A few nights ago after dinner, our seven year old said, "I'm cold. Could you make a fire?...Actually, I'll make the fire." And he chopped up some kindling (he has been taught how to use a small hatchet safely) and started a fire in the wood stove. I am so glad to have such self-reliant kids. I like the idea that if you need something, first see if you can do it yourself, and then ask for help if you need it. I think it helps that they see their parents constantly making things from scratch, repairing things ourselves when they break, and making do with the resources we have on hand.

This self-sufficiency helps our 10 year old take responsibility for her home education. Although I do spend a few hours daily working with her on more challenging subjects, a great deal of her "school" day is self-directed. She has all her materials and knows what she needs to accomplish each day; so she is able to get her work done by herself.

This week it has been more of the same on the farm: plastering, weeding, taking care of animals, working on the house, caring for seedling and Brian fixing our truck (again!). We have most of the seeds we need for the year, but we have been picking up some extra seeds to round out what we are growing. We are choosing many heirloom varieties from organic companies. Also our huge box of onion sets just arrived, so this weekend will be spent planting onions!