before we decided to try to work on stopping. Bennett wasn't having any of it. We tried bribing with a sticker chart and a promise of new Legos. He seemed ok with that idea, or at least he understood the concept.
On Sunday we went to Sturbridge for their annual Redcoats and Rebels event. It definitely is a very different experience with so many other people there.
Why yes, we did put him in a British shirt for this. :)
Watching the skirmish
Dan as the potter. He is great with all of the kids!
Fifes!
After nap I took Bennett out to try his bike again. This was an even bigger failure than the day before. I couldn't even get him to sit on the bike. He managed to get his helmet off and then wouldn't let me put it back on. There were lots of tears.
I wish I knew how to get him to try again, but for now we're not pushing it. I know that in the great scheme of things it's not that important. A month prior he was pedaling just fine. I imagine the issue is that we stressed learning to stop too much, and there were some raised voices. I do wish though that he could/would express what the issue is (to confirm our suspicions) so that we could work through it.
What's been interesting the past few days is how much Bennett remembers from things that happened a while ago. The other day we were in the car and he started talking about going swimming at Auntie Mel's and how we had to bring our towels with us, and that there were stairs going in and out of the pool. He's also been talking about how we set up the tables in the backyard for the Derby, which tables go where, etc. And today, he mentioned Santa at Sturbridge and that we had to go back to see him. I asked if he remembered what he asked Santa for and he correctly remembered, "a red present".
And speaking of the Derby, I showed him my car in progress and asked him what he thought. His response was that it wasn't done yet because it doesn't have sides. If only that was all it needed!
On Tuesday I was finally able to see a doctor about my knees. Of course by this time they didn't really hurt any more. However, when I explained where the pain was, etc and based on my stance, I've been given a diagnosis of patellofemoral syndrome. Also I have somewhat flat feet. She wants me to not run until completely pain free (maybe another week or so?) and then when I do start running again, get into it more gradually. I should take more time off, initially, between runs, and I should do the first week of my C25K program twice to get myself more acclimated. Also, new shoes, Advil, some stretching exercises, and ice would all be beneficial. If after all of that I still have problems, we can look into physical therapy, or maybe I just need to decide that I'm not cut out to be a runner.
Yay, Bennett took a nap on Wednesday! In preparation for family visiting we took apart the Lego Firestation. First off this cleared off the table a bit, but secondly, we thought it might be a good set for Dekota to put together when he visits. However, seeing how Bennett plays with it regularly we weren't sure how he would react. He surprised us by being totally cool with it, and commenting that it was ok to take it down because "It's not Christmas." Huh? The only thing we can think of is that this was our explanation for taking apart the Lego Winter Village that we set up at Christmastime. He also asked if we could make cookies at Christmastime.
On Thursday we were back to not napping. He played in the backyard for a while after school doing some weeding. He did pull out weeds, but his "compost pile" was a mulched bed, not exactly where I want weeds put. After dinner we put together a Lego car. He needs a little bit of help making sure he has the right pieces, but he does pretty well with them.
On Friday Chris stayed home and started redoing our front stairs. When Bennett and I got home he was very excited to help Daddy. He went into the basement to get his toolbox, safety glasses, and earmuffs (which he didn't really need) and was ready to go. Too bad there wasn't much for him to do. Luckily there was one area that still had the old wood and Bennett happily hammered nails in.
Saturday was Fire and Ice at OSV. It didn't seem as well attended or as well organized as last year. It seemed as if there were fewer teams competing in the bucket brigade competition, and there were only two contestants (one of which was OSV) in the chili contest. Bennett was still excited to see the parade (small procession of villagers and fire trucks) and he did try out carrying buckets of water after the competition.
Down at the farm they were harvesting rye. We watched for a while, talked to Dave, and Bennett remembered that the rye would need to be taken to the gristmill to be turned into flour.
