Nothing too exciting to report from today, but it was good, and busy, and not too long, by which I mean only 13.5 hours.

Up at 7 for cows--the first time we've done them in a few days, actually, so it was a bit strange to get back to that routine, but good in some ways, too.

After oatmeal for breakfast we saddled up Undri, Emil, and Osk and headed down to the other farm for a group of pre-schoolers. It was coooold today! Hailing and miserable while we were doing the pony rides, but these kids sure know how to dress for the weather around here, it's pretty amazing! We tolted home and then Cecilia and I moved the pony electric fencing around again (they go out at night for grass, and every couple of days we need to move the pen around so they have enough grass as this is all they are eating. Interestingly, they went from a dirt paddock to green grass 12 hours a day with no switching over period at all. Horse people from home can continue to cringe as I say that there is a small heap of garbage and crap including loose wire fencing in the new paddock we made today. Horse care is certainly different around here!).

Then it was up to the house to thaw out and watch an episode of Friends, and then time for a yummy yummy lunch of lamb steaks, roast potatos and a milk-based gravy. B also melted together cheese, salsa, and pizza sauce into a casserole dish and we used it like a dip for Doritos. Oh and there was salad!!! Very exciting! Lunch is typically the best meal around here, we're discovering, and when they actually cook, it's typically very good.

After lunch we got all bundled up and headed back out into the cold Icelandic afternoon. I have a picture to post after of C, me, and youngest all wrapped up. I had leggings, pants, a long sleeved shirt, t shirt, long sleeved fleece, fleece vest, wind breaker, buff, toque, and gloves on. I NEVER wear that much clothing! Youngest had three pairs of pants and two pairs of socks, plus the most adorable woolen sweater with all sorts of animals knit into it.

We went down the road to one of the fields they lease and set about fixing the fence for sheep, who will push through anything. We went down the line of stock fencing and anywhere there was a gap, we took scraps of wood and nails and made bent-over-nail fencing staples to attach the fence to the wood, making a sort of wooden barrier at the bottom. It was just the sort of heathed together, reused fence mom would love to make! :p

By the time we quit, it was already 4:30, so once we had our snack and headed out to the barn after 5, the poor cows were hungry! (Cows start at 4 in the afternoon, usually). We did all the evening chores without anything too exciting going on, and then T went back to work on her fence while C and I fed the kids. We were planning on grilled ham and cheese sandos for them, which they eventually did eat, but while we were cooking they chaotically got their own food. Oldest (10) went for caviar in a tube, while youngest made a sandwhich of ketchup, cheese, and cocktail sauce. Second-youngest, who refuses to eat when his parents are around but is just fine at getting the bread and cheese down when they aren't, went one up on her and had bread and ketchup, and that's it.

I played a quick game of indoor soccer with the boys, updated the blog, and am heading to bed. Tomorrow I'll get up early to keep doing the work I was doing today whenever I had a second, too. A 16-hour day sounds fabulous to me :p

xx
D