Svea and Ivar: best of cousins

Remember these sweet valentines? Svea and Ivar are six weeks apart. One of the best joys of my life was being pregnant at the same time as my sister. Sweeter still was when Annika and her family moved from Montana back to Minnesota to be closer to family.

Ivar adores Svea. He can't get enough of her. He can't stop talking about her. He can't wait to see her. He'll wake up in the morning and excitedly mention to me, "oh! I know. We could go to Svea's house today!"

I first heard this music on our disney cd. It's from the fox and the hound, and when I heard it I imagined these two best friends and all the fun they have together at age two. Annika and I recently met up at Lake Nikomis and I took some random footage on my camera with this song in mind. 

Best of Friends: Svea and Ivar from Becca Groves on Vimeo.

this week at the grovestead...

+This week at the grovestead, acorns are raining down from the oak trees. And one of our pumpkins is already bright orange. Tonight we had a big harvest meal with potatoes, sweet corn and tomatoes from our garden. Which was awesome timing, because we're trying to eek through the rest of the month without spending a dime due to a big summer of fun spending.

+It's hot here in Minnesota, but actually each day has brought a nice breeze and I haven't thought its been unbearable. Rory is taking advantage of the heat and brewing sun tea. It's remarkably easy and we really like it.

+Did you notice the new picture of me on the side bar? A serious perk of helping with the Soul Sisterhood retreat was getting my picture taken as compensation. This was the first time I've had my picture taken alone since my senior picture, in which I was leaning against an imaginary tree in front of a splatter paint back drop. I like this picture much better.

Rory was looking at this new picture of me and asked Ivar, "Who is that?" Ivar answered, "I don't know." Hilarious. It may just be that my hair is in a pony tail a wee bit more often than down and curled...

the tire swing

Since the day we moved in, I have wanted a tire swing in one of our oak trees. Not because I'm that into tire swinging, but because I think oak trees and tire swings go together like tomatoes and basil. 

I found this tutorial online and got to work. Lucky for us our grove was stuffed full of old tires that I had removed earlier this summer and placed in the pole barn. So I had my pick of tires to choose from. I spent a lot of time scrubbing it clean, and then drilled three holes in the bottom so that it will drain the water when it rains.

Ivar liked it and didn't need a push. Being up that high and gently spinning was fun enough for him. 

And then we gave a ride to Cookie Mama and Cookie Baby. 

And when we're not playing on it, I think it makes for the prettiest yard decoration. This was early this morning with a humid fog on the ground. So lovely.

trimming a tree near you...

Yesterday my dad showed up and started trimming our trees again. If you've been wondering what he's been up to in his retirement it can be summed up in two words: travel and trees. Lots of both. He got this new extended saw thingy that lets him reach branches way up high. And since this purchase, many of our trees have gotten a much needed haircut.

It's a perfect Paul Harrington project. He often mentioned that ministry was so ongoing...you rarely got to see a project finished because you were dealing with human lives. But tree trimming...now there is a project that shows immediate results.

Yesterday he seemed downright chipper to be out in the muggy heat. He kept saying things like, "I grew up in this. It's good for my pores. This is good exercise, think of the money I'm saving by not joining Lifetime."

Ivar is a quote a day

Ivar: Is me three?

Me: No, you're still two. But you'll be three in November.

Ivar: Mmmm. It takes a long time to get three.

***

I told Ivar I was going upstairs to put on my workout clothes. When I came back down he excitedly showed me, "I got your exershoes!"

***

Me: Ivar, why were you so sad in the kitchen just now. Why were you so upset? Do you think you're kind of tired?

Ivar: Probably a lot.

apples and stars

Saturday was a day that all day long kept me keenly aware of our new lifestyle. We were outside in the morning, picking apples and playing in the rock box. Then I spent a good chunk of time out in the heat, scrubbing chicken poo off of our driveway. If you know anything of chicken poo, you know the stuff is cement. And our driveway was becoming an embarrassment because our chickens hang out under our cars, causing a lot of mess. So I spent the early afternoon hosing down our driveway and using a scrub brush on my hands and knees to clean it all off. It was gross.

But that night Rory started to make an apple pie with the apples from our tree. It was close to ten by the time the pie was done, so we took it outside and ate it on our camping chairs on our fantastically clean driveway. It was windy and there were no bugs.

