Hale Farm and VIllage

Today was Mia's first field trip at school.  Mia's teacher had worked at Hale Farm, so the school decided to visit.  I have to be honest I have gone before and wasn't real excited about this trip, in fact i went somewhat begrudgingly. I packed lunch and snack for Mia and I, gathered the appropriate gear (hat, gloves, boots etc.) and headed out.We drove separate from the rest of the children as it didn't make sense to drive to school and then drive to Hale Farm.  I guess i should mention that we used to live a few miles from  Hale Farm and loved our home but had to sell quickly because of divorce, economy and a "lemon" of a house.  I was really nervous to drive there because this trip brought back lots of memories - some wonderful and some not so great. Heading down the highway it was beginning to warm up and the sun came out. I opened the window a pinch and enjoyed the fresh air.  It really hasn't felt like Fall to me this year but the smell of leaves and crisp air with the warm sun was a beautiful way to start our trip.  As we became closer to Hale Farm we started talking about things we remembered from our old house.  Many things were mentioned.  There was a memory of a dozen baby chicks delivered to our home and started on our sunporch in a chicken brooder or when our mostly blind miniature  pinscher fell in the pond and was swimming in circles headed nowhere but farther from land, or when an entire pack of coyote passed thru our yard to get to their home. There were memories of coming home to chickens running lose down our street and lost landscaping due to said chickens running lose. The closer we got the more we started to remember and i was amazed at all Mia had mentioned.  Her first sleepover with her best friend, fond memories of her preschool,and Santa visiting on a firetruck or playing under the trees with a table  and kitchen made by daddy.  We arrived at Hale Farm and it seemed like we had just started on our trip, i couldn't believe how quickly time had passed, and i was soon to realize this was how our whole day was to be.  The rest of our school arrived a short time later so we grabbed our lunches to throw in the class lunch basket and headed in.  We thought we would be experiencing a guided tour but somewhere along the line there was confusion and we were on our own.  We were not to be disappointed because we had Miss Mary the children's teacher and our guide for the day. We walked from building to building all reminiscent of what life used to be.  A blacksmith shop, a small cabin, where the children learned it was the boys duty to clean the chamber pot and that the walls of the cabin were made of poop and dirt!, we walked to the fiber room and learned about dying wool and spinning wool, and then on to a typical village of that time.  We saw pigs and chickens and wooly bears along the way.  The children walked, skipped and ran along the stone path from building to building.  We got to the final destination and we all realized it was time to go!  We had been there a little over 5 hours and again it felt like we just arrived!  The day could not of been any nicer , we made it through with no major mishaps or arguments .  We walked back to our cars with rosy cheeks, stones in our shoes, chit chatting amongst ourselves  and the memory of such an amazing day. We ended our day together joining hands and reciting a closing verse.  As we walked back to our car both Mia and I felt a "natural high".  Life could not get any better than this!

Day 2

Yesterday was such a fun day!  We celebrated an 8th birthday with one of Mia's friends from school.  I really wanted to take the time when she was at the party to run errands but Mia had a different opinion.  I am so glad i stayed.  The majority of the people were parents and children from our school (Urban Oak School) or family and a few neighbors.  The theme was Karaoke and Art party.  What an amazing idea!  They chose the theme to honor their daughter and the things that she loved.  This was NO cookie cutter party.  Along with the karaoke and art was a table and kitchen full of food  and drinks.   We talked and laughed , shared a meal and reminded the occasional child to walk on the stairs while in their socks. I looked around and saw parents and children laughing , talking, singing, dancing and crafting.  Every  person adult and child alike, was smiling and/or laughing.  I had found the one thing that i had been searching for , forever -  A community.

 Many people questioned me about my choice to send Mia to Urban Oak because it was not a public school therefore required tuition.  The  people in my life know that i am parenting my children alone with very little help and sending Mia there is a huge sacrifice.  It requires juggling two jobs outside the home, homeschooling a teenager, traveling 15 miles there and 15 miles home, packing lunches, buying rain pants , rain boots , rain coats and all sorts of outdoor clothing.  It also provides my daughter with an amazing, loving  and respectful education.  She has a wonderful teacher who takes the time to know each child individually and truly treats them as individuals.

 What i learned last night was that Urban Oak provides my family with SO much more than an education  It provided us with community. This is something that I never imagined would ever happen.  Suddenly it makes all those mornings that i throw a sleeping 5 year old in her carseat (often in pajamas still) seem like a simple compromise for what i receive back from her education. I am so thankful to be a part of such an amazing community and cannot wait to get together for another evening of fun!

Thank you to the very special hosts of this party. It was an unforgettable night!

Day One

After moving, i have finally sorted through all the boxes and i am  beginning to see our empty apartment become a home.  One of the boxes i went through was a box i had not seen for years.  I found something very special in it.  When Mia was born we purchased a "memory box"  for her. I had purchased it with good intentions but we know how that always ends up.  I opened it up and felt the tears well up in my eyes.  I had found all of the things i thought were missing.  There were pictures of ultrasounds, hospital bands , Baptism pictures and cards, and the most important thing in the box, something i had long forgotten about,  was the letters i wrote to Mia  after she was born.  I was true to myself and the letters were few and far between but they were chock full of information i had clearly forgotten. While reading through them i realized how important the small bits of information that were in them was.  Things i laughed about , cried about and said "oh yeah"  I spent the next few hours going through the box with Mia.  It was such a walk down memory lane and i cherished every moment i was able to spend with her reliving her early years. This special time pushed me to start this blog as a place were those daily happenings we forget about so soon can be stored. A place where Mia can come back to when she wants to know more about her life. A place where maybe someday she shares with her own children.