I post a bit on the farm Instagram (@silvergoosefamilyfarm - for anyone who wants to follow us!) about the projects that are going on in the kitchen or out on the property, and I am always surprised when I get the comment, "I don't know how you do it all."
I guess that's because in my mind, I'm not doing much. It feels little in comparison to the "all" that I know my other mother friends, other homesteading friends, what other people in general are doing. Everyone's "all" is so different and encompasses so much more than what you can capture in an Instagram post or even know at face value.
I'd like to give a little peek into what our day to day look like, with some thoughts:
6:45 am - My alarm goes off (My husband's has gone off much sooner but I choose to ignore it), and if I can crawl out of bed without waking up the children that have made their way next to me, then I am up...
7:30 am - Kids in boots and coats, buckets and rags in hand, we clomp out to the animals. Pigs get herded out from eating acorns and grazing on grass. They get a flake of hay and some fruit and slops. Kids chase ducks and chickens in their pen and look for eggs. Cookie gets a flake of hay and she steps into her stanchion and we get to milking (here's more information about our milking routine).
8:00 - 8:30 am - Kids in boots and coats, buckets and rags in hand, we clomp back to the house. The little ones and husband crowd around the counter and watch as I filter the milk. We try and guess how many jars we'll fill. They get labeled and put away, pails in the sink to wash, sanitize and dry for the next milking. And then breakfast (Hint: it's usually eggs, or on fast days, sourdough and peanut butter, or Korean soup)
8:30 - lunch - After breakfast, kids clear the table and get out their school books. We do math first because we need their full brain power to get through the lessons and exercises for that day. After math we do reading/writing exercises. While they are working, I'm usually at the sink doing dishes and processing whatever food is coming up that week:
-Foods to be processed: twice a week we make sourdough bread
-on days we don't make sourdough, we make cheese (because you don't want your cultures/yeasts to mix)
-on days we don't make cheese or sourdough, we make butter, fruit syrups, peel and preserve and freeze vegetables and other produce
Lunch - Papa comes in for a meal and a chat and I finally get to sit down with my (now cold) tea/coffee. I pick through the kids leftovers and sweep up the surprising amount of debris that has built up in just a few hours.
Noon - Dinner: This time is less regimented and therefore never as predictable as our mornings.
-This is everyone's free time. Usually the kids go outside to play. My oldest like to pack fruit and other snacks into their baskets and find a nice spot in the grass and share their treats with their younger sisters. I try to work outside or do the daily house chore (we try to follow a schedule of housework that helps keep the overwhelming chaos at bay).
-When everyone piles in from outside, snacks are distributed, the baby goes down for a nap, and the children get a bit of screen time while I prep for dinner or do another project (usually farm related)
6:30 - 7:30: Dinner. The kids are pried away from the screen to clear and set the table. They squabble over who gets to put out the silverware and who gets to put out plates. They squabble over who is sitting where. We wait for Papa to come in from work, or from doing the evening animal chores if he finished early.
7:30 - Bedtime: The younger kids sometimes request a song. My husband will play them something on the piano as the girls grab their long scarves and hold an impromptu dance recital in the living room. Or sometimes they'll all huddle together and we will have storytime. Or they will work on the last little bit of a crafting project. Sometimes they will jump right in to doing some extra chores, sweeping and picking up their toys, wiping down the table and the countertops and helping put away the leftovers.
Bedtime: We read prayers and tuck little ones in. I prep the milking pails for the next day and do a finally once over in the kitchen. Things are usually still pretty messy. Many days I wonder just what in the world did I do because nothing looks to have improved. The mess usually shifts to different parts of the house or is replaced with other things that are equally as messy. The youngest stays awake long after her sisters do because she is in our room still and this is her chance to have both parents completely to herself.
Eventually the house quiets down and we are asleep. Another day closed and another day to come. The general flow of the day is comforting even if it's frustrating that seldom do we get to everything on the list. And then everything kind of goes awry if we have to go to the store or if there is a playdate, and weekends are a free-for-all all to themselves. However, I'm so grateful for the flexibility of these days, and that my children's schedule can bend and accommodate the changes that life throws at us. It's not a perfect day. But it's our day. One I am so happy to be able to share with you all.
Sounds lovely, mess and all. You look great, by the way!