Hello, hello!  I have been done with school for almost an entire week now, and am starting to get back into swing of NOT having to do assignments in all of my free time.  This has meant a lot more time outside in the garden, cooking and meal planning again, and lots of park and library trips and reading with the kids.

I am taking a break from school until at least January now.  I began to apply for the Birth Institute, but after further discussion with the admissions director, we have decided to put it on hold for a little while longer.  Neither of us are fully ready for the time commitment or lifestyle of a midwife. It will come down the road if it turns out to be truly what I want to do (which I still think it is), but there is plenty of time.  Even if I didn't start school for 3 more years (when Hailey is 5), I will only be 33 by the time I can be licensed.  In the mean time, I am planning on becoming a certified birth educator (just one weekend workshop along with 30 hours of online schooling, and then I just have to attend two births and have a teaching series assessed) and doing a few online nutrition classes, which I am very excited about!  An important part of any midwife is getting connected in the birth community, so I'm going to start there, and when the time and apprenticeship opportunity opens up, I will already have some connections.

We also lost a chicken!  I came home last Thursday, and the door to the chicken coop was open.  Only one chicken got out, thankfully, but she was our best layer (we had been getting eggs for a week at that point).  On Sunday, I was sure I heard her in the woods and went searching for her, but couldn't find her.  So we are down to 4 chickens, and the one that is laying keeps breaking her eggs! ha.  Oh well.

I uploaded a bunch of pictures in random order as usual.

This is from today!  I sewed Hailey two tops and a pair of pants.  I have loved sewing the last few days.  My goal is to sew all of her clothes for fall, and once I saw her in them, I don't think I can stop designing things!  These tunics are perfect because they are lightweight for summer, but can be worn with leggings or pants and a shirt underneath, and they are the perfect length to hide her huge cloth diaper bottom!

This is our CSA box from the farm this week.  The strawberries are the best I have ever tasted.  I think I am going to make some strawberry shortcake tonight, but they are so good on their own!

Hailey modeled the back side of her clothes for me.

This is from a few weeks ago at the mall playspace.  Hailey is also wearing a tanktop I sewed for her, but its a little tight, so I have to try again.

Our first egg!

Shea has been obsessed with being superheros.  Today his superman shirt was dirty, so he dressed up as batman instead.

Just hanging out.  Eating a snack.

On Sunday we all went out to a little bakery in Kingston for breakfast.  Yum.  I enjoyed the break from making breakfast.

Hailey's other dress.  I love this one!

Our teepee.  Jeremy put up a clothesline for me and since we had to support the beam at the end, he sort of built a teepee.  I had some old fitted sheets, so we wrapped them around and clothes-pinned them together.  The kids love it.

That's all the random stuff I have for now!