After nap we went food shopping, trying to make sure that we had everything for the Tedfords arrival on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon all of Chris' family came to visit- 8 extra people staying with us for the week. Bennett didn't nap, so he was nice and wound up when they arrived. Rosaline and Dekota chased him around the backyard. Later Rosaline commented that he was tired- keeping up with a three-year-old, plus running up and down stairs (something she doesn't normally have to do), will do that to you!
I never got around to updating the blog last week, so this will cover the past two weeks, mostly with pictures and just a bit of text thrown in for good measure.
Wearing his kilt to school
Bowling with Daddy
A little over a month ago we took our cat to the vet as she had lost weight and wasn't eating. Two weeks ago we knew it was time to have her put down. She had lost even more weight, she wasn't eating, she was having diarrhea daily, and was having trouble jumping onto the bed and couch. We brought Bennett with us so that he could say goodbye, and also so that we could maybe explain things a bit better rather than him coming home and wondering where she was. When we got back from the vet he said to the other cat, "Tony, Brit not here. She still at the doctor." We drive past the vet daily, so we've had a few more conversations about Brit and we just keep explaining that her heart stopped beating and she stopped breathing, and that means that she died. And when you die, you go to a cemetery. Pretty sure he doesn't fully understand the cemetery concept, but we can explain that one more another time.
On Saturday we continued the weekly trips to OSV. They were baking down at the Freeman Farm, including a pork & apple pie. Here Victoria measures molasses for a gingerbread.
Lance and Henry in the snow
Bennett discovered our Legos, or more precisely, Daddy built the Grand Emporium, or "the mall" as Bennett calls it. He loved looking at everything and moving the people around.
Inspired by OSV, I made my own pork & apple pie.
On Sunday we celebrated Auntie Hanna's 19th birthday!
Naps have been a bit wonky these past couple of weeks. One week he only napped two days, the next he napped 3 days.
Watching a parade. Or were they in the parade?
We finally upgraded the cardboard barns from Bennett's barnyard to the wood ones. This also meant the big barn got a roof. It's a little snug, but he's doing ok with it.
The sheep were given some hay.
The chickens laid eggs.
When we next went to OSV we told Dave about this.
Dave asked where they laid eggs and Bennett said
"In the chicken coop, in the nesting boxes."
Hmm, do we really need to make nesting boxes?
The pigs are eating toast.
Previously the toast had been electric blankets for the cows and chickens, a la Click, Clack, Moo
More playing with the mall.
This past Friday Bennett was sent home from school with 102.9 fever. After nap we checked again and even after some Tylenol it had gone up to 103.1. We took him to the doctor but since there were no other symptoms, his ears were fine, and the strep culture came back negative we just needed to wait it out. By Saturday morning the fever was gone and he was feeling fine. We skipped skating but then went to OSV where we went on sleigh ride around the common, saw the stagecoach in the parsonage barn, and helped fill the parsonage wood box. We're getting used to these quiet winter days at the village. The crowds of summer are going to be a shock to us!
On Sunday Daddy went to work to make up for the time he had lost on Friday when Bennett was home sick. Bennett turned his toy workbench into a forge and played "blackmsith". He watched a bunch of Curious George and then played in my craft room while I tried to do some sewing.
Wearing one of his capes.
More pie baking this week. On Monday since I was home for MLK Day I baked a cherry pie.
My weekend pie was a quiche for dinner on Sunday.
So what's this sewing I've been working on? I'm making an 1830's outfit to wear to OSV for a couple of their upcoming Dinner in a Country Village events that we are going to.
Corded petticoat. 3 sections of cording.
Bottom section has 35 rows, middle has 20, top section has 15 rows.
Here's my shift, stays (I will be remaking these), corded petticoat, and 2nd petticoat.
I still need to make sleeve supports and likely a small bustle.
And the mock-up of the bodice. Need to change a couple of things.