We sat there for a long, long time looking up at the stars. We saw six satellites and three shooting stars. And we talked about how crazy it is that we don't look at the stars more often. I noted how I've watched more Dancing with the Stars in the past year than I have the actual stars in the sky. But star gazing leads to good, deep conversation. I think that was God's intent. Looking up at night leads you to the big questions, the greatness of God, brings you to a place of awe and wonder and gently puts you back in your little mortal place. We covered a lot of ground while we slouched in our chairs: space stations and moon patterns, life on other planets, gps systems, and parenting.

So here's an idea for one of these last evenings of summer: get outside and look up. And if you can bring a warm piece of apple pie with you, even better. And if you happen to have a patch of yard that isn't covered in chicken poo, better still.

"Mama, I gotta work a job."

Rory built the kids a rock box that we painted red and then filled with little stones. We saw a rock box at the county fair and thought it was a good idea. So far the perks of a rock box versus a sand box is that sand doesn't get in hair, eyes or bottoms, and no animals use it as their litter box as they pass through our yard. And the greatest perk is that it serves as the third parent. Ivar is out there all the time.

He'll tell me the game plan when we get home from errands or when he gets up in the morning. He'll say, "Mama, I gotta work a job. With the bulldozer."

Today I heard him downstairs say quietly to himself, "I gotta go work a job. Bye." And then listened to the kitchen door close and watched him, from an upstairs window, walk out to the rock box.

At least he has a strong work ethic.

the rooster scooter

The timing could not have been anymore perfect. Just after sending three of our roosters to "a friend's house," Uncle Carl gave Ivar a Rooster Scooter.

I picked up the rooster scooter on my way back from the retreat this weekend, where Uncle Carl showed me the hatchery and all that was involved in making this happy rooster.

This rooster scooter has already gotten around a bit. He made his way to the Carver County Fair where he took home a blue ribbon! And now he's at our place, getting to know the other chickens at the grovestead. Uncle Carl, you hit it out of the park with this one.

good writing

My friend Meta (above with her son Jasper) is one of my favorite writers on the planet. I love her way with words. I love how she processes life and her ability to put words to things I think are too tricky to articulate.

She's done it again. I read this post and thought the whole time, I've got to pass this on...

the soul sisterhood mother daughter retreat

I just had the most lovely weekend. Surrounded by seventh graders and their inspiring mothers, I got to focus on motherhood...without my own kids nearby. It was restorative, restful and ended up being a powerful few days to remember my focus in mothering, my purpose and why I do what I do. 

I got to help out at the Soul Sisterhood mother daughter retreat. 

The mom's and daughters were remarkable. On Saturday night a photographer came to take pictures of each mother with her girl(s). You can see those pictures right here on Leslie Crane's facebook page (scroll down to see all the mom's and daughters). The pictures are stunning and make my heart swell a bit because I know those mom's now and how fiercely they love their daughters. 

Best of all, I got to work with Amanda and Melanie, two dear women who quickly became fast friends. We had an awesome time together and hope to work together for the future mother-daughter retreats. I already can't wait.

If you are interested in bringing your own daughter on a mother-daughter retreat, be sure to check out the website for more information. Or, if you would like to find six other friends of your daughters and invite their mothers, you can set up your own retreat on the Soul Sisterhood calendar. Retreats focus on our identity in Christ Jesus, creativity and crafting, deep conversation and healthy meals. You can read more of the mission and vision here.

our first eggs! (and other news)

+ Oh my word. I just changed the water for the chickens and found two fresh eggs. Our first eggs! Which basically turns today into a holiday. Eggs! Two of them!

+ On Sunday, my new stroller was delivered. It's a joovy sit and stand and for the first time since having Elsie, I can cart both my kids around in one stroller. This changes everything.

+ My toenails are blue. I'll spare you the picture, but last night I told Ivar I was going to get my toenails painted. He asked what color and I threw the question back at him. He said, "blue, like your eyes. Because I like your eyes." My heart swooned and I believe you'd have painted your toes blue too.

+ Ivar seems to have spurts of emotion that must be released. Sometimes they come out in tantrums, sometimes in silliness. My favorite was a few days ago in the car when he started panicking in the back seat, screaming, "I can't see my eyes!!! I can't see my eyes!" I looked back, and he was trying. I had to calmly explain that no one can see their eyes.

+I am taking an art journaling class online and it is so good for me. To have my modpodge out, to be free writing with a pen, to be squirting out paint, cutting out ribbon and paper and gluing it all down. It just feels so good to play.

+This weekend I am helping lead a mother daughter retreat for The Soul Sisterhood. I am so excited to meet the moms and daughters and to put my retreat leader hat back on. This will be my first two night stretch away from my kids since Elsie was born. I'll miss them, but I think we can agree that it is time!

