Something New on Day 6

Day six of social distancing for us here on the farm and it was time to incorporate some new things.

It may not be raining but I had a few moments today when I felt like I was drowning in children.  I broke out one of the special snacks that I had stashed away for a time like this.  Sometimes you just need a junk food boost to make it through until nap time.

Canned smelt sandwiches for lunch on homemade buns with our homegrown daikon microgreens and onions tips.
Honestly, though, it was the store bought All Dressed potato chips that stole the show. 
What a treat!  The boys were in heaven.

I also made use of some exciting online activities today to keep the boys from clobbering each other.  We visited with Sihil the ocelot live at the Cincinnati Zoo at 3 pm.  Even though the zoo is closed temporarily, the zookeepers are running a virtual meet and greet with a different zoo animal every afternoon for kids who are home from school.

We also discovered the Story Time from Space Program where real astronauts read children stories while they are orbiting in outer space.  How amazing.

Finally, I decided that I just needed to exercise the sass out of Liam and Seamus.  Good natured Alistair was along for the ride, as usual.  I should note, however, that when Alistair is not being toted around following after the big boys, he is getting very proficient at motoring about on his own.  He actually took his first steps today!  He stood up all on his own and walked three wobbly steps completely independently towards his brothers.  Liam, Seamus and I were all there to witness it and we cheered so enthusiastically that we startled Alistair and he fell back on to his bum.  What an accomplishment!  We were so proud.

In addition to getting Liam and Seamus actively involved in helping me collect the maple sap while Daddy is at work (we brought him home five huge buckets full this afternoon), I also put them to work in the yard chipping the ice chunks off of my warmest box garden.  I filled the boys with dreams of early plantings of lettuce and snap peas and then let them have at it with spades and edgers.

What a day.  I have no idea where these kids get all their energy (maybe from all the snacks they say they need!).  For my part, I cannot believe that I only have nine hours until we start all over again.