We kicked off the New Year with a brunch at Leslie's (Daddy's co-worker) house. Bennett loved playing a game with a couple of the other guests where they would look all over for Spencer, Leslie's cat. Was he in the closet? Nope. In the shower? Nope. What about in the toilet? Nope. In the office? Nope. Under the bed? Yay! We found Spencer. And repeat...
Down at the play farm, much like at the real OSV farm, the rooster was put in time out "for biting the chicks". The back story to this? We noticed at OSV that the rooster was in a cage. We asked why and Farmer Dave told us that the rooster was in time out. Apparently the rooster has been acting up, biting the farmers, etc. So it's time for him to find a new home. I guess that conversation/punishment resonated with Bennett.
This photo must have been from after his nap because his hair is super curly.
On Thursday it started snowing. Just a dusting in the morning, but when Bennett looked out the window he announced that there was enough snow to go sledding. After school we opened up Bennett's new fire station Duplos that he got from Grandma and Grandpa Tedford. He's had a blast playing with these, and was using the people to open the doors, spray the hoses, etc. I've never seen him play with dolls/action figures in this way before, so that was neat to see.
By Friday the snow was much worse. Mummy and Daddy still had to work so Bennett went to school but was one of two kids there. The benefit of not many kids in? He got to do whatever he wanted! After dinner we baked cookies. I had hoped to make this variety before Christmas but we ran out of time. They were ok, but not my favorite. One of those kinds that sounds better than they actually are.
Saturday was the first week of a new session of skating. We definitely should have put Bennett in the next level! He had passed pre-tot but since he still seemed pretty timid we had thought it might be best to have him stay at that level for another session. Nope, he did awesome all on his own! They tried to move him up to the next class right then, but he resisted. Next week he doesn't get the choice.
Here you can see him in action.
After nape we went sledding at Jericho Hill and got to use the new toboggan. We weren't sure how Bennett would do because he hadn't been a fan of this hill last year-- too much snow in his face, I think. Since it used to be a ski hill, it's fairly steep. No problems at all this time! Bennett loved it and kept asking to go again. And the snow in his eyes issue? Well he solved that problem by covering his face with his hands.
Blurry video, but you get the gist.
When I asked Bennett about why his animals were all lined up I was told that they were in a parade.
Sunday we went to Sturbridge. We're not sure if we will once again try to have weekly visits. We kind of want to but also think that it's a little crazy. But since we want to have the option of weekly visits, we needed to go. Bennett really does love it there and gets excited when we mention that we are going, so I guess that means it's worth it to go, right? It only becomes an issue when it's pouring rain or we're sick or something like that and I insist on us going so that we don't break our streak. So far we haven't run into a situation like that (really cold and/or light rain doesn't keep us away) but I imagine we could have to make those decisions this year.
On this particular visit all Bennett wanted to do was go sledding behind the cooper shop. I don't even remember us mentioning that we could do that, but he knew it was something we could do. But first, it was time to help the farmers with seasonal work. We were the only ones there so they decided that feeding corn husks to the cows would be a good task.
It was awesome! We started off just tossing the husks over the fence but quickly moved on to them eating out of our hands. Really neat to feel them pulling the husks out of your hand. This is another one of those occasions where we wonder if "normal" visitors would be given this opportunity or were we given this chance because they knew we were familiar with the cows and that we should look out for Lance and Henry's horns. (Which admittedly I did kind of forget about in an effort to get husks to one of the girls being pushed out of the way.)
Finally we got to go sledding. Bennett started off going down the hill with Daddy.
After that first run we decided that we should have him try on his own. He loved it and did great.
But the best part? He even pulled his own sled back up the hill!
Here's one of Bennett and Chris going down the hill together.
Back at home, Bennett decided that his oxen needed to pull sleds. (He had seen Lance and Henry's sled, used to haul logs and such.) Bennett found the sleds and I obliged by making a pipe cleaner yoke and hooking up the team.
And that pretty much sums up our week. Feels so long ago now, since it took me almost a whole other week to finish this post.