Happy Weekend everybody. Or as said in our house, Happy Incredible Edible Eggs Day!

red barn farm

We spent a glorious evening at Red Barn Pizza Farm, a beautiful place that operates as a csa and brick oven pizza joint. The gardens are stunning and the rolling fields in the distance made me want to be a painter...it is just such a pretty time of year, everything green and bright.

Our pizza was awesome (though pricey!), and the weather was perfect. Most of all it was a great night of catching up with good friends. And for taking pictures by tall corn.

potty training and cupcakes

I have a friend who told me she was going to potty train her daughter in only three days. She told me about her plan the night before she was beginning. I decided to wait and see if it worked. 

Three days later I got a victorious text message. So hanging on her every word, I made a little plan and decided to give it a go. Ivar is more than ready, talking about it all the time. I had an eager pupil on my hands. And the thing about three day training is that if it doesn't go well, you're just back in the pack with the longer range trainers. I had nothing to loose.

We began yesterday morning by taking all the diapers in Ivar's room and putting them into Elsie's room. We removed his changing station and I showed him his new Thomas the train underwear. And then we unpacked his cool potty chair.

We had a few accidents and I began learning his cues. By the end of day one we had a double victory in the little potty and I was overjoyed. In the excitement I said to Ivar, "you did such a good job! let's make cupcakes to celebrate!" This sort of flew out of my mouth. It wasn't a bribe, because I hadn't mentioned the cupcakes as a reward. They were only now being brought up because cupcakes are Ivar's love language.

And since it was bedtime when I said it, I told him we'd make the cupcakes in the morning.

But then this morning came and after we had a few accidents I realized that I wasn't in the mood to make cupcakes with a two-year-old. Potty training, it turns out, is parental punishment enough. I didn't need to throw baking with a toddler into the mix.

So I loaded up the kids and we went to the cupcake shop in town. I adore this place. And as I sat there, eating my chocolate truffle cupcake I was very aware that this reward was speaking my love language as well. In fact, I don't think this trip to the cupcake shop had much to do with Ivar. It was for me, the potty trainer.

We've had a few more messes and a few more victories. We won't know how successful our three days have been until tomorrow night. But no matter what the outcome, you may very well find me hanging out at the cupcake shop. Because training is a lot of work.

to market, to market...

Well, I believe a morning like this morning separates the men from the boys. Or at least the carnivores from the herbivores. For sure the hens from the roosters.

Early this morning we took three of our roosters to be processed. Or as we told Ivar, "to a friend's house." I am sad to say goodbye to Almonzo and Hamburgerpoopedonthecarpet. They were awesome roosters and behaved nicely. I was sorry to see them go.

But I wasn't sorry to see Eggs go. Eggs is a bully. I called him jerkface for the last week of his life. He tried to attack me three times so that I started carrying a stick. And as he'd flap his wings towards me, scratching my legs with his talons I had a bawk of my own and screamed, "I am the alpha wolf!!!!"

It's too bad though. If Rory and I were the type who entered birds into illegal cock fights, and if we were looking to make a lot of money fast, I think Eggs would have been our ticket.

So on the menu this week: chicken, Hamburger and Eggs.

I don't know if I'll be able to do it though. Well maybe Eggs. Though Rory said, if his insides reflect his outsides, he is going to taste bad.

the things Ivar says

I just found Ivar laying on his belly on top of all of his foam blocks saying quietly to himself, "I am so amazing. I'm so amazing."

When he thinks the day is getting stale he'll ask me real upbeat, "So what's the plan?"

He loves playing Happy Birthday. He'll put all sorts of treasures in a little box and bring it to me, and I give him a big reaction and he runs off to fill the box with more surprises.

He was playing with blocks and made a cross. He came and found me screaming, "It's Grandpa Paul's church! It's Grandpa Paul's church!" I love that.

Rory's cousin Jon taught Ivar to kiss his forearms and say, "two tickets to the gun show." He whips it out at the most random times and it kills me every time.

I took the kids to pick our first baby tomato for my salad for lunch. I made it a big deal and told Ivar he could carry the baby tomato to the house for me. He cupped it gently in his hands. I picked some sweet peas and checked on the eggplants. When I got to the garage I asked where the tomato was. He replied, "I licked it. It was yucky. So I THROW IT!" Then I went on a pathetic scavenger hunt looking for the baby tomato. I didn't find it. I have a feeling the chickens won the hunt.