Holy Creativity, Batman!

Halloween Night 2014. I am so proud of my costume this year. It is by far my favorite costume EVER! I love it so much because my son made it for me completely on his own. The back of the sweater even has a designer tag, which says "I love Mommy, from Ethan". He opened his costume shop from his bedroom last week and decided that there would be a family discount policy. Family members each get the first costume free. He broke policy, when his sister had two made- one for school, and one for trick or treating. "Next year, I will be charging you for costumes", he declared, "Nobody else on Earth has one like this, so that makes it special". Farmer Mike's Batman shirt is also courtesy of our son...notice the scotch tape attaching the fabric! He must not have been able to find it for his sister's shirt, as she sports blue painter's tape to attach her batgirl emblem. He creates something new any chance he gets, enforcing one of our main values, "Make-Not-Buy". Seeing this little guy internalize this value makes me the proudest farm mom in the world! And he is so proud of himself and his skills too! My little environmentalist/artist/costume designer/The Flash is sure something special! I am so grateful to have this "Super" family. And yes, I did stuff a puffy coat under that sweater! It was a chilly out there, but a memorable Halloween for the WTF farm fam! What's your most memorable costume? 

Halloween Sensory Activities - Jack-O-Lanterns and Seed Art

The Night before Halloween is our traditional pumpkin carving night. This jack-o-lantern is made from a pumpkin from the WTF gardens- The sole survivor of the twenty or so we had planted in the back cement garden. Squirrels, Chipmunks, and Stink bugs apparently like pumpkins as much as we do. To appease two kids, this jack-o-lantern actually has another face carved into the back. The kids draw their design, we carve the lid and open it up, ready for the kids to extract the goop, guts and seeds with their hands. They have a blast squishing the orange slime between their fingers and helping to pick out the seeds. Cleanup is not too bad either if you lay newsprint down. Unless you have a four year old, who thinks it's hysterical to fling it across the kitchen on a spoon, her very own mini version of a "Punkin Chunkin" trebuchet.

Here, we've washed and dried the seeds, and tomorrow, they get separated into two piles: Cooking and Planting. The cooking pile will be oven roasted, very lightly salted, and given as a gift to Grandma in a mason jar. The planting pile will be put aside, and stored for winter for planting in the new greenhouse in mid-April. Giant pumpkin seeds can be started a bit sooner if you're looking for a ribbon winner! 

Above, my son creates a work of art with a wonderful sensory activity, seed art, which can be done year round with many different types of seeds. Seeds can form shapes, pictures, mosaics, etc. Let your child be the guide and see what he or she comes up with. Happy Halloween! 

Inspiration From A Chicken, Nugget

       This is Nugget. A tiny bantam black silkie chicken who inspires many children in the Westport community. This animal, smaller than a teddy bear, I believe to be the single most powerful force driving the poultry-keeping boom we are seeing in Southwest Connecticut. She is also often my inspiration, as I watch her adorable antics while I work in the gardens. She is quite the character. Starting this blog, I feel as I imagine she would jumping into a coop filled with seemingly giant Orpingtons and Barred Rocks, who'd been together for years. She would probably get some negative reaction, for having the audacity to intrude: maybe she would have a few feathers plucked out by her new coop mates, maybe she would be chased around and barricaded off from the food by the others. But even worse yet (in the world of blogs, anyway), she could go completely unnoticed. She could get hidden behind the stature of the noble blue egg laying Americauna, Idis, or go unseen next to the flashy, fancy, feathery headdress worn by the obnoxious Golden Laced Polish, Madonna- that poultry diva. Nugget's story might never be told, were it not for her ability to adapt by accepting who she is, accepting her place in the pecking order, and scratching out a niche all her own. 

   What is so endearing to us about Nugget is her surprisingly odd look combined with a relaxed, calm, lovable personality. She loves being held by toddlers and adults alike. She's patient. She's tolerant. She's calm. She speaks with her eyes as well as any cat ever could, but in a non-judgemental way, of course. She ensures her holder that she means no harm and appreciates any attention and soft arms to nap in that come her way. She can appear plain at times...a simple black next to the beautiful zebra-like stripes of the Barred Rock. Yet put Nugget in the sun, and that plain, easy to miss chicken exudes irredescent streaks of teal and regal purple. She is simply splendid. 

    At the farm, I strive to bring the values I see embodied in this little creature to my own two children and the children I teach. Just as Nugget does, be patient. Be kind. Be respectful. Be tolerant. Be humble. Explore, share and inspire. Shine when it is your turn to shine, and give others the chance to do so as well. Admire others, but know that you can be great, too...In your own way...just as you are. If you can't see it, step outside. Perhaps the sun has not shone on your feathers yet.