Friday, October 23, 2009

The Farm

“We try to foster a wonder and love of nature by allowing our kids to be out on the farm throughout the seasons. We climb the trees, run barefoot through the corn, graze in the garden, feed the animals, collect the eggs, and get stuck in the mud. It’s all part of finding our place in the world.”



I’ve been spending time at “The Farm” lately. Clover has started attending a creative play preschool on a small family farm twice a week. I pulled the above quote from their information packet. I liked the way it summed things up :)



Clover has always been a mama’s girl, very attached, so we’ve been taking the transition slow with me spending the full four hours there with her and progressively fading off into the background more and more.

She's become really comfortable with the two wonderful women who run the place, and has even for the most part overcome her initial terror of Cosmo the "noisy pig," one of several farm animals who roam free, including "Skippy" the bunny and "Oh Suzanna", the chicken who endearingly thinks she's a person.



It’s such a fun and creative place and Clover is loving it.

For something to do while "fading into the background", I wandered around taking pictures the day after our big rainstorm. I finally tried messing around with Rollip on the photos, which I'd been wanting to try ever since first hearing about it through Caroline. My favorite effects turned out to be the first and last. I also really like that it has the option of leaving the pics full-size.



I thought the farm atmosphere along with the abundance of charming vintage books, toys, and play equipment (flea market, garage sale, and thrift finds abound!) lent itself well to the old-timey Polaroid effects.

As I was taking photos it began to rain and the girls headed inside and straight for the dress-up clothes… that's my girl! They were so adorable bouncing around on a mattress in their “princess dresses” and tattered fairy wings.

I couldn’t help but take a little video:


Unfortunately, this camera doesn’t capture sound (or the settings are off?) but if you can imagine “Hey Hey, We’re the Monkey’s…” starting off in the background at the point where Clover starts off the jumping, it’s only that much cuter : )

The woman who started the pre-school, lives on the farm with her family and also happens to be close friends with one of Lucas' sisters. So, six years ago when we were planning our low key, low budget wedding and they were kind and generous enough to offer us the use of their farm as our location, free of charge, of course we jumped at the opportunity! It ended up being a perfect location and a perfect day.

Also, the fact that our child will now be swinging up in the field on the rope swing right under the big oak tree where mama and papa got married is pretty cool too.

Oh, and good news! I've successfully been able to leave for a couple of hours on the last two visits with no issues whatsoever and having four consecutive hours to myself twice a week is looking like it will soon be a reality and a much welcomed one at that!

What will I do with all this free time? Well, go thrifting of course! Haha.. just kiddin' Lucas! I will totally be at home keeping everything clean and organized and fulfilling all of my housewifely duties... totally ;)

24 comments:

Andrea said...

I love the effects you have created with those pictures! They look nice and vintage looking. A black paper album would be perfect for them.

The Farm sounds like a lot of fun for kids - I don't have any but if I ever did I would be into finding a place like that for them to spend some time at - and great that you'll have some more spare time too :) I'm currently in the midst of a long weekend which is great but it's unusual having all this time to think of how to fill! Lunches, vintage shopping and chilling out are working quite well so far.

What we four say said...

What a lovely concept, I hope I can find something so neat when I have children someday (hopefully soon). I have been telling my partner how I want to move to the woods and have lots of animals. That farm looks perfect to me. Your wedding photos are so sweet, you two looks so happy.

Franca said...

These photos are gorgeous and it sounds like a fantastic place! also, you look beautiful in your wedding photos!

Hannah said...

That first photo is absolutely adorable! What a great place for Clover, I wouldn't mind spending some time there myself!

Iris said...

The farm sounds like the perfect place for little Clover. She's such a cute little jumping bean!

And lucky you, 8 hours of blissful, unadulterated thrift time.. ;-)

julie said...

Delurking to say I wish I had a preschool like that nearby for my child. Sniff Sniff
Looks like great fun. Love your style.
Julie

Ginela Gonzalez said...

This is such a beautiful organic place. I'd go for a place with all the vintage magicness to it any day than a new day daycare with plastic toys and tables that haven't yet aried off all the toxins. And it's also the most magnificent place to get married! I'm only 16, but I've thought about geting married someday and I pictured a place just like this. I can't believe how pretty you look in the white dress. Clover looks like she's going to have a good chunk of memorable days of her life here. And the animals will have a most megestic visitor. :]
cheers!

polaris said...

Thrfting is definitely a "housewifely" duty - one must stretch the dollar, you know! ;)

Looks like a wonderful place for Clover to grow and learn. Great pictures.

Unknown said...

what a gorgeous post. Such great photos with a great story to go along with it. beautiful!

Gabriel said...

So adorable! I still love to jump, but unfortunately my knees don't ;-)

I love that fish mobile, too!

chloeraub said...

wow, looks like an extremely rad place - what a lucky little lady! and how cool that you were married there too!

Diana said...

Your photos are amazing, as usual. I love your description of Clover and how she is growing.

Oh, I am all too familiar with housewifing duties :P

Ashlee said...

the farm sounds wonderful.
what a great place to spend childhood days.
and lovely place for a wedding!

Sam said...

Lovely, lovely photos! I love the top one - so, so, sweet! ...and the one with that rather large looking black pig...it looks like heaven there - I think your little one will remember these days with very fond memories...Hope you're having a terrific weekend!

ELM said...

I just love these photos! I hope there'll be a place that wonderful for my kids... when I have 'em....

Eyeliah said...

What a lovely place to visit and clearly so fun for the kids. Thanks for sharing that adorable video.

anne said...

it sounds like a wonderful place to let your little one learn and grow. congrats on some free time in the near future. i'm slowly but surely getting there myself. having baby #3 when your others are older has been a bit of an adjustment. i had so much free time before, but now... i'm just trying to enjoy these few years when he's little. it goes by so fast!
i love the wedding pics. you look beautiful!

moonshinejunkyard said...

it sure enough does look like heaven there. i love the surprise twist to this post when you suddenly explain that you were married here! there is such a beautiful flow to that connection...

looks like your wedding was at the right place, a place where sweet soft magic happens.

Thrifted Treasure said...

What a lovely preschool, the children must be so happy there. Your wedding photos are beautiful, you looked so lovely :-)

Caroline said...

Okay...so much to say here:

1. A part time preschool on a farm where the kids get to head outdoors and explore nature?! This is my DREAM preschool! So jealous right now.

2. Again, your wedding looks so sweet. Love it.

3. Still really jealous that you've found a preschool like this. It's really exactly what I want for Ava but haven't found yet.

4. Hooray for rollip!

Manja said...

Oh wow, I didn't know about rollip before, the effects look really great!

That Preschool sounds like a lot of fun for little kids and the video you made is too cute. Your wedding picture is really beautiful, too! :)

Sylvie said...

That first photo is absolutely stunning! And the dancing fairies video made me smile so much...it's just too adorable!

elena-lu said...

and this is why i love you!
you take me to places i thought only existed in fairy tales and dreams but they are your life! such a uplifting thing to know that people live like this and experience such magical moments!!

BushStNews said...

I am so happy that clover, Lucia and Quinlan are carrying on the family farm tradition, your pictures bring back memories of Ry and Vida there, feels like it was just yesterday.

Z