As we sign off our second week in Vermont, I am mindful of how quickly each day passes. Even though some days seem as never-ending as the laundry pile and I find myself chasing a very awake Baby at 10pm (!!!) I still feel as though time flies by.
In the past week, we've tackled quite a few firsts!
We did our first proper supplies shop this week and it was not without its challenges - that's besides the exchange rate! At the one shop, E needed shoes before we could be served so we had to leave store, go and fish for his shoes in the car and then return as if everything was perfectly normal. At another, we fielded numerous requests for autographs from the 'movie star' - who nodded and smiled politely at the onlookers' admiration! And still at another, all 3 kids broke down in dramatic harmony while we tried to find them swimming costumes...despite the fact that it was for their benefit!
We now only use the self-service check out because we are too many foreign accented - loud sounding humans in one aisle but even doesn't eliminate the drama... When Dear Husband realised that there was a camera capturing every.single.facial.reaction to the skit, he was even less impressed!
Thankfully, for the mornings last week, J and E attended a Vacation Bible School. It was a fun time for them, who were tired of 'us' and a welcome change up for us as we tried to spread things out and settle in a little better. We even got Baby into some form of nap time routine. Woohoo! Did I mention that the older two had fun? Boy, they had fun! Games, songs, crafts ...all culminating in a wrap up on Friday, including a barbecue and water games (hence the need to suffer through the mega meltdowns in a previously mentioned shopping trip). A big plus was that by Sunday, they (and we) were able to recognise some more faces and participate just a little bit more than before.
Then, a super-first for the farm, the chef and the 'patrons' was the preparation of a full pork roast on Saturday. Add together a roaster box, a slightly suspecting boar, fire for the cooking, sunshine for the vibe, a side slaw and many hungry lip-smackers ...it made for a memorable experience. The word for that day: pork-e-tarian.
Some school revision and practise started on Monday and by Wednesday we'd all earned a baking lesson. That's maths and science, wouldn't you agree? The kids whipped up a pumpkin spiced tray bake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles, nogal. In the end, it didn't make it to communal dinner - oops -
So we've tried some Uplands Biscuits (from Favourite Biscuit Recipes by J Salmon) and once they're sandwiched with Blueberry jam, I hope they'll be enjoyed!
Recipe
8 oz. butter
5 oz. sugar (we used 2 tablespoons)
1 large eat, beaten
10 oz. self raising flour (we had to make our own, and used 1 cup all purpose flour, 1,5 tsp baking powder and 0,25 tsp salt)
2 oz. custard powder (we used 2 teaspoons)
pinch of salt
Set oven to 350C. Beat butter and sugar. Stir in beaten egg and the rest of the ingredients. Knead well with fingers. Roll out on lightly floured surface and cut with biscuit cutter. Bake for 10min. Once cold, sandwich in pairs with jam and put a little white icing on top.
And lastly, a highlight for us while away from home, is sending handwritten letters by airmail. And this time is no different... We posted off 7 letters yesterday and we hope they'll be delivered safely. Keep an eye on your mailbox in the weeks to come!
In the past week, we've tackled quite a few firsts!
We did our first proper supplies shop this week and it was not without its challenges - that's besides the exchange rate! At the one shop, E needed shoes before we could be served so we had to leave store, go and fish for his shoes in the car and then return as if everything was perfectly normal. At another, we fielded numerous requests for autographs from the 'movie star' - who nodded and smiled politely at the onlookers' admiration! And still at another, all 3 kids broke down in dramatic harmony while we tried to find them swimming costumes...despite the fact that it was for their benefit!
We now only use the self-service check out because we are too many foreign accented - loud sounding humans in one aisle but even doesn't eliminate the drama... When Dear Husband realised that there was a camera capturing every.single.facial.reaction to the skit, he was even less impressed!
Then, a super-first for the farm, the chef and the 'patrons' was the preparation of a full pork roast on Saturday. Add together a roaster box, a slightly suspecting boar, fire for the cooking, sunshine for the vibe, a side slaw and many hungry lip-smackers ...it made for a memorable experience. The word for that day: pork-e-tarian.
Some school revision and practise started on Monday and by Wednesday we'd all earned a baking lesson. That's maths and science, wouldn't you agree? The kids whipped up a pumpkin spiced tray bake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles, nogal. In the end, it didn't make it to communal dinner - oops -
So we've tried some Uplands Biscuits (from Favourite Biscuit Recipes by J Salmon) and once they're sandwiched with Blueberry jam, I hope they'll be enjoyed!
Recipe
8 oz. butter
5 oz. sugar (we used 2 tablespoons)
1 large eat, beaten
10 oz. self raising flour (we had to make our own, and used 1 cup all purpose flour, 1,5 tsp baking powder and 0,25 tsp salt)
2 oz. custard powder (we used 2 teaspoons)
pinch of salt
Set oven to 350C. Beat butter and sugar. Stir in beaten egg and the rest of the ingredients. Knead well with fingers. Roll out on lightly floured surface and cut with biscuit cutter. Bake for 10min. Once cold, sandwich in pairs with jam and put a little white icing on top.
And lastly, a highlight for us while away from home, is sending handwritten letters by airmail. And this time is no different... We posted off 7 letters yesterday and we hope they'll be delivered safely. Keep an eye on your mailbox in the weeks to come!
Yeah! Looking forward to some mail, and I promise to send some back!
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